Hitting The Wall

     The next day we went to the wall. Both of us did, and I have the photo to prove it. 

     My first trips to Europe, when I went solo, someone asked if I really went on them because all my photos were just of landscapes and buildings. But I was there, and I know it. The experience of appreciating that beauty and trying to capture it in a photo are part of who I am now. I don’t need an image of myself to feel like I am real or my experience was real. I think of that as we tour in this new cell phone selfie era, where people are more interested in getting a photo of themselves at a famous sight than experiencing the site itself (see the post above about the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, etc.).

 

     The former Berlin Wall (I'm going to assume you know or can find out its importance in the Cold War) was now called the East Side Gallery and had murals by artists from many countries.

    

 

     It is interesting that it was in the former Soviet part of Berlin because the bridge near it was the closest I've seen to Russian architecture in Western Europe.

    

     Afterward, we thought we would do one final thing. Mauer Park was on our list, and Jackie (our server at LeCoin in Copenhagen) singled it out. I had noticed that a tramline right by our hotel went there, so we went back to the hotel and waited for the tram. Which never came. Eventually I noticed a sign on the display board "No lines running." A local couple confirmed the sign, so we went to get separate dinners to eat in the room. I got a very German dinner, though an odd mix. Currywurst and riesling.

     Currywurst is a Berlin favorite: sausage (vegan in my case) covered in ketchup and curry powder and served with French fries. I actually loved it. Mary got Thai food, including a soup chock full of vegetables that made us both feel how much we were in need of healthy food.

     We packed and got ready for the next day's first train ride in Europe this trip: Berlin to Prague.