I was really excited to go on a business trip to Berlin last week, though I missed MaryAnne and the kids terribly. I knew that the kids would be doing a lot of fun activities while I was gone, like usual, and it was fun to read MaryAnne’s blog posts while I was gone. When I got to my hotel, I found this bear standing on his head.
I had to take a picture of him for Lily because she really loves bears and everything that is pink. I believe this bear is part of the Buddy Bears series that started in Berlin. There are bears all over the city, especially in gift shops.
I visited the Brandenburg Gate, one of the most famous landmarks in Europe. The Gate was closed after the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, and it remained that way until 1989. It has served as a symbol of freedom and the desire to unify the formerly divided city of Berlin. I also visited Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous former checkpoint along the Berlin wall, but I didn’t get any pictures.
I also visited the Reichstag building, opened in 1894 to house the parliament of the German Empire. It caught fire in 1933 and was further damaged during the Battle of Berlin in 1945. It has since been reconstructed and now holds the modern parliament.
The Holocaust Memorial is a very short walk from the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag building. This, very unusual, memorial consists of 2,711 concrete slabs. Underneath is a visitor information center.
I had a great time in Berlin, and I enjoyed learning more about this fantastic city that I read about in history books growing up. I was sure to bring back plenty of treats for MaryAnne and the kids so that they could learn about German chocolate.
Mike is my wonderful-in-every-way husband. He makes me and the kids laugh, and is kind enough to tolerate our chaos =)
Exploring Geography is a weekly feature showcasing cities, states, and countries in a child-friendly manner. Email mamasmilesblog at gmail dot com if you are interested in contributing.
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
left you a message at We Teach- Our first stop on our virtual journey is Italy- you can check out the post on my blog- but it is really a sneak peak (just a “what we did this week” kind of thing- I will tweek it a little better for your guest post- lovely idea & I think it works well with my “Passport 2 Adventurez” – I’ll fill you in some more here soon! :)
Even though I’ve been to Germany several times I am yet to visit Berlin. Who would have thought that it will be reunited during my lifetime!
I remember the Berlin Wall coming down – it happened while I was living in France, so we were close enough to experience more of the excitement than if I had been living in the United States. It has been amazing to see East Germany transform over the years. I have also been to Germany several times, but never to Berlin. Hopefully some day!
The photos are just like postcards.
The German chocolate sounds wonderful.
We have a similar type of thing in Austin with guitar statues all over the city, which supposedly we’re famous for…….
I’d love to visit and see that, my best friend’s maiden name was Brandenburg, and so it’s always intrigued me.
Is she related to the famous Brandenburgs (or does she know?) I’m hoping to make it to Berlin myself, someday!
Great post, Mike! Wish we could all sample that German chocolate!
I never been to Berlin but really want to go in future. And through your wonderful post I came to know a lot of sites about berlin. Thanks Maryanne for sharing.
That last line is the best! We have a German friend whose family currency is chocolate. Whenever they do each other a favour or owe each other for any reason, the debt is paid in varying qualities of fine chocolate. :)
Thanks for the chocolate, sweetie! =)
What a wonderful trip, and beautiful sites and pictures too! Love Mike’s post, Mary Anne! Wish I had some of that German chocolate, enjoy :-).
Jealous!! Berlin is my favorite city of all time. Not that I’ve been to every city, but man, I love Berlin :) I went when I was 18 and stayed in a crappy squatters apartment in Kreuzberg, seeing nothing but punk stuff. Then Brendan and I went back a few years ago and I just laughed at the difference of going as an adult! We hit up churches, the reichstag, museums. Much different than the first time!
I’ve never been to Berlin, but I hope to go, someday! I know Mike thoroughly enjoyed his time there =)