Berlin Day 2

On this 2nd day in Berlin we performed the same routine as yesterday; using the train to get in from Zossen, from about 40 minutes south of the Capital. Last night on the way back Berlin, at the rail road station I asked some strangers if they could give us a ride back to the hotel. Without much to do these young, hippies looking, folks packed us in a VW bus and we did not have to walk the 2 miles from the Railroad Station to the Hotel. It all worked like clockwork.
After getting into Berlin on Day 2, we wanted to visit the Reichstag Building, part of the German Bundestag (Parliament). Already, at 10am a long line waited to see the inside of this Building. We saw the line yesterday and figured that on a Sunday morning we would not have to wait. Well, there is always a line up to see the glass cupola Sir Norman Foster, the British Architect, created for this old building. There is a security check before entering the building. Outside the Reichstag looks old, but inside it is very modern, totally new and technologically advanced. A glass cupola was chosen to show the transparency of Government. Admission to the glass dome is free but only so many people are allowed in at once. Large, adjustable mirrors hang on a center column to direct the sunlight into the actual Parliament right below. A rotating sunscreen was added to create shade, if and when needed. This design by Sir Norman Foster was effective and artistically pleasing.
The concept, this very modern approach to a building inside an old, historic building could be a guide for many historic places. I liked it a lot. Could we have planned better and also get a tour of the actual plenary chamber of the German Bundestag section? This is the room where political discussions are held. Well, there is so much to do, so much to plan, we were happy with the little we could see. Besides, in the 2 days we had, where is your preference?
Being in Berlin we wanted to experience a classical music performance. Carol read about a 4pm performance at the Konzerthaus on the Gendarme Market. This building, like many buildings in Berlin was designed by Karl Friederich Schinkel, the famed Architect of the 18th Century. It is a splendid building on a famous square lined with outdoor café’s. We used one of these coffee places to write some postcards and then it rained. Lucky for us we had a cover but it rained extremely heavily. I don’t know about you but I love to sit in a protected area having a coffee and watch people’s reaction to a heavy downpour. To me this is the ultimate in people watching. We just sat and enjoyed our coffee and let the world go by.
We learned later that while we were sitting there peacefully, all tickets to this afternoon’s performance were being sold. Not a seat left for the 4 pm Concert. What to do? We are off to KaDeWe, the largest Department store in Continental Europe.
There are tons of articles for sale on about 600,000 Square feet. There are 2000 employees servicing 180,000 daily customers. The 6th floor is famous since here alone 34,000 products are available in the Deli Dept. Yet when we go there, on a Sunday afternoon, it is closed! The store hours in Germany, yes, even in big Berlin, are much more moderate than in the U.S. or Canada. Normal store hours are from 10am to 6pm Mon-Fri, Sat until 2pm only and Sunday most of the stores are closed. We took a chance that KaDeWe would be open but no such thing. So we had to think of an alternative.
We tested out the U-Bahn system and liked it a lot; it was much easier getting around the city than using buses. On one platform we read that the ‘Blue Man Group” had a performance and we bought the tickets for this performance right away, having learned from our Konzerthaus experience. After a slow dinner of typical german food (sausage and sauerkraut for me, Berliner liver for Carol), we experienced the world famous Blue Man Group performance. A pantomime in blue with loud, weird music and slap stick comedy. Not my favorite thing to see. Yet, it is all part of life and life is good in Berlin. We might come back to this city some day. For now, we are off to explore places in the former DDR that were hidden for so long by politics.

