Europe Day 16: Berlin Day 2

Friday, July 6, 2018

• Smoking outside our window at night; ash tray RIGHT BELOW our window. Some guy talking on his cell phone down there at 3 AM. Grrrrr.
• Reichstag was our first stop - special speedy treatment since we had a stroller with us
• Listened to an audiotour as we walked to the top of the dome
• When we came back down read about the history of the Reichstag - it was the perfect amount of reading.
• Spent way too much time searching for Claire's Germany shirt (it had to say Germany on it in English - we mostly found shirts that said "Berlin" or "Deutschland")
• Finally settled on one that was super cute that said Berlin and got her a Germany pen to make up for it
• Visited the Berlin Zoo and Aquarium for Hugo
• Liz was surprised how close you could get to some of the animals
• Lots of monkey species
• Elephants were a highlight
• Ate a mediocre overpriced lunch there
• Went back to the Rittersport cafe for some delicious desserts - a lemon buttermilk cake (it was okay) and and chocolate brownie sundae
• Sundae included a scoop of cacao sorbet - super dark and added a nice contrast
• Doners again for dinner at the same place. Liz got a doner platter instead which had way too much meat.
• Mark explored a bit on his own in the evening. Nice to go around without a stroller or baby.
• Walked by the Harnack House, where the family stayed for about a week after arriving in Berlin in 1989
• Also went by the Duck Pond neighborhood (Dreipfuhl), which Mark knows best as the neighborhood where he first saw and played Super Mario Bros. 3.
• Packed everything up to head out early the next morning on the bus to the airport

Outside the Reichstag

Looky touristy at the top of the Reichstag

Top balcony of the Reichstag. It was a bit windy.

Rittersport stairs in the Hauptbanhof

Elephants at the zoo - they were so close!

Liz's 2nd ever panda sighting (1st was in Hong Kong last year)

Drool. 

Doner platter and doner

Hertha is the biggest local soccer team, and Mark's favorite outside the US

U-Bahn train along the U3

Mark's first U-Bahn ride at age 9 started here, kicking off a lifetime of loving transit

The Harnack House, where Mark's family stayed for a week upon moving to Berlin

The "duck pond" neighborhood

And the pond itself

This U-Bahn station, Oskar Helene Heim, was the hub of the American community in Berlin (though Mark's family lived further down the line, by Krumme Lanke)