Berlin- Day 3

Waking up early in the morning to arrive on time to the Reichstag was so worth it! The Reichstag's audio tour led visitors through a spiral-like pathway inside a dome, which offered spectacular views of various sites in Berlin such as the Tiergarten (which houses the most animal species in the world) and buildings of the parliament and government. 

Upon completing the tour, we walked a few blocks down the street to views the Brandenburg Gate. The Brandenburg Gate is an important monument in Berlin and symbolizes Berlin's unity. As a side note, Obama presented a speech to a select number of guests yesterday at the Brandenburg Gate. 

A few meters from the Brandenburg Gate was the 'Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.' The light silver concrete pillars resembled a wave due to the pillar's different lengths. I recall studying this memorial in art history last year so it was nice seeing the memorial live. As we roamed through the memorial, a few of us commented how the memorial resembled a cemetery. 

After exploring the cemetery, we visited the Museum Berggruen, which exhibited numerous artwork from Picasso as well as pieces from Cezanne, Matisse, and a few other artists. It was interesting learning Picasso's 'Bildnis Nusch' conveyed the woman's double sided nature with the bold hues in contrast with the blackness outlining her figure. While the vibrant colors were reminiscent of her career in the circus, the blackness represented the darker and melancholy aspect of her life.  

We then hopped on the subway to view 100 meters or so of the original Berlin Wall still in 

place. It was exciting running my hands along the wall and knowing this was the same spot in which protesters joined together. Within no man's land were photos of individuals who had died from the Berlin Wall as well as crosses to honor a few unidentifiable soldiers from WWII. In addition, we viewed a 30 minute film with footage of protesters, townspeople,'s tunnels, presidents' speeches, and individuals racing to take down the Berlin Wall in 1989. Moreover, the video included an animated segment depicting the layout of the border between East Berlin vs West Berlin and the main border between East Germany vs West Germany.

 

It was a packed day and a great way to end our last day in Berlin. Tomorrow, we're off to Munich!