In Which the Elder Aliens Party in Berlin

In front of a map of divided Berlin that was part of an outdoor exhibition on the wall.
The hats were our first Berlin purchase. That city is cold in December.

      Lo these many years ago, we celebrated Anniversary #10 in Las Vegas. While that city is probably worth seeing for it's unique nature, it made me think of what Hell must be like -- hot, loud, and full of vice. Little did we know that a decade later, we'd be celebrating our 20th anniversary in Berlin . . . or that Berlin would be a lot closer to home than Las Vegas. If Las Vegas is Hell, then Berlin must be Heaven -- it's cold, full of beauty, and they drink their coffee in mugs almost as large as the steins they use for beer (although I understand that actually, "In Heaven There Is No Beer," which is fine with me).

      Despite these positive qualities, Berlin may seem like something of an odd anniversary destination -- one might ask, why not Paris, Venice, Antibes, or something more traditionally romantic. We chose, in our patented practical style, by pulling up the Easy Jet website, typing in the weekend we wanted to go, and selecting from among the deals offered. Upon further reflection, however, Berlin actually is an  appropriate place to celebrate a marriage. Through it's history, the city has been assailed by trials from within and without. Berlin can't have always been an easy place to live. Yet it is a place of great beauty and depth, and a place that is continuing to build and grow. What more can a marriage ask for than a history like that? 

       After four days in Germany's capital, it has definitely become one of our favorite destinations, one to which we hope to return. What's so great about Berlin?

#1. History. Berlin's stormy history makes the city a fascinating place to visit. We spent hours learning about the abuses of the Third Reich in Topographie des Terrors, a museum built on the site of the SS and Reich Security headquarters. Outside of the building stands one of the longest remaining sections of the Berlin Wall. 

The Berlin Wall outside the Topographie des Terrors. The holes are from treasure hunters
 who wanted to take a piece of history away with them.

Memorial to the Jews killed in World War II.

      We visited Checkpoint Charlie. The sign is the original one, I think, but the checkpoint itself is a reconstruction.

The sandbags and plaque commemorate the standoff between American and Soviet tanks in 1961.

      We spent more hours in the German History Museum learning about the years from the end of World War 1 through the present. We also visited the display on the Reformation. We could have learned about ancient history to the 1900s as well, but didn't feel able to digest any more information that day.

I never realized that Cranach painted Luther's wife as well. The pictures were meant to
be an argument in favor of marriage by the clergy.

2. Architecture. Despite the destruction of war, Berlin in chock-full of amazing buildings. 

The Berliner Dom

The Reichstag

The Brandenburg Gate. I found it very interesting that Napoleon took it to Paris for a few years.
I wonder who he got to do that job.

Charlottenburg Castle (a Christmas market was assembling in front
of the castle, but nothing was open yet, unfortunately).

3. Food. Probably it is because our heritage is more German than French, but we loved the food in Berlin. Big breakfasts. Sausage and sauerkraut. Delicious baked goods. None of these ridiculous beautiful, tiny portions intended to please the eyes more than the stomach. The Germans like food. They don't put up with exorbitant prices, either. We did have one funny dining experience. We were sitting at a table in a crowded restaurant when an older woman came up and motioned toward one of our two empty chairs. I assumed that she wanted to take the chair to another table, and so I nodded and smiled. She and her husband promptly joined us at our table. Their English was limited. Our German more so. Nevertheless, Eric managed to carry on a conversation. I wish we could have talked more to them, as we learned they had grown up and lived in East Berlin. I'm sure they could have added to our historical perspective. As it was, the situation was somewhat awkward. My parents, who lived in Germany for a year before I was born, assured me that table sharing is perfectly normal. That kind of efficient use of resources is probably why the country is doing comparatively well economically.

Eric in our favorite restaurant, right around the corner from the hotel. No one joined us at the table here.

   

4. The Christmas Spirit. Berlin is full of Christmas decorations, Christmas music, and Christmas markets. The lights and festivity make the water darkness not only bearable, but kind of cozy. We heard a wonderful Christmas choir concert in the Franzosischer Dom, which the city built for the Huguenot Christians fleeing France after the Edict of Nantes was revoked. I'm sure the Huguenots  would have loved the ancient and modern hymns. I know we did.

The Christmas market outside the Franzosischer Dom. We found wooden molds
for springerlies -- one of our favorite Christmas cookies.