Hi all from Berlin (the capital of Germany).

We arrived in Berlin yesterday ~ 4pm after about 700 kms of driving. I am so tired right now because I think I have learned the most I've ever learned in two days (hmmm except for 3M of course). I never really understood the whole story about WW1, the old states of Prussia, Bavaria etc. in this area and the unification into one Germany, Hitler and how he came to power, WW2 and the Berlin Wall. I definitely do not understand the whole story but I have learned some great stuff, information I really value. Berlin is an amaying city!!

Last night after dinner a group of about 10 of us went for a walk up to the Brandenburger gate (the gate that divided the old city states I believe & became a focal point for the edge of the wall). We passed the Holocaust Memorial which was built in 2005, under a cloud of controversy, to commemorate the 6 million jews who died in Germany. It was surreal to see it at night - it's basically 2000 rectangular, grey stones that look like grave-stones basically. All different sizes and the ground goes up and down in waves. From the outside it looks like in the middle of the area is a hill but really the blocks are just much higher (like 4m). Anzway, there was a lot of controversy because when they started building they found a Nazi bunker underneath it (which they left intact and covered over) and the design looks more like art requiring interpretation than a memorial with a fixed meaning. Anyway, it is impressive.

This morning, after breakfast the group who wanted to went on a walking tour with Edo - a Dutch bloke who loves Berlin history. He was so fantastic. We walked around the city for a good three hours while he pointed out and discussed the history of the city, which buildings are what, which buildings were destroyed by the 2nd WW or by the Germans or Russians, which were rebuilt, the museums, the building of the Berlin Wall, some of the atrocities carried out by Hitler's people, and the eventual destruction of the wall and unification of East and West Germany.

I never knew Hitler committed suicide in a bunker in Berlin as the Russians were invading and winning the city. I never knew that his bunker was covered over with a carpark and left unsigned (until last year) to avoid encouraging neo-Nazis. Or that there were 41 assassination attempts on Hitler's life.

I also never knew of the struggle for ownership that ensued over Germany and Berlin, between the English, French & Americans and the Russians. And that this struggle eventually ended up resulting in West and East Germanz and the West and East Berlin. And that the Russians who owned the East bit of Berlin built a wall to keep the East-Berliners in (1000s had been leaving for the non-Communist West-side). I never realised that the Berlin Wall was standing for more than 20 zears and onlz came down in 1989.

Anyway, so as you can tell I have been learning so much. And I love it. This city and the history is so interesting. I've bought a book on the Berlin Wall and the famous US Checkpoint, Checkpoint Charlie. I want to learn more now and would like to read Hitler's autobiography, except finding one here could be an issue as copies are not readily available. It seems, and Edo also said, that the Germans want to see the history of the war shown from the victims' perspectives and not the perpetrators.

So the plan for tonight, after I leave this trendy internet cafe (where a cappucino is onlz €1.30 and 1/2 hr internet 50c) is a traditional dinner (pork, sourkraat [sp?] & potato = appetising??) then a nightlife tour with the Contiki group. Apparently the drinks are really cheap here - the Contiki people who went to the pub down the road from the hotel said (eg. €1.50 for a big vodka & lemonade).

And tomorrow, we drive to Prague.

Claire

PS, still haven't seen any German NXs yet!! Saw 2 in Greece and that is it so far!! Still on the lookout.

NX Tally: II