Hot & Sweaty

Granted, that's not the greatest title for a post ever, but it's my predominant feeling right now, so there you go.  Berlin is experiencing a heat wave (90's) and with the intense heat is an equally intense humidity.  So I've been sweating copiously all day, and just endured an S-bahn trip hot and packed enough to rival any subway car in New York during rush hour.  This doesn't really capture just how close and miserable things were, but at least it's something:

Aside from that discomfort, I had a great first day exploring some of Berlin.  I started with a longer walk than anticipated since I got so caught up in enjoying the neighborhood that I totally missed the street I was supposed to turn on to catch the S-bahn.  Here's an example of one such neighborhood street:

Once in the center of the city, I made my way down to Gendarmenmarket, a square surrounded by beautiful churches, the home of the Berlin Philharmonic, and charming cafes.  This is the French Huguenot church, whose Dome I climbed up to & it's neighbor, the Philharmonic:

 

I didn't think 254 steps sounded so bad until I was about halfway up.  Here's a glimpse from the top and a few views from the platform outside:

 

 

After my climb, I decided I'd earned some lunch, so settled at one of the outdoor cafes and enjoyed a lovely salad with a hunk of grilled goat cheese.  Apparently, the sparrows in this square expect to dine with you, because several of them would land on the chair next to me (and one on the table) and cock their head to look at me with their beaks open.  Because I am cruel and heartless, I refused to share.

From there, I made my way to the Jewish Museum, which was absolutely incredible.  I only spent about 2 1/2 hours there, but it would be easy to spend 4 or 5.  This museum covered the whole history of Jews living in the region that eventually became Germany from ancient Roman times until the 20th century.  There were numerous displays conveying not only the rich and varied traditions and cultures of Jewish people through the ages, but also (much more disturbingly) the long history of anti-Semitism that's existed in Europe.  And then, of course, there were the displays about the rise of Nazism, the growing persecution of the Jews, and the Holocaust. 

The train ride home from the museum is where I got stuck with about 10,000 other people trying to get home--many of them from the crowd who saw Obama speak.  What I didn't realize is that Bill, Andrea, and the girls were in a different car on the same train.  We ran into each other at the ice cream store on the corner--great minds think alike!

This evening, Andrea drove me out to one of the lakes (yes, Berlin has lakes--and forests!) and then out to this huge hill that is made (beneath the dirt and grass) out of all the rubble from WW2 bombings.  You can see just how much green/forest actually surrounds the city center.  It's finally starting to cool down a tiny bit, and I am looking forward to a nice long shower.  Guten Nacht!

 

(final picture is me in one of the few still moments I wasn't swatting away mosquitoes)