Our trip to Berlin was somewhat unplanned. I wanted to go to Prague, but the flights were more expensive and I couldn't figure out what on earth we'd do there to fill 4 days. So we picked a place with tons of history and therefore plenty to keep us occupied. I wasn't sure if we'd like it (Germany has never been on my list), but we really did!
We had donner kebabs for breakfast every day. That is some seriously delicious mystery meat.
We were excited about seeing Checkpoint Charlie... but to quote our hilarious Irish tour guide, it's a "fake checkpoint with fake soldiers... most of whom are also strippers." Ha!
We stopped at the site of the bunker where Hitler died, which is now (appropriately) just an unkempt parking lot. The beautiful Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is nearby. I love the symbolism of memorials, and I think this one is maybe even better than the 9/11 Memorial.
Visiting Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp was a Bucket List experience. The day we went was appropriately cold and gloomy and it rained off and on. I was freezing, but how could I possibly complain?
I don't really know how to describe what it's like to stand in a place where something so awful took place. I kept thinking how much Heavenly Father loves His children and how we treat each other sometimes must break His heart.
I thought I would cry the whole time, but I didn't at all. It was fascinating and appalling to learn about the Nazis' industrialization of death and how the concentration and extermination camp system was run like a business (this camp was headquarters for the entire operation).
Germany at Christmas is just perfection. Cobblestone streets with squat Christmas trees and white lights... so lovely. We've been to Christmas Markets in four countries, and these were easily the best.
We went to three markets in Berlin: Gendermenmarket in the square between two beautiful churches and a theater, the kitschy state fair market at Alexanderplatz, and (my favorite) the market at City Hall.
We've spent Thanksgiving in a different place every year we've been married: 2009 in Provo, 2010 in Charlottesville, 2011 in Paris, 2012 in Raleigh, and 2013 in Berlin. Thanksgiving 2011 has become a running family joke-- we ate "Mexican" food in Versailles that was flavored with curry powder. Edible, but the worst Mexican food (and the worst Thanksgiving meal) we'd ever eaten.
Todd picked the restaurant for our Thanksgiving dinner in Berlin. He's a good restaurant picker and also usually picks the tastier dishes. He ordered a traditional German potato soup and lamb sausages, I ordered bread and local cheese with vinegar drizzle and currywurst. Several people had suggested the currywurst, so I thought I'd experience a local favorite. The waitress brought my plate covered with a silver dome, which attracted a little attention from the surrounding tables. She set it down on the table and asked if I was 'ready.' She whipped off the lid to reveal a plate of ketchup. Ketchup with curry powder. That is all.
A woman at the table next to us started laughing maniacally, whether over the totally inexplicable flourish with which my plate of ketchup was presented or at the face I made at the big reveal, I'm not sure. A few seconds later, another waitress brought around the single revolting-looking sausage to accompany the ketchup. I love trashy food. I love hot dogs and will eat bad french fries just to dip them in ketchup. But this was just not edible. We laughed our way through the rest of the meal. Curryworst.
On our tour the next day, I mentioned I had tried currywurst. A British woman said "Oh, isn't it just delicious?!" I thought DO YOU HAVE TASTE BUDS?, but said "Actually, it was the probably worst meal of my life."
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