Berlin by Bus

After a rather bumpy start to our 3-day Berlin adventure, we decided to stay off the sidewalks as much as possible to avoid those crazy Berlin bicyclists! At a souvenir ship beside Checkpoint Charlie, we purchased tickets for the hop-on/hop-off City Circle Sightseeing Yellow Tour Bus. It was €20 for one day or €24 for two days (cash only) which included headphones to listen to a 2 hour tour with 18 hop-on/hop-off points in 19 languages.This was the perfect way to see the highlights of Berlin without wearing yourself out walking for miles kilometers.

My brave Mom after her accident was determined to see Berlin! To keep the sun off her bandage/wound she got a fun fedora.

Some of the beautiful Berlin architecture and the river Spree.

We got off the bus at the Brandenburg Gate to take some pics and for a Starbucks break. I forgot how amazing caramel frappuccinos were! YUM. Next, we traveled up the famous Unter den Linden street and through the lobby of the Radisson Blu home to the AquaDom {largest cylindrical aquarium in the world}.

We got back on the bus with our sights set on KaDeWe. If you're not familiar with KaDeWe, it is the largest department store in Germany. The name is actually Kaufhaus des Westens, but has been abbreviated {thankfully} to KaDeWe {remember, in German the "w" is pronounced like a "v"}. If you're looking for some amazing high-end shopping, KaDeWe is for you! When you walk in you'll see iconic brands such as Tiffany, Hermes, Cartier, Fendi, Chanel and so on. Basically the "who's who" of designers all have representation here. However, there is also a gourmet restaurant on the 7th floor and an array of delicatessens on the 6th floor. I could do some major damage here! The Fountain Pen King {my Dad} added to his collection a pen or two.

Top: Brandenburg Gate with all the tour buses {ours was the yellow one} | Middle: Holocaust Memorial. | Bottom: Reichstag Building | Right: Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

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Lastly, before we trained back to Wiesbaden {hopefully, now you're pronouncing my city correctly "Viesbaden"} we visited the sobering {and free!} museum called Topography of Terror. In my opinion, it would be a missed opportunity if you didn't spend some time here.

The middle and bottom right photos were taken in Wiesbaden during the Holocaust.

 I've often wondered what Wiesbaden was like during the war and potentially if there were Jews hidden in my apartment- you never know! These two images show Jews being searched, registered and in the bottom image preparing to board a train to concentration camps. I hope and pray the I am always horrified and sickened by the things that took place during that era. The museum did a fantastic job of communicating both in photos and text without any "sugar coating" the events which took place. I walked away impressed that they didn't try and give excuses or cover-up the terrible things done less than a century ago.

The things this building has seen. It is now the Altes Museum situated next to the Berliner Dom.

Freedom is an incredible thing. Thousands have willingly given their lives so that you and I can remain a free people. Let's not take it for granted today or ever. On that serious note, stay safe this 4th of July weekend! God Bless America!

Tschüss!