The first full day in Berlin

Two days ago, back in Florida, it was too hot to go anywhere but the beach and the pool. Now, here in Berlin, that weather (and lifestyle) seems light years away. Although our scheduled bike tour through the city was postponed a few days due to rain, it didn’t stop us from exploring the city. We ventured into the heart of what was downtown West Berlin, which Professor Freeman said still looked much like it did when he was in high school. After a visit to Europe’s largest department store (over five floors of shopping!), we visited an old bomb-out church. The contrast between the modern architecture and neon lights of the city against the church’s crumbling facade was remarkable. Left with only minimal restoration, the church was a grim reminder of the past.

However, many people in the city weren’t admiring a church, but rather beer and soccer (or should I say futbol?). Today happens to be the championship game between two rival German teams, and judging by the amount of inebriated fans, nothing matters more. I thought Gainesville on game day was crazy, but this is on another level. We assumed we were near the stadium due to the roar of the crowd, but it turned out the stadium was miles away and the roar we heard was just crazed fans chanting in the train station.

We continued on to an outdoor flea market where the vendors weren’t too keen on 12 students taking photos. Some of us went to Mercedes-Benz World where I drooled over cars I’ll never own. The day’s journey ended with a stop at a coffee and desert restaurant where our wet jackets and backpacks were severely out of place and the seven of us taking photos of our deserts drew much attention. The forecast for the next three days is cold and rainy, but no one really cares. A room temperature Berliner Pilsner will certainty warm us up!


Two drastically different towers in Berlin.


All I saw were Policemen joking with fans who were drinking beer. Gainesville police, take a lesson.




Mercedes World had palm trees, water, and fake sand. I felt right at home!