Berlin

We were a little reluctant to hop on the double decker bus tour of Berlin yesterday, but considering the amount of time we have here, we were really happy we did! The tour was a great way to really see this beautiful, changing city, and to learn a little bit more about it's history. Berlin has changed so much since so much of it was destroyed during WWII. Berliner's say there is no need to travel to other cities for change because there is constantly so much of it within their own city. The juxtaposition of modern architecture with older, classic German structures is really exciting to see. The contemporary buildings have that Bauhaus flair that I really love. Often times there are buildings literally encased within glass buildings and the effect is stunning - especially at night.

We stopped and walked around the new Jewish Memorial site which consists of 2,711 gravestone-like pillars that form a never-ending maze you can easily get lost in. It was a remarkable site and very powerful. We walked through the Brandenburg Gate, which has so much historical significance to the city, and then back to our section of the city, Charlottenburg, for a little walk around. Today we're off to the Picasso Museum and The Photography Museum before we board our night train to Poland for our Auschwitz tour.

Our next stop is in Praugue for four days. We'll post again from there.
There are a few new photos below and someday I may figure out how to link people into our Picasa site to view all our photos (any tips Jacob?)
Love for now-
Toledo Family