European Trip Extravaganza - Part 3 - Berlin


 
There's how the Berlin wall looks now.  They had to fence off the wall to keep people from chipping off souvenirs.

 
Just below ground level they've preserved part of the Gestapo headquarters. Along the top is part of the wall.

 
Here's the checkpoint where they used to have to stop, going into US-controlled territory.  You can still get one of their stamps as a souvenir.  Nearby, there is the "Checkpoint Charlie" museum.. my favorite part of Berlin.  They have all the contraptions people built.. smuggling compartments, ultralight airplanes, ballons, personal submarines, digging tools, cutting tools, climbing devices, armored cars, etc. that people used to get past the wall.

 
So we stopped to get a bite to eat.. just minding our own shnitzels.. and a bird hops up on the table..

 
Hmm. A few more showed up.. no big deal. German sausages still fairly safe..

 
Whoa! Right out of Virginia's hand!  Crazy German birds!!

 
So I discovered that I could divert their attention by holding the food out away from the table.  I later threw a piece of bread out on the sidwalk and they all took off after it.


We walked by these blocks.. some sort of holocaust memorial.  You can walk in there and stand on various blocks if you want.  It looks like a giant Q-bert game. 


They were gearing up for the world cup soccer  football tournament, hence the giant ball.


Here they have covered up the stadium construction with a sort of drop cloth that looks like the building will look like when they are done.


Virginia and Berlin the Friendly Bear.  Note the soccer ball on the TV tower in the background.


Closer to the TV tower, modified to look like a soccer ball.  We went up in it..


A view from the TV tower..


Another view from the tower as a rainbow came out..


Clear view from the tower. Berlin is a very nice place to go where people are nice and it's not overrun with tourists.


Part 4 - Czech Budjovice