Berlin sights

We did see some of the sights in Berlin, besides the water polo. Saturday, before the game started, we went to the centre of town and saw some of the iconic sights, notably the Reichstag and the Brandenburg Gate. We walked under the Brandenburg Gate and down Unter der Linden to Bebelplatz, the sight of a famous book-burning by the Nazis in 1933. Now there is a memorial, outside the university there, which consists of a window in the ground showing empty bookshelves underneath. It was hard to see through the window, however.
We wanted to go up the dome at the top of the Reichstag, but had been told to go before 9 in the morning or after 8 in the evening to avoid long lines. We planned to go Monday morning, when the water polo was over, but a sign told us the dome would be closed for the week, so we headed back to the Reichstag on Saturday night to go up the dome. We made it up after dark, and saw a great panorama of Berlin's lights. We looked down on the Brandenburg Gate, lit up, and the Victory Arch, also lit up, and looked the other way at the bright lights of Potsdamer Platz. It was really a great view. You could also look down the inside of the dome and see the German parliament meeting room at the bottom.
Monday we went searching for the Berlin Wall. The longest remaining stretch of the wall is called the Eastside Gallery and was close to our hostel, so we walked the kilometre or so stretch. The gallery is along the former east side of the wall, and when the wall was opened artists were invited to come paint the wall in celebration of freedom, so the whole stretch is covered in paint and graffiti.
After that we headed to Checkpoint Charlie. There's a museum there, but we didn't even make it inside, as we spent a couple of hours examining the exhibits on the street. They were very interesting and well-done, covering the history of the Communist regime in East Germany and across Europe - including portions on the uprisings in Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Considering it was just plastered along the sidewalks around the checkpoint, it was an impressive display.
Sunday we didn't do much aside from watching the water polo finals, but we did go out to dinner. There was a non-alcoholic "malt drink" on the menu; Chelsey asked the waitress exactly what it was, thinking maybe it was like a milkshake. The waitress told us it was "beer for kids." So she got it, thinking it might be root beer. But it came out in a beer bottle and it sure wasn't root beer. Yes, we were in Germany.
Picture 1: Outside the Reichstag
Picture 2: Remains of the Berlin Wall at the Eastside Gallery
Picture 3: Chelsey at Checkpoint Charlie

For the rest of our pictures from Berlin, click here.