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The drive from Prague to Berlin was massive! We were dropped off in Dresden for lunch - my first taste of German Sausages!! I was not disappointed!! Dresden was the base used by many German families during WW2 to send their women and children, while then war waged at home. Dresden was almost completely destroyed by allied forces dropping several thousand bombs over the city during the war killing many women and children. The city has been rebuilt, with many of the historical buildings replaced using the foundation of the previous structure.
We headed off the Berlin home of the Natzi's, the Berlin Wall and Sausages! Berlin is a massive city, well renowned for its nightlife and shopping. The driving tour took us to the East-side Gallery to visit a long stretch of the Berlin Wall displaying local artists work on both sides of the wall with a strong focus on peace.
I am really excited to recall dinner in Berlin. We went to a traditional Beir Hall with the oompa music and the waiters wearing lederhosen. Another 3 course dinner with soup, pork knuckle with sauerkraut and apple pancakes with litres of Stein! Another fabulous dinner - I was in food heaven!
The next day was all about WW2 and my own personal mission in search of traditional German Wieners (sausages). The morning started with a guided 3rd Reich Walking Tour of Berlin, visiting the Parliament House, the new Parliament Library, Brandenburger Gate, Holocaust Memorial, Hitlers Bunker and Checkpoint Charlie. The Parliament House was rebuilt following the infamous turning point in German history which saw the building burnt to the ground which resulted in Hitler being given emergency powers which saw him overthrow the government and arrest all opposition - many of whom were quickly executed within Berlin or in the concentration camps.
The Holocaust Memorial contains several thousand blocks of all shapes and heights, perfectly aligned across undulating ground to give visitors feelings of being lost, overwhelmed and hopelessness all similar to those felt by Jews during the war. There is much local dissent about the monument as it was painted with paint to protect it against graffiti which was made by the company which produced the Zyklon-B used in all of the Natzi concentration camps to execute Jews during then war.
After the walking tour it was a visit to Curry 36, a street vendor within the residential area of Berlin selling the 'best' traditional Berlin Sausage "Currywurst" - highly recommended by our walking tour guide Jess! AMAZING, the sausage is served on a little plate with chips and curry sauce and curry powder on the chips!
Next we headed back to the Museum Island to visit the Neue Wache, a monument to those lost in WW2. Inside is a copper statue of a mother holding her dying son, beneath which ashes from a unknown german soldier was buried. The roof has a large hole directly above the statue to let rail, hail, snow in and represent the hardship faced by everyone during the war.
Next to the Neue Wache is the Berlin University, site of the infamous book burnings by the student Natzi party during the war. Beneath the square a local artist has built a monument of the books burnt; a room in white surrounded by empty bookcases - viewed only from above in the square through perspex glass, the room symbolises the 20,000 books burnt in on the of most powerful attempts to irradiate free thought.
We visited the Deutche Museum - built to give a brutally honest account of the history of Germany from the 500's through to the tearing down of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Entering the museum we realised once we were told entry was free for the day that it was the 23rd anniversary of destruction of the Berlin Wall!
Next it was off to find an ampleman shop. I had never head of this, its everywhere in Berlin. When East and West Berlin were rejoined in 1989, the government attempted to uniform the traffic lights in an attempt to remove the differences between east and west. There was a massive outcry from the people of West Berlin and the pedestrian signals were changed back - ampleman was born!
It was back to checkpoint Charlie for another sausage and a lift on the bus back to the hotel to chill out for a couple of hours. For most people, after 1 or even 2 sausages you draw the line. My search for the best sausage in Germany (due to my love of the German Sausage Hut at the Chandler markets in Brissy) caused me to order to a sausage plate for dinner! Another 4 sausages with Sauerkraut and a little Mustard! Finally!! Visit to Haagendass for dessert and we called it a night!
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