We took a long weekend trip to Berlin last week. We booked tickets to a concert (Ben Folds) weeks ago and planned a trip to Berlin around the concert. Then the concert was cancelled (Folds is a pianist and is having tendonitis and nerve issues). But we decided to go ahead with the trip anyway.

We aren’t that far from Berlin, so we took the slower regional trains. Since we had to transfer anyway, we decided to do so in Lutherstadt Wittenberg and complete our “Martin Luther Tic-tac-toe”, adding it to Wartberg and Weimar. Wittenberg is where he was a monk and where he tacked up the 95 Theses in 1517. It was snowy while we were there, but we had a bit of a walk around town. We saw the church where it all went down (the original wood doors are gone, but the bronze doors in their place now are engraved with Luther’s famous “suggestions for improvement” that got him excommunicated). We also visited a cool panorama art installation in town called “Luther 1517 – Wittenberg 360°” by artist Yadegar Asisi. It has a scene of different aspects of everyday life in 16^th-century Wittenberg as well as key moments of Luther’s life in the city. There are sound effects and cool lighting and you can listen to the audio guide describe the different scenes. It was a good way to spend a snowy afternoon.

We made it to Berlin in the afternoon. We love cities with layer upon layer of history coupled with a vibrant, global culture. Berlin is one of those cities. It means you can find cool historical sights, learn something new, and eat lots of yummy international food. We made a beeline for a taco place that was recommended to us by a Mexican guy we meet in Weimar. The tacos were really good! We stayed in a little studio Airbnb in an attic in the Prenzlauerberg area. Since we were missing out on our concert experience, we went to a night of jazz at the Yorckschlõsschen. The food was mediocre, but the music was good. We also walked by Checkpoint Charlie on our way to the music venue. Nathan actually crossed there from West Berlin to East in 1988 when he was a teenager. He was working in Switzerland and he traveled around with his sister, Liz. 

Berlin is the first city that we have visited during this trip that is a repeat from our trip in 2019. When we visited four years ago, it was one of our first stops and we were just starting to figure out how we wanted to travel long-term. We decided it would be ok to repeat some of the things we did then, like a walking tour of the major sights like the Brandenburg Gate and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. My favorite memorial is the Neue Wache with its modern pieta.

We are getting better at bundling up so that we last out in the cold a bit longer, but that means we are often wearing 2-4 layers of clothes and feeling like the Michelin Man. Sometimes we just suck it up and freeze. We also plan in breaks now and then to get something warm to drink or take a U-Bahn ride or visit something indoors. The cold weather is slowing us down, a bit, but we are adapting.

One thing we have been missing a bit is live comedy. It happens around here, but we find that things are less funny when you can’t understand the language! We knew there was comedy performed in English in Berlin because we went to a show in 2019. This time, we went to comedy show on a boat in the Spree River called Laughing Spree. It was a collection of different comics, some new and some with more experience. It was mostly a good time.

One of the best things we did during our trip was a tour in the Berliner Unterwelten. They offer all kinds of history tours, but this one was in an old bomb shelter attached to an underground station. During WWII, Hermann Göring convinced Hitler that Berlin would never be bombed because the planes would never make it that far. As a result, there were not really any preparations made for the civilians to take cover during air raids. In London, people could take shelter in the underground stations. The Berliners didn’t really have that option as the underground stations are not very deep since the city was built on swampy ground. So, they quickly tried to make at least some places for people to go. The one that we visited was a series of rooms that were originally just dead spaces left over from the construction of the station. The tour guide was so good for this tour (in English) and the subject was absolutely fascinating. Most everything of the like was destroyed after the war, but this one was left intact since destroying it would have also taken out the U-Bahn station. There is original phosphorescent paint on the walls and some of the artifacts that they have found from the war years. Unfortunately, photos and videos were not allowed, but it was so interesting.

We knew that our trip would coincide with the opening of the Christmas Markets in Berlin, so that was what we did on our last evening. Berlin has 60+ Christmas Markets all over the city. We visited three of the most central and most popular. We went to Alexanderplatz, to Charlottenburg, and to the Gendarmenmarkt. All of them have similarities, but also slightly different personalities. Just as Oktoberfest is an opportunity to drink German beer and eat Bavarian food, the Christmas Markets serve mulled wine, called glühwein, and lots of seasonal food and treats. We weren’t drinking the wine, but we did have a really good barbecue burger, some tasty, candied almonds, and some cheesy “schneeballen”. We made it home on the train the next day, despite delays and missed connections again. I read that November was maybe the worst month in the history of German rail for delays.

It’s finally Christmastime here! It seemed like we were seeing evidence of Christmas everywhere for weeks without really being able to enjoy it. But now everything is decorated and people are out in full force, ready to soak up the holiday cheer. We went into the center of Leipzig last night to check out the markets here and it was so crowded! It was a happy crowd, though, so it was kinda fun. This morning we went to advent mass at the (rather chilly) Thomaskirche to hear another Bach cantata. The organ there is beautiful and the choir sounded great. 

Unfortunately, Christmas time also means that winter weather has set in and the days are getting ridiculously short. We are at about 8 hours of daylight per day. It’s hard to remember that Europe is at a much higher latitude than most of the U.S. We are trying to stay cozy when we are home (we have a mini Christmas tree) and getting out as best we can to get a bit of sunlight and fresh air. It’s gray and snowy pretty much all the time, but so far, we are faring pretty well.

P.S. We had a few questions last week that I will address here. 

The new grandchild will be the third for Lauren and Bo, due in June. We’re all excited!

The string quartet instruments that were pictured with Nathan last week are described here (copied from the Beethoven-Haus permanent collection description):

“Beethoven was given these four valuable stringed instruments around 1800 by his friend and patron Prince Lichnowsky, possibly in connection with the creation of the String Quartets op. 18, Beethoven’s first works for this classical Viennese genre. As one of the composer’s first Viennese patrons, Prince Lichnowsky gave him an annual stipend of 600 gulden. The composer was to be given access to this until he was able to find an appropriate position. The instruments are marked with a big “B” and Beethoven’s signet on the back.” If you go back and look at the photo from last week, you might be able to see the mirrors they have placed by each instrument so you can see the “B” signet on the back of each one.