Berlin
This morning was registration for the actual Posse Ride. We have been completing the pre-ride until this point. More people have joined us and the official kick of is today. We had an opening meeting and received some information on our trip but not everything as somethings are still a surprise.
This afternoon we left by bus to downtown Berlin where all the places to see are within a 2 km radius I am sure but it took everyone hours to walk around. The tourist were everywhere downtown in awe of the history and architect of the city. There were some vendors on the streets but not too many. There were artists that posed as statues in the heat with their faces painted. Not something I could do that is for sure. Amazing how they can sit in the heat (today was 30 degrees) and not be bothered by it.
The self guided walking tour took the majority of our time downtown with the exception of one stop at a cafe for a nice cold beer. The places we saw were Brandenburg which is the gate to the city. Next we went to the Reichtag which is part of government building. I was amazed that this building had not been destroyed. There was obviously some respect for the architecture during the wars which I am thankful for as in Canada we don’t have the history that Europe does. It is a priviliege to be able to see buildings that have been maintained for years to come. I am just realizing now that I need to be a little bit more informative about all these places that I have seen and would also like to know more about these places and will try to research them in the next few days so that I can add to my story.
I found it odd that on the self guided walking tour they actually pointed out the Galerie Lafayette which seemed to be a shopping mall – needless to say I didn’t go in as there is really no room on the bike for any big shopping trip.
The aim of the walk was to get to Check Point Charlie which is the Check Point that so many tried to cross to see their loved ones on the other side of Berlin. The east and west as everyone knows was separated by the Berlin Wall. It was amazing to see and the highlight of my walk.
Tonight we were given a fabulous BBQ outside on the terrace with the drinks included for the first hour. The food is very good. I found it very interesting that the meat portions are smaller but more to the portion size that North Americans should be eating. Lots of vegetables and always different breads on hand.
Tomorrow we leave at 8:30 with all the bikes together leaving the city. Once we get to our first stop of the morning we will then split off into smaller groups. Should be a wonderful ride and I am looking forward to it.
Part of the Berlin Wall that has not be defaced bygraffiti
