This post is long overdue, but finally, thanks to a break in the action, I can begin to update the past few weeks. My boyfriend, Dave, came out to visit me during Northwestern's spring break. Both wanting to explore Europe a bit, we planned to spend a few days in Berlin, a 45 min flight from Copenhagen.

Dave arrived to Copenhagen on a Friday afternoon, and within 16 hours, we were on a plane to Berlin. Despite chilly weather and getting lost from the train station, we managed to find our hotel. In a very hip section of West Berlin, the Mark Hotel Berlin was a cheap, yet very stylish and spacious hotel space. I believe that our room at ceilings that were at least 12 ft high. Trying to stay in a place like that in Copenhagen would put you back lots of greenbacks, but not in the surprisingly cheaper Berlin.

Highlights of the weekend included a trip to the Pergamon Museum to see the German archaeological finds of the late 19th Century. Artifacts from the Middle East, Northern Africa, and other parts of Europe were on display in a beautiful open air museum. The photo below shows a huge gymnasium sized room that contains the remnants of an entire building. I'm getting very excited to go to Turkey to see the things the Germans left behind!















In addition to seeing foreign cultural attractions, we also investigated Cold War Berlin by seeing the Checkpoint Charlie museum as well as wandering around the Brandenburg Gate (the old entrance to the West). The Checkpoint Charlie museum was extremely interesting, and contained many "escape" stories across The Wall. The most interesting to me were the two families who built their own hot air balloon and flew across in the middle of the night. Nothing spells out desperation like that. The Gate was absolutely stunning. See the picture below.



















There were plenty of Soviet relics, including the hat my comrade Dave wears below. Every souvenir area had piles and piles of old Soviet uniforms, pins, gas mask, and all types of random memorabilia. In addition, every tourist shop offered pieces of The Wall for sale. Although Berlin is extremely hip and modern now, the remnants of 16 years ago still remain. The city was filled with scaffolding and construction, as they prepare to host the final game of the World Cup this summer. Overall, the modern city was beautiful, and seemed to leave behind the poor image of the past. I would gladly return to Berlin, although at a sunnier, warmer time of year. The delicious beers and sausages would be reason enough to return.