I mentioned getting to Pottsdam in the previous post, here are a few pictures of our route. We loved riding in Eastern Germany. Even when we strayed from the bike routes, we still discovered that there were paved paths next to the highways. So many people still travel by bicycle between small towns and the paths are really well maintained. It made the rides in that part of the country highly enjoyable. I love the way they care about their cyclists.
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| more creepy trees. Can't you just picture hideous monsters? No? Ok, too many horror movies for me growing up. |
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| One hell of a super fan? The picture doesn't show the front of the house with dragons holding lanterns |
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| I was quite happy on this ride...until we got hungry |
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| We found our creepy dream home |
We ended up rolling into Berlin sometime in the late afternoon. Greg has always loved Berlin and our total time there ended up being 2 weeks. The first week we rented a room from some college kid through
Airbnb in the Friedrichshain district. A great area that reminded me a bit of a mixture of Brooklyn and San Francisco. A young area with a whole lot to do just outside our door. It was great to be in a melting pot again, being able to eat some amazing food, and ignoring our tent and stove for a bit. The second week there we ended up renting an entire apartment to ourselves. It was so nice to feel like we had a place to call home instead of a tent.
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| The amount of tagging in Berlin bugs me to no end, Greg doesn't mind. |
While we were there, we were able to catch up with a friend of Greg's, Tyson and his wife Caitlin. She's there in school on an art scholarship and he teaches classes online. Sweet set up really. We wouldn't mind living in Berlin but from what I understand, it's not so easy to get a work Visa there. But we're still gonna dream.
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| Street art, I don't mind. It's not ugly senseless tagging |
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| I don't know about you but Lattes put hair on my chest |
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| This is a historic building that a artist collective, Tacheles, has been squatting in for so long that now the city can't kick them out. Much to the dismay of the fancy hotel next door that wants that building |
Berlin was a trip for me. Like Sarajevo, there was bullet holes everywhere reminding you of their scars of wars. It was extremely humbling, chilling, and a bit depressing to see what this city and it's people went through.
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| This is the Altes building where there are some famous photos of Nazi rallies from the war |
"Mother and Her Dead Son" statue by Kathe Kollwitz. A very moving piece in a building that has nothing else around it but the hole in the ceiling that allows rain and sun to come down on her.
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| Even if the Wall isn't completely there, there is a markers and plaques throughout the city showing where it once stood |
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| The old Nazi Air force Ministry, one of the prime targets that suffered very little damage during the war. In the lower part of the photo, the Topography of Terror museum. |
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| A sad bike missing it's other half. Snarf |
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| Turkish open market |
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| Every time we came across Mexican food, we had to try it. This was the first place on our trip where we had some GOOD Mexican. It helped that the owners were actually from Mexico City |
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| T-Rex suicide |
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| Blood hungry rabbit gonna get'cha |
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| That spy tower again |
Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. A block wide installation that was suppose to make you feel isolated while inside. Not knowing what's going to be coming around the corner and constantly checking your back
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| riding on the runways of an old airport that the city turned into one giant park |
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| This lovely little place is an abandoned kid's amusement park. Unfortunately it was fenced off and guarded. Le sigh |
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| baby swans are pretty ugly |
I have to agree with Greg, Berlin is tits. Of all the cities on this trip, I would put Berlin in the top three of places I would gladly live. Budapest is third, London is number 1
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