Lots to process in Berlin!  Right now, it is the fourth of July, and I am enjoying a great view from my 35th floor hotel room.  I’m pretty sure I have never stayed in a hotel room this high!  This hotel is  located within walking distance of  attractions such as the Brandenburg Gate  the popular TV Tower.

On our way from Schwerin to Berlin, we stopped at the Memorial Museum Sachsenhausen (former concentration camp).  In the afternoon, our guides Garrett and Monica took us on an information tour of Berlin.  We learned about the history of the Berlin Wall, from its construction to its fall in 1989.  It is difficult to imagine what was bitter reality just a few decades ago.   It was a heavy day, to say the least!

Yesterday we toured the Reichstag building, walked through the Brandenburg Gate, and visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

On a lighter note, we rounded off the day watching Germany beat Argentina in the World Cup.  From the Brandenburg Gate to Germany in the World Cup…it was a great day.  Will post pics for these later.  As for now, I am headed to Potsdam, and then a cycling tour.  Auf wiedersehen!