Clarktoberfest: I like traffic lights

The famous Ampelmann walk sign of Eastern Berlin

I gotta say, I wasn't really sure what to expect when we visited Berlin. I mean, people told us it was great, but I just didn't really know much about it. Most of my knowledge came from its recent history: it was divvied up between four countries after WWII, a wall was built by the Soviets that divided the city, and when the wall finally came down it made my mom happy enough that she cried. In truth, much of Berlin is still defined by these parts of its history, but the city's character goes much deeper than that. After spending the weekend in Germany's capital, I've gotta say that I see why so many people love this city.

For me, Berlin seemed to give off a energetic vibe. The city is full of youth in so many ways, and just being there and walking through its streets somehow made me feel more alive. The city itself is a living contradiction: every bit as new as it is old. Its history runs so deep. The Brandenburg gate, the last remaining of several entrances to the former Prussian capital, still stands proudly a reminder of Berlin's triumphs. Just as the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial church, heavily bombed during WWII, its damaged steeple a reminder of the destruction of war, rises above the stores on the Ku'Dam. And just as segments of the Berlin wall, covered in graffiti and weathered with age, remain as a reminder of the once divided city. Somehow the history of the city felt tangible as we walked the streets, and by the end of our two days we were already planning a trip to come back.

Andy in front of the TV tower in East Berlin, also known as "The Pope's Revenge." During the days of the DDR, the Soviets had all of the crosses removed from the churches of East Berlin. In the meantime, they had been working on constructing this TV tower, designed to be a display to the West of East Berlin's prosperity. When it was unveiled upon completion, the sunlight reflected off the faceted sphere in the shape of a cross, and thus the tower received its nickname.

Fountain south of Alexandar Platz, with the Berlin Dom in the background

Front of the Berlin Dome

Pretty city library near Humboldt University

The inside view of the Sony Center's dome in Potsdamer Platz

The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church: damaged ruins of the bombed cathedral alongside the newly built memorial church.

View from inside the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

Trabants. Once the main car of East Berlin, people were on 10 year waiting lists to get one. Now you can rent them and drive around the city on a tour, but be forewarned...they stink!

This parking lot was the location of Hitler's bunker in Berlin, where he committed suicide here, along with his wife, shortly before Soviet troops arrived at the end of the war.

Surviving section of the Berlin wall. Note the ceramic pipe along the top; this was used in lieu of barbed wire, since its circumference makes it impossible to grip.

Picture of the dome that Hitler planned to build in Berlin, which he wanted to rename "Germania". Ridiculously grandiose in scale (see comparison with the Berlin Dom), the laws of physics would make it impossible to build. It was to be so big, that it could fit 200,000 people at once. It would've rained inside just from the moisture produced by when everyone breathed!