Berlin, Germany

This was one city that's been through a lot. It faced fascism, communism and sudden capitalism - all within 60 years. It has therefore turned out to be one of the most interesting cities I have visited. LOTS of pictures - mother of all posts. Things I did not know about Berlin (and Germany in general):

- Berlin is bankrupt and unemployment is around 25% - this gave rise to a HUGE punk and alternative scene which a select group of us got to see c/o Alternative Berlin. This was not without its risks, but we treaded lightly :). Some amazing pieces of public art - some commissioned, most not.

- Most people hate the Love Parade - not because of what it represents, but because of the ecological damage from millions of people's garbage!

- The Last Cathedral is owned by Rammstein!!

- About 50% of Germany's Jews escaped - one of the highest percentages considering it was ground zero.

- On that subject, I did not realize how open and honest they are with their past sins *cough* Japan *cough*. I was quite moved by both the Jewish Memorial (which really symbolized, once again, the cold efficiency of it all by the use of grey concrete) and the new Jewish Museum. I was at first skeptical of the 'modern art' approach, but it worked, even down to the sloped floors.

Dresden, Germany

I was quite surprised at how Dresden turned out. It was bombed flat during WW2 and aside from some scorched bricks here and there you really can't tell. The original structures were pretty much restored. The infrastructure was so modern and efficient - even more so than every North American city I have seen of similar size. The city looked brand new and it was very clean as well. Amazing how fast unification improved the standard of living. I was also quite surprised at how friendly everyone was and how inexpensive the food was. Many thanks to Jenn for showing me around (even though she just moved there a week or two prior to my arrival to work at Max Planck) and for suggesting biking to the Czech border together! I've never biked so far before (~60km) - fortunately the way back was by boat + train :).

Still Alive

Sorry for lack of updates. I've struck out 3/3 for places with USB ports. Currently in Amsterdam after heading through Germany. Booked my Iceland tickets!

Prague, Czech Republic

Prague was a place I went to for relaxation. It is quite culturally rich, and honestly it felt a lot like Krakow (similar buildings, similar atmosphere, similar language). The Prague Castle was something quite interesting and the cathedral was one of the most beautiful I've seen (at least on the outside) - the line up was 2 hours to get in and I had better things to do than stand around. Big piece of advice - GO OFF SEASON TO PRAGUE. The massive crowds just ruin the experience, so I spent most of the time relaxing around clubs and bars. Met some very cool people from all over the place just randomly - USA, Australia, Holland, Czech (naturally), Croatia, and Hong Kong. The highlight was seeing Mozart's Requiem performed in St. Nicholas Cathedral - I had been wanting to see that live for years and missed my chance with the TSO due to tickets selling out at record pace. BTW - these pics are high quality as I have a good connection here in Dresden.