Berlin - Day 1

My first day in Berlin has been amazing. There are so many people and things to see. 

After we landed and made it through customs, our group traveled to our hotel to check in and freshen up. 

The remainder of our afternoon was time to explore. A small group of us walked from our hotel to the Sony Center. The walk was beautiful. We followed the outer edge of the Tiergarten which was a lovely wooded path that had parks on one side and several national embassies on the other. 

Once at the Sony Center, we had a delicious snack at an outdoor cafe. There were so many options with sausages, cheeses, cold meats, and pretzels. YUMMY!!!!

My day was wrapped up by a stroll past the Berlin Zoo and Aquarium to a traditional Bavarian tavern. It was a true German  experience. Liver dumpling soup, sausages, potatoes, sauerkraut, and a strawberry custard for dessert. So delicious!!

Berlin

Just arrived in Berlin. Unfortunately it's raining, but at least it's nice and cool.

Planes, Buses, and Terminals

Getting ready to board soon. 

Today is the day....

It's official...I'm going to Germany TODAY!!!  

I will be posting pics and blogging throughout my adventure, so make sure to check back often for updates.  

Father's Day

Today is Father's Day and I am a very lucky person to have a wonderful father and other positive male role models in my life. As I think about all those men that have influenced me throughout the years, I can't help but think of my Papa Mauney.  It's been many years since he passed away, but I find myself really focusing on him lately, I think it might be because that I am going to somewhere he has been. 

My Papa Mauney proudly and bravely fought in WWII on the German front. He served in the Black Forest and along the Rhine. He never spoke of his service much with me, but my father told me about what he knew of his service. WWII and German history are two of the many things my father and I share a great interest in. 

To think that I will be in a foreign country that my grandfather spent time in is exciting. I know that if he were still with us, he would be proud and supportive of this trip. He would want to know all about it when I get back and want to see pictures of everywhere I went. I know he will be with me in my heart as I travel, and now he will get to experience Germany in a new light. He will be there with me as I explore and make memories. 

I can't wait!!!  I'll be on German soil in less than a week. 

The Berlin Wall

Cold War: Berlin Wall. Photograph. Encyclopædia Britannica. Web. 8 Jun. 2014. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/598930/media?assemblyId=86852>.

In preparation in for my adventure, I've been doing some research on sites and events in Germany's history.  Our first stop is in Berlin, and the Berlin Wall has always intrigued me, so of course I want to know more about it.

I was 9 years old when the wall came down and I remember it being on the news, but I didn't really understand it and why it was there in the first place.  My research has really opened my eyes.  I guess, I had an assumption on what it was and why it was there and some of those assumptions were correct, but most were a little off.

Some things I learned:

1. the East Germans built a barrier of barbed wire and cinder blocks over night
2. later a more permanent structure of concrete walls topped with barbed wire was built
3. the wall was up to 15 feet high in some places
4. some places it was electrified fences instead of concrete
5. eventually the structure extended 28 miles through Berlin and an additional 75 miles around West Berlin - this separated West Berlin from the rest of East Germany
6. soldiers and mines guarded the wall on the East German side
7. 5,000 people managed cross the wall from the East to the West
8. almost 200 people were killed as they tried to go over the wall

I am well aware that the Berlin Wall is not longer in existence, but it played such a huge roll in Germany's history.  I know that I won't be able to see the actual wall, but the sites below gave me a virtual experience.  I hope you enjoy it as well.

• http://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/berlin-wall
• http://www.berlin.de/mauer/index.en.html
• http://berliner-mauer.mobi/startseite.html?&L=1
• http://www.berlin.de/mauer/wo-war-die-mauer/twinity/index.de.html (not translated)