Not Prague, Part 7: Berlin

Berlin has had quite the evolution in the past 100 years -- artistic and industrial epicenter during the 1920s, capital of the Third Reich, a sad symbol of division during the Cold war, and now ... well, how can we describe Berlin now? Poor but sexy seems to be a popular choice.

Two nights was enough to get a taste of all Berlin has to offer: historic buildings, the UNESCO-honored Museum Island, the Jewish Museum, poignant monuments, controversial memorials, stark reminders of an ugly past (including buildings with damage from WW2 and the site of Hitler's bunker), tourist traps, hot dogs and curry served with french fries and mayonnaise, a bustling nightlife, painted and unpainted sections of the Berlin Wall, and a thriving art scene in an area that was under the watchful eye of the Soviet Union 23 years ago, and, most importantly, the building where Run Lola Run was shot, a 10-minute walk from my hostel, if only I had known it at the time. [Note to self: Go there next time, dye your hair red, bring Baldy and a bully to leap past, and run down the stairwells.]

Museum Island.

Building with remnants of World War 2 bombing.

Brandenburg Gate, viewed from the former East Germany.
On the other side in 1987, President Ronald Reagan delivered this speech.

There's not much else to tell you about Berlin that you can't already read online, so please check out a very diverse photo album with anecdotes here. And that does it for the "Not Prague" portion of this blog. From here on in, this blog will focus on Prague, the Czech Republic, and my job.

It'll have a new name, too.