Berlin, Day 1

With precision, all went as planned. Amazing how things work in Germany. The train was on time and we arrived at the new (3 years old ) Berlin Hauptbahnhof. We read that 300,000 people come through this station every day and it is punctual to the minute.
Things work here. Everything is well-planned but you have to know how things work. We bought a Berlin Card for unlimited transportation and steep discounts at shows and museums. Everybody speaks English. The vibrancy and energy in Berlin is palatable. There is so much so see and so much to do that it defies description.
We started off taking a local bus to see the now freely accessible Brandenburg Gate. I remember the Gate being blocked off by barbed wire and ‘You are now leaving the American Sector’ signs. Perfectly restored, the Brandenburg Gate is now the heart of Berlin. Built between 1788 and 1791, it was outside the wall of the old city of Berlin and was actually a gate. Now it is almost in the center of the new city.
Twenty-seven districts were incorporated into what is now Berlin. Due to god planning, Berlin does not feel cramped. The layout is such that almost every point can be reached via U-Bahn (Subway) or S-Bahn (Local train Service) or bus or tram. We made good use of our Berlin Card and used this system frequently. By asking a few questions in English, we found everything. It is easy to get around.
Yes, Berlin is a bit touristy in some spots and to get over this feeling we bought a trip ticket for a sightseeing bus tour, just to get a feel for the layout of monuments, for what is worth seeing and revisiting. This was the on/off trip we all know. Get off anyplace and get on anyplace within a certain circuit.
During the train ride in we read about a museum that shows the history of Berlin called “The Story of Berlin” and this exhibit was well done. It included a trip into an nuclear bomb shelter, located right under the busy Kurfuerstendamm shopping street. Three thousand, six hundred people could survive there for 2 weeks after a nuclear bomb blast, or so it was thought in the 1970’s during the Cold War when the place was built. It is still ready for occupation at any time but after seeing the conditions under which life would continue, I’ll pass. I would rather light up quick and get it over with than perish below in a place like this. It was a shocking, surreal experience, something I don’t think about every day. Berlin thought about this for years and for generations as the preparation and the public location for these 16 bunkers throughout the city, shows. This museum esxhibit also shows living conditions in Berlin before WW2 and the total destruction during and after WW2. “The Story of Berlin” is informative yet not pretentious. Berlin does not shy away from its dark side during the Nazi period either. It is open and discusses the terrible side of its past freely.
Berlin is an amazing place. We visited the Kaiser Wilhelm Church, the bombed out shell of a church that was turned into a memorial. Not much is left of this once splendid, almost flamboyant Cathedral. The left over pieces of the tiled murals shows the past splendor.
Right next to the cathedral, on an open plaza, Fire Departments from cities throughout Germany had a timed, rescue competition. Haul a pack of large hoses up 3 stories, then pull up one more bundle via a rope, run down the stairs, use a sledge hammer to move a heavy object, run thru a maze, use a fire hose to hit a target
and then pull a 180 lbs dummy across the parking lot; all that with full gear on, using only the oxygen provided by the breathing apparatus on your back and in rather warm, humid weather. I think the best time was 2 minutes, 20 seconds or something like it. It is a hard job being a fire fighter. I am thinking of my daughter Michelle who has chosen this job as her life time occupation. Not easy to do, you have to be in great physical and mental condition. These are the preparations needed when you are called to save a house or a person within a burning house; these games prove to be invaluable when really needed. I was fascinated by what I saw and how it was done.
We spent our first day here just getting a feel for this amazing city. Yes, we were tourists, but also observers of the life around us. Not only did we see the buildings but we watched and interacted with the people. We had a discussion with a Motorcycle Police Officer about BMW bikes and he let Carol sit on his bike. We spoke with Special Police Force Units trained to deal with the 8.3 protests that happen somewhere in Berlin daily. We heard people shouting against the fur industry and the use of animals in test labs. We were detoured because a demonstration blocked off some streets altogether. Berlin is an active place politically. I don’t think that I have ever seen a place as interested in political or world issues as I have in Berlin.
We visited ‘Hackersche Markt”, a place of mixed old and new buildings where a green grocer market is held, giving a feeling of small town living. Some people call Berlin a ‘Dorf’; small town within a large area. Whatever it is called, Berlin is a great town to visit.

