Virtuo-Euro Trip 2020 - Day 2 - Eurotrip Runs on Dunkin

Berlin's Ampelmann tells us it is time to go!!!!

Bringing a little Constitution to
Europe!

It has been a long couple of days.  I woke pretty early yesterday morning and found snow on the ground in Saugus.  I spent most of the morning with last minute preparations and getting Monty's food taken care of...my parents will be watching him while we are gone.  After double checking my luggage and backpack, I was dropped off at the airport.  I usually arrive about an hour before I ask the kids to get there, but yesterday, one family had beaten me to Logan, lol. 

In due time, everyone else arrived at the airport and we said our goodbyes.  We went through security without a problem and then made our way to our gate.  We had plenty of time to spare so the kids ran off to get some food, drinks, and snacks and I watched all of the extra bags.  We eventually boarded and without any real issues our flight took off.  

The flight was largely uneventful...and I should know, because I was awake for most of it.  I tried to fall asleep, but I do not think I got more than 2 hours of combined sleep.  It looked like most of the kids did better than me.  At least one of them slept through our gourmet dinner selection of really dense chicken surrounded by unidentifiable "roasted" veggies.  

We landed and made our way through customs to grab our luggage when we noticed it was a beautiful sunny morning.  No one lost their bags and everyone grabbed a coffee or snack while we waited to meet our Tour Director.  His name is Karl.  He is a native Berliner, but he has also lived in Hungary and Albuquerque, go figure, lol.  He explained all of the rules and told the kids what do to if they found themselves separated from the group throughout the trip.  We hopped on-board the bus and met Franz the driver.  I can't stop thinking of Hanz and Franz.  If we get a flat tire, I won't be worried.

The Reichstag, don't think too much about those dark clouds, they lifted
and it was a beautiful day.

It was too early to check into the hotel, but we unloaded the luggage and took off on a walking tour.  The German metro system is very well organized and Karl took time to explain where our hotel was and where we were headed.  We took the subway across the city and got off near the Reichstag.  I noticed that I was not the only one struggling to stay awake on the trip.  The Reichstag is the German parliament building.  It played a pretty important role in the rise of the Nazi Party.  You can read more about it by clicking this link.  After relaxing a bit on the grass outside of the Reichstag, we headed off towards Potsdamer Platz for lunch.  Potsdamer Platz is a main thoroughfare in Germany.  It was bisected by the Berlin Wall and it feels like it is a bisection of old and new today.  The skyscrapers and modern architecture were a topic of discussion for Karl and the kids as we were able to remind them of how war-torn Europe was after World War 2 and the Cold War.  

After Potsdamer, we made our way (on foot) to the Gendarmenmarkt.  I could try to explain it, but instead...go here and check out the panorama.  This plaza is about halfway between Potsdamer and Alexanderplatz...which is one of my favorite spots in Berlin.  First, it has a Dunkin Donuts and I got a large Ice Coffee to help me through the rest of the day, lol.  Second, it holds a huge open air market filled with snacks and trinkets.  It was set up for Easter still, but the crowds were fairly thin.  Lastly, it was a communication center during the Soviet occupation of Germany and the huge TV tower still stands above the city.  Karl explained how the designer of the Tower (a secret christian) was able to design it so that a cross reflected off of the tower whenever the sun hit it.  It really is cool...especially when the kids saw the men hanging from it to clean it.

A Happy Place in Germany!

Our dinner was located in a 5 story mall near Alexanderplatz.  It was buffet style and you could choose from traditional German sausages, Chicken, or pizza...the kids all took pizza, lol.  I don't blame them as I finished my ice coffee (although I grabbed sausage and some french fries).  

Currywust and Fries...the Lunch of
a Champion!!!

After dinner, we continued our walk to the Hotel Ibis Ostbanhof.  I have stayed here before and enjoy the location.  It is new, near the Metro, and near the Train station (banhof) that has another Dunkin Donuts (for tomorrow), lol.  The walk also allows for our first real look at the Berlin Wall.  It really is amazing to see kids in 2020 reflect on the importance of this historical artifact.  They never lived during its stranglehold over the city, but they have learned about it over time.  We will see it again tomorrow on our formal tour of the city, but they were definitely in awe.

The lobby here is okay for writing a blog, but I've sat in better.  The hotel employee was kind enough to get me a lot of ice for my diet cokes while I put this together.  The kids are all up in their bedrooms.  I've told them they have until about 11 before I start doing bed checks, but with the amount we've walked today I don't know if many will stay up that late.  Tomorrow, in Berlin, it looks like another great day.  We have our guided tour and then a couple of museums on schedule.

Mr. Lavoie, sitting in his living room trying to put the pieces of this trip together in his head.  

A Metro Musician.  It was cool watching the difference in the reactions
between the American kids and the German Metro riders to this man's music.

Taking the Train back to the hotel after a long day/night.