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Originally published 28 December, 2015
Relaxing at the end of a long and tiring day
I always forget about how far we walk when we come to a city.....but it's a lot. By the end of the day, I am just worn out! Consequently, you my readers are getting shorted tonight. Besides....it's my birthday. I'm to the age where this does not mean an all night party anymore.
Our first stop today was the Memorial to the murdered Jews, just south of Brandenburg gate. We wandered the memorial, taking it in. Laurie feels an obligation to visit when there is a memorial like this as a large part of her family was wiped out in the camps. As I told her when we went to Dachau several years ago......you're still here, and they're all gone. You win.
A Frank Gehry (famous architect) design
We wander the area taking in the amazing architecture. I told a Aeric, a student worker at the university that if he wanted to see real cutting edge architecture, go to London. I am recanting this.......Go to Berlin. The architecture is fantastic!
We wander the area and constantly seeing a line of different stone work here and there. It is only a course or two wide and has metal markers as well. It is the location of the original wall. The wall has became an afterthought. Berliners just walk through an area, paying it no attention and not respecting the history of it at all........or are they?
One of the sections of the remaining wall had a painting on it that said "Don't tear down our history!" After thinking on it for a while.......I have to say...."Wasn't that the point"? In order to have a unified Germany, the wall had to be torn down. The two halves of Germany had to function as one, without barriers. Perhaps the locals ignoring the wall's path is the biggest compliment they could pay.
Former SS headquarters, Berlin
It's weird to run across an old watch tower that covered the death strip, and pieces of the original wall, in their original locations. We also visited the headquarters of the SS. World war II, the cold war, they came on the heels of each other.....and the first most definitely affect the second. The SS was the world wide headquarters of evil....consequently, the location is one large stone field....significant on it's own accord.
We reached a point where we had to back track to the easy Hotel and pick up our packs, then head to the next one. We are quite happy that we'll be staying there for 4 nights. No moving! Yay! After getting everything moved, we explore the area around us.
We had a very nice dinner at a Japanese restaurant, and then wandered through an old East German factory that is now populated by dance clubs, a cigar bar/pool room, restaurants, and other businesses. They have done well.....and as Laurie so aptly stated, they've grabbed hold of capitalism with both hands! This is good.
I must be getting old.....I need to sleep. Goodnight everyone! Berlin Slide Show/Day two
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I'm Bill. My wife Laurie and I love to travel and share our stories. We especially love it when we have been able to motivate our readers to start traveling on their own, and making their own stories. 
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