Day 9: A Drive Through Two Germanys

Today was a difficult day.

It was our longest transfer day of the trip.  We knew when waking up in Munich that we would be spending most of the day on the bus.  It's strange.  Days on the bus are almost as exhausting as our day in Prague...actually, they might be more exhausting.  We woke a little earlier and had breakfast.  We packed the bus and hit the road.  Most of us caught extra sleep on the first leg of the trip.  We had a couple of rest stop breaks, but our goal was to cover as much ground as possible.

Roughly halfway through the trip, we stopped at a little town called, "Modlareuth."  The town was originally split between two different counties, Bavaria and Thuringia.  When World War II ended, and Germany found itself occupied by the Americans, Soviets, British, and French; Modlareuth found itself being administered by both the Soviets and the Americans.  As turmoil between these two superpowers played out globally, one could find a mini version of the Cold War playing out within this little town of fifty families.  As walls sprung up in Berlin...and across Germany, one too found itself being constructed in what would soon be called, "Little Germany."  This tiny little town would be split in two for nearly 40 years.  There would be no access between the two halves and people living in the East German section would not be allowed to even wave to their family members on the other side.  Out trip to Modlareuth was really nice.  The folks who run their little museum played a 20 minute orientation video for us and then we were free to explore the open air museum that the town preserves.

Me standing on the dividing line between East and West Germany (and East and West Modlareuth)

In the town today, there are a lot of artifacts from the time period.  They even have the wall preserved.  Here in Modelareuth, the wall didn't come down until December of 1989.  A pedestrian path was built reconnecting the two Germanys.

Steve fell into the stream separating East and West as he tried to escape...to his credit, he didn't complain about getting wet.

Dillon and Maria in front of the wall and a guard tower.

A model guard tower with Dalia posing for a picture!!!

Jenna walking along the wall.

Jeremy escaping into East Germany?

Natalya happily on West German soil!

Dillon through an observation window.

Riley patrolling no man's land.

Our visit was short, but it was an important stop.  I realized while chatting with a bunch of the kids that the separation of Germany is foreign to them.  They have heard of the Berlin Wall, but in context, they don't really understand how important it was as a symbol of oppression.  It is something discussed in history class, but has no really meaning on them.  Their fears aren't that of communism or the Soviets.  Their fears lie in something else and to them, this is old news.  It is part of why these trips are so important.  They bring to life important elements of history that are so often forgotten as time progresses.  Truth be told, we need more of these opportunities for kids to preserve the good and the bad of history.

As we left Little Berlin for Big Berlin, I started to think about the whole trip.  Really, it is divided into three main sections.  The Old World of the Hapsburgs (Budapest, Vienna, and Prague), the Holocaust (Dachau), and the modern world of Central Europe (Berlin/Munich).  Each one of these aspects are strikingly different, but in some regards they can all rely on our understanding of identity.  What does it mean to be European, or Czech, or Modlareuthian?  How does one identify to a nation or flag...when does that quest for identity become dangerous?  How can we learn from the past to prevent terrible things, done based on our definitions of identity, happen again?

We stopped along the highway for lunch.  Our meals were pleasant enough, but the road had made us groggy.  With a few hours still in front of us, many caught some additional Zzzzs.  I tried to read for a bit and tried to upload yesterday's pictures.  (They are available now, but it is nearing 1am)  Instead, I really just sat there among the sounds of slumber and thought about how fortunate we are...how fortunate I am.

I was really thinking about making this trip my last one for a while.  It is tiring work.  The late nights and additional pressures of checking on kids during vacation week can be exhaustive.  I had really decided that this would be it....until the end of last year's trip.  I had a few kids, and parents, ask me where I was headed next.  I originally said that I was taking time off, but eventually conceded and began the process for 2018's trip to Ireland, Scotland, and England.  I am excited for that trip, to be sure, but I have had such a great experience so far, that I almost wish I had stuck to my guns.  With that said, I am pretty sure that I will be making the 2018 trip the last one I lead for a while.  This trip will always hold a special place for me because of the great kids who are on it. While I might be putting away the laptop and temporarily retiring this blog, I am hopeful that they will never stop traveling and learning.

We arrived to Berlin at dinner time.  We are at a restaurant on the 5th floor of a shopping center.  We had a nice view of Alexanderplatz.  The food was chicken schnitzel, fries, and vegetables.  Honestly, it wasn't my favorite meal of the trip...I don't think anything could compare to last night's dinner.  It was cool, however, to be back in Berlin.  The first trip I ever led included Berlin.  I can believe how much the city has grown since I first arrived here.  The Eastern section of the city is alive now.  The construction projects are never ending.  It's funny to me because the kids probably look at the city as a mess, perhaps even broken.  The never-ending cranes, construction equipment, and detours serving as examples of a city struggling to fix itself.  In reality, however, it is the rebirth of a city, maybe even the nation.

A few of us headed back into the city for an evening tour. Gina graciously led us around showing us many different sites along the way.  We saw so many young people, out and about, laughing, singing, and having a ball.  Most of the places we were visiting would have been on the eastern side of that wall thirty years ago.  I will try to make sure everyone understands that tomorrow during our city tour and free time.  I think it is important.

This post is a little bit about identity.  The city of Berlin began to redefine itself on November 9, 1989.  I remember that night....vividly. I was sitting on my couch in the living room.  I sat there watching Tom Brokaw, and seemingly thousands of people, celebrating the fall of the wall.  It was a moment in time that I immediately recognized as one that I'd never forget.  I've watched coverage of that even several times since the advent of Youtube.  It is a way for me to remember how I felt while living through history...and it was a positive story.

We need a few more positive stories that redefine history.

There is only one more day left on this incredible journey.  We have a late wake-up call and a very busy day.  I hope to get another post out tomorrow night, but we have an early morning drive to the airport ahead of us too.

Thanks for your time this past week.  It really has been my pleasure to take a moment and share some of our experiences with you.

Mr. Lavoie, currently listening to the sounds of a bustling city...even at 1:15am.