Ich bin ein Berliner

Okay, I'll try to type what I can in before my internet minutes run out.

I have to admit, Berlin (and all of Germany for that matter) has definitely exceeded my expectations. I guess I had this idea in my mind of Berlin being a grey, cold city, but it's one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been in. Jenny and I paid 10€ for a 4+ hour tour that took us all over the city and gave us so much info about all the sights and the city's history. Our tour guide, Jim, was actually originally from Minneapolis and had an accent straight out of Fargo, so Jenny and I had no problem understanding him. Small world. The tour was worth every penny, even though it was quite cold (it SNOWED for the last hour we were in Berlin).

Berlin is just amazing. It's architecture is reminiscent of so many periods of its history--from palaces from the times it was ruled by a royal dynasty, to Nazi headquarters buildings and remnants of the Berlin Wall. We stayed until it got too cold and then took the train back to our favorite hostel (so far) in Wittenberg for a warm shower and quiet evening.

This morning we packed up and came to Berlin, checked into a hostel by the train station, dropped off our backpacks, and traveled about an hour to the outskirts of Berlin to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. What an incredible and horrible sight. We spent the 3€ for the self guided audio tours and spent the next few hours, wandering the silent grounds, listening to the descriptions of what took place there not too long ago. Walking through the cabins, the prisons, and the grounds was creepy, as if the crimes committed there still haunted the area. It was disturbing, but at the same time it felt like an experience everyone should have. Those thousands of people that were tortured or killed there deserve to be remembered.

After traveling back and finding a little restaurant for supper, Jenny and I made our way back to the hotel and are in for the night. We'll be in the area one more day and then plan on taking the night train to Brussels Friday night, and then traveling from Brussels to Brugges Saturday morning. Can't wait for Brugges--hopefully it will be warmer than Berlin has been!