The Berlin Wall.

Seeing the Berlin Wall up close gave me goosebumps. There is so much history represented in that wall. It was the symbol of a city divided, a country divided, and a world divided. 

This year the biggest project I did with my students was called "The Walls that Surround Us," during which we spent a few months studying and reflecting upon physical and invisible walls that divide people. We studied walls around the world, including the Berlin Wall, and students also shared their stories of the invisible walls that they had experienced- racism, sexism, anti-homosexual sentiment, social barriers. Often it is these things which are at the root of physical walls that are erected. When we begin to see other humans as inferior to us, it is easy to justify a physical wall so that we actually don't have to see them at all. It is because of this that I always question any wall that is constructed to divide humanity. I had all of this in mind as I approached the Berlin Wall, and it left me with a heavy heart. 

While it was interesting to see some of the art that has been added to the wall in recent years, I enjoyed the raw, deteriorating sections of the wall more, as I felt they painted a better picture of history than the paintings themselves. That rawness reminds me of what was, and the many physical and invisible walls that are still in place today.

That last photo is original graffiti from when the wall was up that says something like, the wall does not run north and south but between you and me.

Street art in Berlin.

Berlin is a mecca for lovers of street art. We enjoyed walking endlessly all over the city seeking it out.

Out and about in Berlin.

That last photo is of the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It solemnly takes up an entire city block.

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We left Berlin this morning on an overnight train to Amsterdam, which will be the last city we explore on this six week journey. It's crazy to think our adventure is coming to an end, but this summer has actually gone by surprisingly slow and we have relished each day. While we are sad for our travels to be over, we have been discussing how we truly do love our life in San Diego and have exciting things to look forward to in the future, so it's really not too disappointing at all. There are so many things we love about home. I think I may be getting a little older and wiser.

Just a note about overnight trains... if you can, try not to be stuck in a little box car with a man who rode his bike and has the worse body odor you can imagine... we weren't so lucky to avoid that fate. 

Munich, Germany: a perfect place for history nerds and beer lovers.

Munich is a perfect place for history nerds and beer lovers, and since I am both, I found it to be quite intriguing.

Munich was the hotbed of Nazism and the backdrop for many significant events of the time. Seeing the plaza where Hitler gave speeches, the site of Hitler's attempt at overthrowing the government, the building where the plan for Kristallnacht was implemented, and memorials honoring those who suffered under Nazism was heartbreakingly fascinating.  

Of course, visiting the beer halls and beer gardens was nice too, and actually, some of the important Nazi meetings were held in such places. I've never been to a place before with a culture so centered around beer.

Those last two photos are of subtle memorials to honor victims of Nazism. The first is a gold streak in the street to represent the path that Nazi resisters would take to exit the main street where they were supposed to be saluting a Nazi statue every time they passed it. When the police caught on, some people were killed for using this path to avoid the salute. The second is a plaque in remembrance of a family who was removed from the city as a part of Kristallnacht, the night of broken glass, when many Jewish people were taken from their homes or businesses to concentration camps.

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P.S. I gave this blog of mine a little makeover. It's not much, but since I am a bit technologically challenged, I was kind of proud of myself. What do you think?