Berlin in a nutshell

Berlin, Germany

It is hard to summarize the past four days in one blog entry. This is in small part because Berlin is a good city to visit, but mostly because Damon and I had such gracious hosts while staying here.

Damon met Pieter and Franziska about three years ago in Amsterdam on a random night on the town. Over the years, Damon and Pieter kept in touch through email. Although their friendship seemed quite casual, Damon emailed Pieter several weeks ago to tell him that we were coming to the German capital.

An outside observer of the weekend would have thought that Damon and Pieter were brothers, not just random drinking buddies from long ago – for two reasons. First, Pieter and Franzi were as kind and hospitable as one can be. They opened their home to us, gave us multiple tours of the city, took us shopping (I got some shoes!), and hosted us for many fine meals. They even borrowed the car of Franzi’s mom to take us to the airport this morning at 5:00 a.m. for our flight out to Athens. All in all, they made us feel like guests of honor. It was amazing. I hope to one day return the favor.

The second reason that one might think that Damon and Pieter were brothers is that they really get along great. Damon has a unique and sarcastic wit that typically comes off as lighthearted and fun. Pieter has a very similar sense of humor, so it was very interesting to see these two guys – guys that barely knew each other at the start of the weekend – feed off of each other. I think Damon had a blast with Pieter’s personality, and vice versa. Not to say that I didn’t of course. But I often found myself partnered in conversation with Franzi (in her cute Irish accent that she picked up while studying there) while Pieter and Damon told each other jokes (and Pieter taught Damon German expletives).

The unique bond that these two guys seem to share is worth a pause for reflection. In this world that seems so huge, it is truly amazing that two people from totally different backgrounds can share so much in common. It makes me wonder about the other seven billion people alive. How many other Pieters are out there that Damon hasn’t met? Or that I haven’t met? And what about you?

Of course, I must take a moment to discuss the happenings in Berlin. All in all, the city is not very spectacular looking. Berlin is a big metropolitan center that lacks the magic of many smaller European cities – Prague, for example. But for what the city lacks in scenes, it makes up in history. I found the visit to the Berlin Wall the most interesting sight. First off, it was neat to get the perspective of Pieter and Franzi – both from Eastern Germany. I knew the history a bit – learned more at the Checkpoint Charlie Museum – but was able to get a German’s view on the situation. (As an aside, this was another great advantage to having a local host: we got to discuss many issues and get a German/EU perspective. I’ll keep politics out of this blog, but will mention that it wasn’t surprising to hear/see how the EU feels about the upcoming presidential election.)

Other highlights of the trip included:

-Shopping and the best ice cream in Berlin at Potsdammer Platz, which is Berlin’s smaller version of Times Square.

-A visit to the Reichstag, which is the home of Germany’s federal government. A new glass dome was built recently and we were able to go to the top for a great view of the city. Near the Reichstag, we observed the famous Brandenburg Gate. One note: Damon and I both noticed that the landscape maintenance was sub-par. We expected the capitol to have spectacular grounds, but they were typically overgrown and shoddy.

-The Jewish National Museum had very unique architecture, including some interesting sculptures in memory of those murdered during the Holocaust. The museum was mostly about the history of German Jews, but also had a major section on the culture and traditions of Judaism. Damon and I found this part quite fascinating.

We had our final meal last night at a traditional German restaurant and it was outstanding. The portions were enormous and the food delicious. Damon and I agreed: next time we’re in Berlin, we will return to the restaurant.

And now to Athens. I’ll keep you posted on which events we’re going to so you can watch for us on TV!