Sunday, June 13, 2010

First Full Day

Well the first full day in Berlin was spent walking around getting acquainted with the area around our apartments. Our location couldn't be any better. We are located a short from the Reichstag (Legislative Building of Berlin, pictured above), Brandenburg Gate, etc...

First, we went to the Hauptbahnhof (big train station, picture above) to get lunch and learn the ways of the land.
After riding the trains for an hour or so, we hopped off and began our afternoon walk down the River Spree. Along the water we saw sunbathers, federal housing, the Chancellory (above; pretty much Berlin's White House), and beer gardens where we of course stopped to fight the afternoon heat. We also dove off the Spray to see the Fire/Police Station by Sauerbruch & Hutton (below) which was a really cool MetaRationalist (patterned) Building that transforms from green to red. For those of you who are color blind, you will just have to take my word for it.


As the Spree winded down (literally), we saw a few more government buildings before ending back at the apartments. After dinner, we ended our "educational" activities atop the Reichstag where we walked through Norman Foster's Glass Dome (below). The spiraling path allowed 360 degree views of the entire city as well as a view of Germany's Legislative Body. After parting ways with the group we spent the rest of our evening having beverages at the Sony Center (Test Post) before retiring for the night.






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