Hallo aus Berlin!

Hello from Berlin, all! I actually have another blog written from St. Petersburg that I forgot to post before I left so that will be posted Monday if all goes well. But for now, let me share a few thoughts about my time in Berlin which is somehow already coming to an end.

We left Moscow on Sunday evening through one of the 4 major airports that service the capital. It resembled a space pod from the outside which was entertaining and the inside was massive, more duty free stores than I think I have ever seen in one place. The flight was delayed a little but nothing major, just enough to start to irritate all of the punctual Germans waiting in the gate area. The most exciting part of the flight was when we entered the plane -- there were TONS of German newspapers waiting for us. I grabbed a few and tried not to dance all the way down the aisle. I ended up having 3 seats to myself which never happens to me so I got to stretch out. The newspapers all talked about the festivities Monday night for the fall of the wall and the closer we got to Berlin the more I really felt like I was headed home for a big party. We transferred to a bus from airport Tegel with no trouble, and Tom and I got to the hostel probably around 8, but I dont really remember. He hadnt realized that I had never been to Berlin before, with all the talk about me coming home and all the things I couldnt wait to do. It was a strange feeling, knowing I had never been in this place but feeling like I should show Tom the best parts of it and explain everything as best as I could.

Ill skip to Monday night and then give you a brief overview of what Ive been up to, many more details to follow when Im in Petersburg -- especially since Ive decided to buy mobile internet for the month.

Monday we headed down to the Brandenburg Gate -- about a 40 minute walk from the hostel through the main streets so definitely not a boring walk -- to see how many people were around. We wandered the gallery of domino stones, more than 1000 larger than life dominos that had been painted by people from around the world and would be knocked over as part of the festivities that night, and made our way over to the quarter of the city where most of the government buildings are located which was at one end of the more than 1 km long row of dominos. The architecture of the Parliament and even the office buildings was awe-inspiring and clearlz very modern. We got Currywurst for lunch at one of the stands set up for the party that night, and then rested our feet in a little coffee shop for a few minutes. It was a good thing we did, because from 5-11 that night we pretty much stood in the same spot! (7 minutes left on the internet counter!) We were right in front of the Brandenburg Gate, and luckily the pouring rain wasnt dampening anyones spirit or enthusiasm, the most it did was cause some interesting umbrella wars as everyone tried to work to cover everyone! The orchestra played Berliner Luft, look it up on YouTube :-), and then the politicians gave their speeches. More on those later, but it was incredibly interesting and though Obama wasnt there Hillary introduced a message from him which the crowd drowned out for about the first 5 seconds with loud cheers. When the dominos came down a massive fireworks display started over the gate and behind us over the Tiergarten, everyone was smiling and some people were dancing around despite the rain that had started again. It was a great night, and I have learned a lot since then as well through visits to the Wall Memorial and death strip at Bernauer Street, the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, and the Jewish Museum. We also went to the Pergamon Museum yersterday to see the Pergamon Altar.

2 Minutes left on the counter now. I have loved every minute of being in this city, the friendly and diverse people in the coffee shops and cafes and on the streets, the architecture, and the language continue to make me feel at home. I promise to write more when I return to Peter! Much love to you all in these final seconds of internet and always!!