Berlin

On the way out of Dresden by the train station, a mysterious and unlabeled little statue of a donkey standing on a table, pulling off the pants of someone crouched below:

And at the Hauptbahnhof, the pillar of oversized Ritter Sport chocolate bar wrappers the kids love to see:

Then a train ride north to Berlin:

Walking around to see lots of beloved sights in Berlin Mitte (center), we saw new government buildings, the main train station, a bell tower, the Brandenburger Tor = Brandenburg gate that was the icon of divided and reunified Berlin:

The Denkmal für die ermordeten Juden Europas = memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe:

Socialist mural behind our free walking tour group, Checkpoint Charlie, cobblestone line found around the city where the Berlin Wall used to be, and some current art on Berlin Wall-like concrete slabs highlighting new tyrants:

Lots of places to see: Gendarmenmarkt, Humboldt University, an outdoor library reading room, the mourning war widow:

Museuminsel = Museum Island, the Marx & Engels statue, and city hall:

One of my favorite Berlin locations, Alexanderplatz, with the Weltzeituhr = World time clock, and a nearby building:

Former Moabit prison which is now a park inside, between the main train station and our hotel:

Trees growing out of steps a block away from the Hauptbahnhof:

Remnants of the Berlin Wall at Potsdamer Platz:

The Siegessäule = Victory column:

Our messy hostel-style hotel room that fit all 8 of us:

A visit to the Neukölln area of Berlin with lots of immigrants, especially Turks:

It had only been a little short of 4 years since I was last in Berlin, and I was surprised how much had changed. Berlin is really a Baustelle = construction zone. And a fun city to visit. So much more than this to see.