We went up the glass dome atop the Reichstag (German parliment) building.
The headfone narrative was informative about the government, the building, and the sights and history of the city. Three million visitors a year take this dome tour!
We could indeed look down and see into the legislative chamber, which is open to the public...Germans take a transparent government very serious!
As we were leaving, a counter protest was starting to gather. These were left leaning groups. The other side was gathering elsewhere, (some next door by the Brandenburg Gate) and we heard they were headed here for a potential clash.
Scrat has officially now been in a political gathering! It was very peaceful....lots of love, inspiring speeches, and good music. We did, however, have to find a way around all the public transit disruptions. The haupbanhoff we thought would be out of the way was actually one of the gathering areas for the protestors ('right' side)!
There was a VERY high number of police, and NONE of them were smiling. Many had really big guns. George advised not taking pictures of them...but trust me...it was very uncomfortable. I'm not sure if their presence made me feel safer or if the neccessity of them having to be there made me feel more endangered. Both, I guess.
Our destination for the day was Mauer (Wall) Park, a park where locals go to hang. There's food, flea and craft market, and lots of entertainment. The highlight is a really fun karoke gathering. Predictably, we saw some really talented people, some really terrible performances, and some really drunken ones. I'll try to post a video on a separate post so it'll have a better chance of uploading.
All in all, a wonderful day in Berlin! The vibe here is definitely young and hip, energetic, new, and forward looking!
I join Kennedy in his sentiment in that famous speech...Ich bin einer Berlinet!
I just read a historical fiction of pre WWII in Berlin. Would love to visit and experience the positive energy you are feeling.
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