"Hallow" from Berlin

Hallow! (That's how people say "hello" here in Germany - it was "HI HI!" in Denmark)


I spent the day walking around Berlin yesterday and the main sights were the Reichstag (government building where the Nazis made their last stand against Soviet troops entering Berlin), Brandenburg gate, Holocaust memorial, Checkpoint Charlie (Berlin Wall), and the Topography of Terror (exhibit at the old Nazi SS building). It is particularly interesting to be in this city and see these sights because I just finished teaching about many of these things at the end of the semester in my classes. I understand them better and better every time I teach them, and now I get to stand in or next to them and see them fromt that perspective as well, which is pretty special. Today is my museum day, and I will be headed to several world famous museums, including a magnificent Egyptian and Classical Antiquities museum that houses the famous and beautiful Neferetiti bust (if you don't know what that is, please look up a picture - it is marvelous!). I have wanted to see this most of my life, so I am very excited to be able to see it in person. My favorite Egyptian artifacts are scattered in museums all over the world, but one by one I seem to be checking them off my list. I think this may be close to my last one.

The people here in Germany so far have been slightly... um... grumpy(?) - if I had to make a generalization... But tall, blond, big noses and chins, and more casual/grunge clothing, compared to Denmark. It is an interesting contrast. It has been cold and rainy since I started my trip in London and I kept thinking it would get warmer, but when I arrived in Berlin, it was the same. I had only short sleeve shirts and a very light rain coat along, so it has been a cold 10 days, and I finally gave in yesterday and bought a sort of "bomber" jacket from a second hand store, which makes me feel sort of eastern European when I wear it. I met this really interesting guy from Northern Ireland last night while I was reading at the hostel. We had a great and long conversation, lots of laughs, and I was happy for the companionship. That and a few minutes of phone conversation with Mom really encouraged my spirit. God always seems to provide just enough of what I need, when I need it.

It will be a busy next couple days and I am hoping that everything works out... I'm headed down to Munich and Fussen (a small town in southern Germany that is close to the original "Disney" castle), and then from there to Salzburg in Austria. All of this involves a bunch of train and bus transfers, etc, which is not my favorite thing to navigate in the world. I will say that my least favorite part of traveling alone is probably figuring out transportation to and from the airport and then finding the hostel at night when you finally get into the city. Ugh, hate it, dread it, stress over it... Then it always works out. But all that to say, transportation anywhere except by metro or car is really uncomfortable to me, although I am getting more used to it. I know this probably sounds sort of silly, but it is a challenge for me.