Berliners

As Matt said, "We're snakebit with trains!". We got reserved seats, 1st class compartments, hoping for the best and we left early, walked the 30+minutes to the train platform, then waited, and waited, and waited for an hour or more. And FINALLY we got on and had a very lovely ride to Berlin. Another chap reserved our same compartment but because it was 6 to the compartment everyone joined the boys in theirs and played cars for the entire 4 hr journey. I sat, chatted with that most interesting fellow who was a master at working systems and perhaps a little dishonest. I got my seminary calendar all set up and did what I could with the blog with spotty wifi.

Welkomin to Berlin. Home of the Appolmann. He comes in red...

 and he comes in green. There are whole stores devoted to souvenirs of him.

We just happened to come during Gay Pride week. I think the security of the city was pretty ramped up. This is as close as we were allowed to get to the Brandenburg gate. Not the most iconic shot but at least we could sort of see it.

Many statues all over the city. Smiling girls after walking miles and miles and seeing statue after statue and taking picture after picture at the whim of their Mom.

To all those who have died as the result of war.

First sight of the Berlin Cathedral.

Those who brought the scriptures and their meaning to the hearts and minds of the people. 

There are 8 paintings from the beatitudes here in this dome that was bombed during WW2. They've been re-done very nicely along with much of the interior. 

The stoning of Stephen. 

Elise captured this flattering photo haha. Now we know what we look like most of the time while touring.

The dome view after climbing so many hundred stairs. Quite beautiful.

Samuel and Brigham had an adventure of their own at the Natural History Museum. Brigham had been begging to go for most of the trip and I decided this time he could do that. The most obvious companion was Samuel. He isn't keen on being the leader in charge though so it took some convincing but they were both really glad in the end. Here are some photos from that trip.

Aaaaannnd, hundreds of stairs back down.

I need to do some google research and figure out what this is depicting. 

I'm completely taken in by beautiful doors. I love this one.

Finally getting our doner Dinner.

I like mine from a box. 

When you run into a playground you stop!

These two still need free space and active equipment. We really haven't had anything like that anywhere.

Brigham and I opted for the audio guides for the Pergamonmuseum. 

I usually spend a lot of time teaching at museums but this time I sort of didn't.

The Market Gate of Miletus is really interesting. While it's not completely authentic, the idea that archeologists took all these salvaged pieces from the 2nd Century BC.

So much Islamic art made us feel right at home. 

An elaborate incense burner.

Terrible picture of a lovely Persian door. I love the intricate carving.

He also loves these things so much. Intricate carved designs and patterns.

Something else I'd really love to buy while we're in the middle east is a book stand. This is a stand for the Holy Quran carved with Arabic script.

Here's a recreation in progress. I can't even imagine how the manage to put these puzzles together from these buckets of rubble.

So when we left the museum, we didn't really want to be out late. I had really hoped to buy some Birkenstocks while we were there so I went to do a little shopping. Matt and Eli and EVERYONE else really wanted to go to the Ritter Chocolate store so that's where they went. I guess there were no pictures taken, only 25 bars of chocolate. Most of them will be given away. Matt really wanted to go to Checkpoint Charley and the Berlin wall etc. I agreed to stay with the little girls and repack all our bags. 

Brigham and Eli kept him company and Samuel went to visit his Entomology colleague, Christian.

We all got to bed later than we wanted. This was really the end of our family trip. We all parted ways the next morning. Samuel and Eli stayed in Germany, Matt went to Tampa, FL and the 3 youngest and myself headed to Virginia.