Berlin Day 2

Greetings,

Yesterday was our first full day here in Berlin. We had an opportunity to partake in a three hour bus tour in the morning which included numerous sites. The first part of the tour was via East Berlin and the remaining segments of the Berlin Wall. It was unique to actually visit a site students and faculty have learned about or taught. In celebration of the 20th anniversary a couple of years ago, the individual artists that had originally painted a segment of the wall were invited back to refresh their art work, so the wall was vivid in color, impressions, and uniqueness.

Following our stop at the Berlin Wall, we traveled over to the Jewish outdoor museum that represented a tribute to Holocaust survivors. There are 271 marble stones of various sizes and shapes outside in a park setting. The park is directly across the street from the brand new U.S. Embassy here in Germany. The park is also directly down the street from the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag.

Our next stop was at Checkpoint Charlie and its related museum. We had a couple of hours to visit this site and then have lunch in this neighborhood. Following this location, we walked (which I literally believe we accomplished 10 miles in the entire day) to the Jewish Holocaust Museum. A beautiful architural building, which included some unique and interesting artifacts. The Park University group then departed from the other group and enjoyed dinner in a restaurant dating back to 1621 that we passed on our first day. What a wonderful and filling German dinner.

See everyone back here tomorrow!