From A to Z

Places don't often confuse me, of course there are exceptions like hardware stores and Applebee's.  A city is pretty straight forward, you either like it or you don't.  Recently we traveled with friends to Berlin to participate in the Nike Human Race 10k which was held worldwide on October 24th, in a variety of cities spanning several continents.  Since the race was the main reason we traveled to Berlin, I didn't do my normal "research our trip to death" trick.  We had a little bit of time to take in some sights, so I did just enough research so we weren't floundering trying to figure out what to do.


My first impression was "wow, I didn't know there were so many shades of grey in existence".  Granted the grey weather didn't help but the city was chock full of post war utilitarian architecture, butting up to random 500 year old buildings.  Berlin was brutally bombed during WWII and what is left standing is scarred with bullet holes, the acne of war. I wasn't prepared to find a city that wore its history like Euro-tweens wear their skinny jeans, proud and painted on their skin. The contrasts were startling, bordering on manic.

An example of this contrast is the Kaiser Wilhelm Church which was constructed in 1891 and victim of an air raid in 1943.  Today it stands without renovation as a constant reminder of what war can do.  Next to it stands a 1960's post war building resembling a hair curler Grandma wears to bed.


Quite the contrast, isn't it?  Inside the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial, placards detail the events of the bombing and one in particular haunted me.  It was a photo of the church before the war showing what Berlin could have been.  It could have been all Europe-y and cute and old and gothic and medieval and enchanting.

At first I was angry and sad that it wasn't all cutesy Europe, but as I saw more of the city, its people, its scars, its energy...I decided that Berlin has a job to do. It consists of living, breathing collections of stories, a bible if you will, to continually remind us of what real evil can do.


We visited remains of the Berlin Wall only to wonder "why???" and "how could this exist as late as 1989??".  You simply can't digest this city quick enough and you wish you had three brains to do so, like a cow has three stomachs to digest the massive amounts of food it eats in one day.


I surely hope this person found Astrid.  She does have one of those easily distinguishable names though, so if he saw her across a crowded room in 1990 and shouted for her, I am sure she heard him.

In addition to oodles of history, Berlin  boasts an amazing art scene and nightlife of which I didn't get to enjoy much of.  I had a race to run and a Kenyan to lap me at kilometer 2.  Yeah, this Kenyan dude ran 7 km to my 2...whatever.  The race was why we were there and it didn't disappoint.  Quite surreal running with 6,000 people at nighttime and crossing the finish line at the Brandenburg Gate while it was lit up.  I only felt like ralphing at kilometer 9, quite the accomplishment for me.


We rounded out the trip visiting Museum Island, a collection of art, history and art-history museums.  We were a little groggy from the race the day before so we only took in one museum but I really enjoyed viewing this area as it seemed to host the most dense collection of pre-war architecture the city had to offer.



I have to admit, Berlin still confuses me. It is a place searching for a post war identity.  While it wears its history with pride, I sense it wants to be more than its past. So maybe what I felt was a city in the midst of an identity crisis.


I bet Hitler couldn't do this.


Here is the East Berlin Ampelmaennchen who is far cuter than the West Berlin Ampelmaenchenn.  This was the only thing the East Berlin regime did better in my opinion...these little dudes were so cute and I loved crossing the street for them "Hey Kristi, walk this way...you can do it, I am cute and stuff".


You know how I said Berlin was all living and breathing?  Here is its heart.  I didn't get a chance to locate the spleen though.  Maybe on the next trip.

I will be back to Berlin someday when I don't have a race to run.  I loved how this city challenged me and demonstrated that cookie cutter cute Europe isn't the only Europe worth seeing and experiencing.  I left feeling much like Kennedy did, that I too am a Berliner.