Travels with Karen and Mark: July 17, Berlin, Germany

Our ship arrived in the city Warnemunde, a beach resort on the Baltic visited by many Northern Europeans. At 6:00am we boarded our tour bus for a 3 hour drive to Berlin and we returned to the ship at 6:00pm. We travelled part way on the autobahn with no speed limit. We were surprised that it is only a 2 lane highway each direction and because of heavy traffic no one could drive very fast. On the drive into Berlin there are many trees, it is very green and picturesque. Berlin is 40% green space and water. Berlin is the third most visited city in the world, next to London and Paris. This trip focused on historic Berlin.

A plaque on the sidewalk commemorating Ronald Reagan's plea for Gorbachev to open the Brandenburg Gate.

The bricks in the road mark the location of the Berlin Wall which was torn down. The car is in West Berlin and Brandenburg Gate is in East Berlin

Protesters at the Brandenburg Gate, a common site. Lots of police around.

In East Berlin, on my right, the picture below is the famous Adlon Hotel. This is where Michael Jackson stayed and held is baby covered by a blanket outside the window. The Queen and Rolling Stones have also stayed here.

In West Berlin, on the other side of the Brandenburg Gate is a large square where people gather for important celebrations.

This is an artist's memorial to the Berlin Jewish people killed by the Nazi's.

This is the parking lot location of Hitler's bunker where he was found dead. After many attempts the bunker was finally destroyed in 1988.

This is the first electric traffic light in all of Europe

The Berlin Wall can be found in pieces throughout Berlin, mostly it is cement covered wire, but some locations have painted art on segments of the wall.