Today was our last day in Berlin and what a lovely day it was! The sun was shining and the air was balmy. We started off with a boat tour of the city- it was great to see the city from a different perspective and it was a perfect day to be on the water.
Afterwards we met up with some new friends by the fountain in Alexanderplatz. René and Stephanie Bernard, along with their two delightful boys, who took us on a walking tour of the city to sights that are often overlooked by tourists. We discovered that Stephanie baby-sat for my niece Michelle back in the early '90's!
Afterwards we met up with some new friends by the fountain in Alexanderplatz. René and Stephanie Bernard, along with their two delightful boys, who took us on a walking tour of the city to sights that are often overlooked by tourists. We discovered that Stephanie baby-sat for my niece Michelle back in the early '90's!
One of our first stops was to see several monuments built to commemorate the Rosenstrasse Protest that happened in 1943 in the old Marienviertel neighborhood. Very interesting and moving. Nothing like a group of brave and strong women to make things happen!
We then wound our way through this neighborhood taking in the architecture, sampling local ice cream, and checking out this unique passage way filled with street art by a community of artists. We also finally saw some of the embedded markers that show where a Jewish family once lived before they were forced from their homes and sent to camps.
It was very powerful to hear about the wall coming down from Rene - someone who was born and raised in East Germany and to hear how this changed his life, his parents and everyone in his community.
We then got to take a ride on a street car. The Bernard's took us to their community garden, which is a cross between a summer family cottage and community center where urban apartment dwellers can spend some time in nature. We saw the boy's school and then walked home with the Bernard's to have dinner at their beautiful home. The whole Bernard family were such gracious hosts and my boys declared dinner the "best meal" they'd had during our stay in Germany.
How lucky we were to meet these amazing, hospitable people who so readily welcomed us into their home! And I cannot think of a better way to of spent our last day in this country! Danke schoen, Bernard Family!
In front of our hotel
Cruising the River Spree
The Photographer
Our boat
The Berliner Dom in the background, Berlin's cathedral
Gorgeous day
This Doner Kebab would make Uncle Tom Joseph proud!
The Ampelman - a (relatively) new Berlin institution!
Neptune's Fountain in Alexanderplatz
Old and new Architecture in Alexanderplatz
Rene, Stephanie, Lukas and Kurt with Zack and Nick at the Rosenstrasse Protest
All smiles
Fast friends
Everything goes better with ice cream
Very cool street art
Rene showing Zack a Trabant like the one he used to have
Waiting for the tram
Heading into the Kleingarten
In front of the boys' school
Home sweet home at the Bernard's in Berlin
Kurt just got a new bike!
Lukas and Nick
Chatting in the kitchen
Rene broke out the BBQ for the first time this season
Our delicious German feast thanks to the wonderful Bernard's!
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