The kids were off on "Spring Break" (yes, it's still winter) for a week and so we took a road trip to Berlin for a few days.
Berlin is a city rich with history and diversity with an "anything goes" attitude. There is a lot centered around the WWII and the Cold War. I'm not a history buff by any means but it was fascinating to be in Berlin with the memorials and the landmarks. It is so much more impactful being there than learning from books. The city was filled with graffiti art all over. With Ethan's recent interest in art, we had a fun time admiring the different pieces that would randomly pop up. We also were surprised to see the diverse mix of people in Berlin as well. The city had a great selection of Vietnamese and Korean restaurants, and we completely took advantage of it! I've really missed Korean food and there are none in Antwerp.
The drive was 6-7 hours but after our trip to Austria, anything under 12 hours is easy. Especially driving through Germany without the speed limits.
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Chloe sleeping like a piglet in the front |
Ming Ming had a great system for the ride. She invented a word: "Busha", which means "more chips". So without looking up from her movie, she would say "Busha" and it would be Geri's cue to place some chips on her hand.
The kids love everything about vacation and one of their favorites is to immediately explore our vacation apartment. This was one was especially cool with an underground pantry/laundry room. They loved the idea of the apartment having a "secret hideout".
Ethan was thrilled to find a real guitar at the apartment!
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First night sampling the Vietnamese food. Authentic and delish! |
Berlin Wall
The history of the Berlin Wall was prominent throughout the city. After WWII the city was divided and one night in 1961 a fence was put up isolating East Berlin from West Berlin. Family and friends lost contact and communication overnight and for many years beyond that.
We tried to explain to Ethan and Ava about the wall and how families were separated because of it. We gave the example of other brothers and sisters, like them, who were not able to see each other. Immediately they came up with ideas on how they would get around the fence so they can be together, which sadly was how many lives were lost by trying.
Berlin Bear
We saw these bears all over Berlin, painted differently and in all different sizes. They are apparently deemed as global ambassadors of Berlin and came about after an artistic event in 2001.
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Ming's fave |
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This was my favorite - Statue of Liberty bear at the US Embassy |
TV Tower
The tower was 200 meters high and gave us a 360 degree view of Berlin. We went at night and luckily it was not as scary as the Eiffel Tower.
The kids invented their own game of "Face Painting Salon" one night. They took turns as the painter and customer. Amazing how creative they can get with a paintbrush!
Legoland
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Ming Ming was spinning so fast on this, I can't believe I caught a pic of her face! It actually looks like her head is detached from her body. |
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Final product, their own life size lego home! |
German Food
One of the great things about Germany is that there are a few American chains and brands that brings small memories of our home. Not to mention the super size theme found with their food. In Germany, there is Toys R US, Burger King and KFC. The kids prefer BK over McDonalds so they know when we are in Germany, we're going to hit up the BK. We have yet to go to KFC but in some weird way it brings a little connection back to the US. In Berlin we even found a Dunkin Donuts, A&P grocery, marshmallows, and mac n' cheese.
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Ming Ming in all her glory with the mac n' cheese |
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The DD donuts were in all crazy colors and shapes, just like Berlin's street art |
Here's Ethan about to tackle a monster size burger. And a giant Fanta to go with it!
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Yes, it's as big as his face |
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Ridiculous! |
Berlin was so diverse, especially with their cuisine. They had many Korean restaurants so of course I had to get my fix. It was so good, I actually forgot to take a photo until we were almost finished with the food!
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Ming was enjoying her Korean food too |
East Side Gallery
This is the biggest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall which is now the world's largest outdoor art gallery. It's 1 mile and they had invited artists from around the wall to paint murals on it.
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My favorite piece |
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Random graffiti art |
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Graffiti art in the metro station |
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Their best impression of the bug eyed bear |
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Random old guy kissing my kids |
Brandenberg Gate
Holocaust Memorial
This was a memorial to all the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The memorial is made of different sized concrete slabs built in a grid pattern over sloping hills. The design is intended to create a disorienting and confusing atmosphere. This was certainly true because a section of the slabs towered over you and after a while it felt claustrophobic being there. We did not explain the meaning behind the memorial to Ethan and Ava so they both had fun hiding from each other.
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Can you spot Ming in this picture? |
Checkpoint Charlie
This was the crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War.
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Obviously a big tourist spot with McDonald's in the back and a souvenir shop! |
Berlin was a great place to visit. It was recommended by many Europeans and now we can understand why!