How to Find a New Tire

So now it is time for a new tire. My old front tire is bald and I am nervous riding at high speed on a front tire like this knowing the Autobahn will eat the rubber quickly. We are just north of Frankfurt/Oder and surely we can find a tire place. I will just ride in to town and ask, somebody will know a BMW shop or a bike shop that has tires. I ask a taxi driver stopped in queue and he tells me he knows of a Honda shop but his driving instructions are difficult to follow. Nevertheless, I find a certified BMW mechanic who services all kinds of bikes. No, it is not the place the cab driver told me about but who cares. Somebody will fix my bike in Frankfurt/Oder and then we are off to go further south.
Or so I thought. It comes down to having a tire in stock. There are so many different tires for bikes now that nobody stocks any tires. The next available Tourance tire is in Zossen, 45 minutes south of Berlin. The guy at the dealership in Frankfort/Oder is friendly and calls BMW Wernecke in Zossen for us and yes they have tires and can do it if we get there in time. It is Friday afternoon by now, no time to lose. Off we go to find Zossen. The GPS helps a lot and we find it right away. The receptionist finds Martin who speaks English well and within 2 hours I have a new tire, the kickstand is fixed and the oil is changed in the motor, transmission and final drive and Carol’s chain is tightened and she has an oil change as well.
We could go on our way now. But….. why? What’s the hurry? Besides, Carol’s bike needs a gizmo (ABS sensor) that fixes her stopped speedometer and ABS. It could be in tomorrow, Saturday, and they will replace it early Monday morning. Can we wait? There is a hotel right down the road and BMW guests get a special discount rate. We could take the train into Berlin. Why not stay the weekend? The hotel has the room, best in the area, for Euro 75/night with breakfast. We could take the train into Berlin as the train station is only a bit more than a mile away and the hotel owner will drive us there in the morning right after breakfast. She will inquire about the train schedule for Saturday and Sunday. We are so close; we just have to see Berlin and get a feel for the town. Wernecke BMW can hold the bikes, helmets, jackets, and stuff we do not need, in storage over the weekend, all secure and locked up. All seems the most natural thing and all seems to fall into place. Is it any wonder we took the weekend off and visited Berlin via train? With all this stuff taken care of, we took a carefree weekend and just visited Berlin. The front tire is changed, oil is changed, kickstand is working and Monday we are off again to go south.

Kostrzyn, Poland or Lebus in Germany

We had enough Zlotys (Polish dollars) left to stay one more night in Poland. While riding towards the German Border I reflected on Poland’s comparison to the rest of Europe and I am very happy for Poland. What Poland accomplished since 1991, after liberation from the Soviet System, is amazing. Poland did not have a big brother like East Germany had West Germany. Poland had to do it all alone. Yes, with the help of the EU, but the EU only gave a proportional amount of money to Poland. Congratulations, Poland! You did well and you did it mostly yourself and you can be proud of your accomplishments. Sometimes I felt a twinge of loss when I rode through the former German provinces. When I went to school I was taught that these areas ARE German and that we will get them back, someday. Amazing how stuff like that sticks in your head when you are taught nonsense like this. What did I know, I was a kid going to school in Germany and the teacher is right, right? Hopefully people will learn, like I learned, that borders are only an indication of Government, not a line to be fought over. The history of Europe, no matter what country, is full of fights for ownership, beliefs and power struggles. I hope that Poland can keep her land and can keep her borders open so that all can come and appreciate her beauty.
We still saw a lot of Soviet System leftovers. We saw old Soviet made apartment buildings, falling down in disrepair. I noticed pipelines above the ground running alongside the roads and gasoline stations with the tanks above ground next to the pumps, rusty and not maintained. We saw farms that still use machinery from 50 years ago. Cargo is sometimes still hauled by horse drawn wagons and coal is delivered this way. Roads are patched to make them passable and while most are paved and super smooth, there are some that are still cobble stones. Poland is a mix of Soviet and Western Politics. It is walking away from the Soviet System, embracing Western ideals especially in the larger towns while small villages are still struggling with the Soviet heritage.
We decided to stay the last night in Kostrzyn, Poland, east of Berlin and then cross over to Germany the next day. Well, we rode around and tried to find a hotel in Kostrzyn. Wow, this town is exactly what I described above. All the hotels we saw where below par. Yes, there is a newer one right at the border but then we might as well cross into Germany. We tried to find any accommodations but all we saw were Siberia Style shops selling I don’t know what. The people grew up with this look and don’t know better, but for me this was the worst town I experienced in Poland.
So we decided to cross just to the next German town and find a hotel there. Good thinking, Hans, but… there is no hotel in the next town in Germany. It is getting late and we are riding south towards Frankfurt on the Oder when I spot Hotel on the side of the road. I stop and ask if they have rooms and the guy tells me, yes, come and ask the lady inside. Well, we parked the bikes, smiling inside to find this hotel with a restaurant attached only to find out that nothing is available, all taken.
Off we go further south along route B 112 and see a sign for Zimmer with an arrow. We have not used this yet, a room in somebody’s home. It turned out to be perfect. Safe place to park our bikes in their yard, within walking distance to a restaurant in an idyllic spot right on the river Elbe. Quiet at night and with a big bed. No footboards so I can really stretch out. Now who would have thought that the town of Lebus had a place like this? This town, by the way was mentioned in papers dating back to the year 1100. We are talking history. You would not believe this town. Nothing happened here, yet people live a life of contentment, an old man was walking his dog like he does every night, I suppose. Such a contrast to the way I live. They are totally content and we? We just visited.