Gypsy watch

Today has been fairly relaxed. We headed out from the hotel at 11 a.m. and took a bus to the center of the former West. Along the way we passed the Tiergarten, Berlin's version of NYC's Central Park, a beautiful place where Berliners are rumored to sunbath topless or naked. There's also a zoo there that I hope to go to before I leave.

In the city center we saw an incredible 14th-century church that had been bombed out in WWII but hasn't been restored to show the destruction of war. It was juxtaposed nicely with a modern church built right next too it.

While downtown we also checked out the massive and exceptionally nice KaDeWe department store and watched some street performers break dance.


Something you have to watch out for in the touristy areas is the gypsies. The women will walk up to you holding a baby or with their children and ask you if you speak English. You have to look right at them and forcefully say "nein!" (German for no) so they leave you alone. They are just trying to get money from you and/or have their children pickpocket you! We had to deal with a lot of them today and yesterday.

From there we headed to the former American sector and walked through a neighborhood where Freeman had lived with his family while his father was stationed at the air force base. We also went to a small museum on the allied forces that occupied Berlin.

In Alexanderplatz on the way back to the hotel I saw my first grillmaster! I've been excited to see one of these since Freeman told us about them. They're basically the mobile, one-man band of fast food



I'm just back at the hotel now, relaxing before searching for dinner and going to a see a band. Talk to you later!