der landstreicher

Three Days, Three Countries...I Love Life!

Oh man! I have so much catching up to do; I don't even know where to begin. Seriously, I slacked off on this thing for like a week and a half and all of the sudden I feel as though I am juggling memories about 50 at a time and I don't know where to begin. So, I guess I'll being at the very end. Yeah, that sounds good.

So, today I arrived in Cambridge, England to visit some friends who are studying at the VU Centre here. Much like the program that I am participating in at Reutlingen, the Cambridge program is another off-campus, "do-some-studying-and-enjoy-the-culture" type of thing. I came here with two compatriots from Reutlingen, and we arrived about mid-morning, after an early departure from the scenic Berlin Schönefeld Airport.

Berlin.

Where to begin? Well, the trip to Berlin was the first of the two major trips that my Reutlingen class is scheduled to take this semester. We left last Thursday morning at about 8:30am from the Reutlingen Hbf and arrived in Berlin at about 3pm. That evening we went to this little restaurant that Dr. J (our program director) knew about from previous years. I got some real currywürst and a Berliner Pils. That evening a few of us went to see the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate) and then the Holocaust Memorial. It was pretty beautiful and very powerful. If anyone is planning a trip to Berlin in the future, go and see the Holocaust Memorial. It is just south of the Brandenburger Tor and is something you just have to see. Simply put, it will consume you--especially if you go at night.
Friday we had a bus tour of the highlights of the city. Our guide was amazing, and he had quite an interesting preference for saying the name of the river which runs through Berlin: Spree. If only I could attach an audio clip to this blog...my imitation of him is getting rather good. After the tour ended I went to the Pergamon Museum and saw some amazing finds from antiquity. I especially enjoyed the throne room of King Nebekenezzer II. Then I made a trip to the Musikalinstrumentem Museum. And that was, well, exactly what it sounds like--a music instrument museum. They had pieces dating back to the 17th Century there! Then, on Friday evening I went to see the World Premier of "The Good German" at the Berlinale International Film Festival. This is the new George Clooney movie which centers on life in 1945 post-war Berlin. A good movie; especially considering the atmosphere. In Berlin, watching the movie with Cate Blanchett (one of the stars) and Steven Soderburgh (the director) in the audience. In fact, after purchasing tickets, we got to stand along the red carpet and snap photos of the stars when they arrived. And after the movie, we got to exit the theater on the same red carpet. No photographers, though. Bummer.
Saturday started early--catching a train to Potsdam to see the palace of Friederic II. Or, I should say palaces. The grounds belonged to the Prussian nobility long before Friederic II, but he was a big fan of building fancy things--including the buildings we were allowed to tour. And a special note for all you music fans out there: I got to see the room in Sans Souci (Friederic's residence) where J.S. Bach first performed parts of his famous Musical Offering! After Potsdam I went to the Olympiastadion to pay homage to the site of the 2006 World Cup Final and to see the name of "J. Owens" on the Champions' Plaque from the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. However, the highlight of the day was the evening--a concert at the Berlin Philharmonie. I heard the Philharmoniker play three Haydn Symphonies: 88, 89 and 90. I have never heard music sound like this before. I was in awe. And watching Sir Simon Rattle conduct was like nothing I had ever experienced. Simply great.
Sunday started with church at the Berliner Dom and then a trip to the German Resistance Museum. After a quick trip to the Checkpoint Charlie Museum, I went back to the Philharmonie to hear a string quartet give a concert which included more Haydn.
Monday was the last day in Berlin; so I did what anyone might expect--I went to Poland. I ate Polish food (some sort of beef thing), drank Polish beer (mmm.....) and got a Polish haircut. Don't worry, I didn't get a mullet. After returning to my adopted country, our group went a restaurant to have all-you-can-eat Wiener schnitzel. (In retrospect, I ate WAY too much yesterday.) After dinner we went to the Reichstag to say our farewells to Berlin.

So, yeah. Wow... I hope you could gain some sense of how totally awesome the last week has been. I fear that I cannot really express this awesomeness...as it is quite substantial. I will be in Cambridge through Friday when I will return to Retulingen to eat a Döner Kebap and do some laundry. More soon!

Adee.

posted by John D. Nevergall @ 16:12