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Berlin
May 27, 2007 9:14:46 GMT -5
Post by arjan on May 27, 2007 9:14:46 GMT -5
Not talking about the band, about Fischer-Z, Lou Reed or Bowie - But I am going to see the city with my own eyes. I leave Monday and will be back Saterday evening.
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Berlin
May 27, 2007 11:26:54 GMT -5
Post by egoodstein on May 27, 2007 11:26:54 GMT -5
Have fun. I spent a lot of time there in '70's/'80's but I imagine it has changed. Def. a lot of cool things & interest. Let us know your impressions . Ed
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Berlin
May 27, 2007 12:44:37 GMT -5
Post by arjan on May 27, 2007 12:44:37 GMT -5
Thanks Yes I'm sure it's changed. It's the first time I go there so can't compare. Yesterday I re-watched the movie Goodbye Lenin (if you haven't - do so) so some city areas may look familiar. Ftom what I read in a city guide there hardly is any trace of the Wall left, which in historical persepective is a pity.
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Berlin
Jun 3, 2007 7:36:00 GMT -5
Post by arjan on Jun 3, 2007 7:36:00 GMT -5
I'm Back Berlin is a good city to go to for a city trip. It's more impressive or interesting than it is beautiful, and traces of the war, the wall and the split east/west are visible everywhere. The wall itself is gone, except for one piece of about 150 meters. But on most places the place of the wall is marked on the streets so you can see how ridiculously uncompromising it's been placed, straight to crossings and halfway streets and all. We stayed in the Hotel Bogata, a great hotel just a few meters away from the Kurfürstendamm, a large street in the West with lots of restaurants and expensive shops from Gucci or Porsche and whoknowswhat. We did a lot of sightseeing, looking mostly from the outside to large and famous buildings. The Reichstag, Brandenburger Tor (which both were about 10 meters from the wall, one in east and one in west), the former Checkpoint Charlie where one could cross between east and west, if you had the right stamps and visa, the Wall museum which apart from some historical facts shows how inventive people became to escape from the east, the Potzdammer Platz which is a brand new city centre, created in under 10 years and shows mostly how anxious the city was to catch up with the capitalist west with very modern buildings and lots of billboards and neon lights... also the Olympic Stadium, where in 1936 the Olympics were held and Hitler had to give black Jesse Owens a gold medal and where last year was the final of the World championship soccer, and much more. There's also a lot of museums but we didn't go there, mainly because my parents aren't that good in the German language and also have some different interests than me and my brother In conclusion the city shows how much impact the wall has had, there's enormous new buildings next to repaired old buildings and 'to be dismantled' destroyed buidlings and how commercial history can become, seeing how 'soldiers' in US or USSR uniforms beg to have their photo taken at Checkpoint Charlie for a small amount of money and how many small pieces of the wall are sold in hundreds of souvenir shops... so, yes, impressive.
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Berlin
Jun 3, 2007 8:42:05 GMT -5
Post by robertaxel on Jun 3, 2007 8:42:05 GMT -5
thanks for posting.. very interesting... I had a chance to visit in the 90s but didn't go.. hope to visit one day... I strongly recommend the German film 'Lives Of Others' about life in East Berlin.. my movie of the year so far..
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Berlin
Jun 3, 2007 11:03:46 GMT -5
Post by Kathy ~ on Jun 3, 2007 11:03:46 GMT -5
HEY ARJ !! NICE WRITE UP & EVEN BETTER VACATION. I'D LIKE TO HEAR FIRST HAND HOW THINGS ARE OVER THERE... LOOK FORWARD TO THE REVIEW &.. THANKS FOR THE TIP ON THE MOVIE TOO & GOING TO MISS YA.. HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY TRIP
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Berlin
Jun 3, 2007 11:11:05 GMT -5
Post by egoodstein on Jun 3, 2007 11:11:05 GMT -5
Thanks for report. Sounds like city has changed yet stayed the same past 20 years in some ways . If you get back, do try some of the museums-- really varied & great contemporary/modernish art as well as older stuff. Now I wanna go!! Ed
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Berlin
Jun 11, 2007 22:15:34 GMT -5
Post by Andrew on Jun 11, 2007 22:15:34 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing your experiences Arjan. I've lost touch with this board...I only just now saw this post!
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Berlin
Jun 13, 2007 16:10:11 GMT -5
Post by arjan on Jun 13, 2007 16:10:11 GMT -5
Thanks for report. Sounds like city has changed yet stayed the same past 20 years in some ways . If you get back, do try some of the museums-- really varied & great contemporary/modernish art as well as older stuff. Now I wanna go!! Ed Yeah I read about some interesting museums, the Bauhaus architect museum and a gallery with a lot of impressionist painters, Monet, Manet, Renoir, Van Gogh and the likes... but I wouldn't drag my parents there In London a few years ago we visited the National Galery but I was the only one who really liked it and could stay longer than an hour and keep interested Who knows, maybe I'll revisit Berlin someday and do some more culture things.... so far I like London better, I've been there 3 times and wouldn't hestitate to return there ever
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