Goodbyes

It’s our last week in Berlin!

We sent the students off with two fun activities: first, a trip to the opera to see Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.”

Then, we wrapped everything up with dinner and dancing at Clärchens Ballhaus, a Berlin institution that’s been around since the 1920s. Niguel and Anna tore up the dance floor with some swing moves!

It’s hard to believe that the program is already over! Ten weeks is not nearly enough time to explore a city as rich and layered as Berlin … but I think we did a pretty good job! The students will be moved out and on their way to new destinations by this weekend – some home to Seattle, and some off to explore more of the world! We hope this experience stays with them …

Dinner at Hasir

This Monday we had dinner at the Turkish restaurant Hasir! Turkish culture is a huge part of Berlin, and it was wonderful to enjoy some of its culinary delights … YUM!

Ku’damm, Zoo and KaDeWe with Robert, Dan and Niguel

Our students Robert, Dan and Niguel took us on a great tour of the Ku’Damm/Zoostation area of Berlin this Tuesday. We began just off the Ku’Damm at the Gedächtniskirche – the ruin of a church built by Kaiser Wilhelm II and bombed in 1943. The ruin has become one of the symbols of Berlin, but you can’t see it at the moment – it’s under that ugly white scaffolding you can see in the picture above. Surrounding the ruin are a chapel and belltower designed by the German modernist Egon Eiermann in the 1950s.

We headed into the ground floor of the ruin first. The ceiling still displays some beautiful Byzantine-style mosaics, duly appreciated by our class …

We then headed next door to the Eiermann-designed chapel. Though the newer buildings aren’t much to look at from the exterior (Berliners have nicknamed them the “lipstick and powder box”), the chapel is pretty stunning on the interior. We caught the organist practicing, which added to the atmosphere.

Our next stop was the zoo, where our guides not only acquainted us with the incredible diversity of its inhabitants – the most in the world! – but related the heartbreaking story of Knut, the baby polar bear born in the zoo in 2006. Knut was a media favorite (with good reason – he really was incredibly adorable!), but unfortunately he died earlier this year.

The mood picked back up as we moved to our last stop, the famous Kaufhaus des Westens, or KaDeWe. It’s the biggest department store in continental Europe, with a history that spans over 100 years.

The top floor of the store is known for its incredible selection of foods, both local and imported. And what should we find as we come up the escalators but a little taste of home – Columbia Crest, on sale. It seems we’re not the only Washington imports to Berlin!

warming up to Berlin

Chance and I met John and his lovely wife Eleanor today in their (and the students’) new Berlin neighborhood, Kreuzberg. It’s a beautiful part of the city, with a lively and diverse feel. Though we spent most of the day taking care of various administrative and technological tasks (it’s always a challenge to get settled into a whole new system of cell phones, internet and ATMs!), we got to enjoy the great fall weather and explore a little of our new surroundings too.

We started out with a walk through the park along the Engelbecken and Luisenstadt Canal.

Like the rest of Berlin, the architecture in this neighborhood is full of contrasts. We admired the Max-Taut-Haus on Oranienplatz, which fits so well into Berlin’s current aesthetic that you might never guess it was built between 1931-33. Max Taut, the architect, was Bruno Taut’s brother. The stately St. Thomas Kirche was constructed in the mid-1860s.

We finished up the evening at Hasir, a delicious Turkish restaurant on the corner of Orianienstrasse and Adalbertstrasse.

The students arrive on Monday, and we’re looking forward to commencing our explorations of this fantastic neighborhood – and the rest of the city – together!