I'm not sure what I expected but it certainly wasn't this. As we flew in over the huge expanse that is Berlin I had time to look down. What I saw was the very land I knew of as a 7 year old that we were bombing. The land I knew my husband, then 3, hid with his mother in a hole in his back yard as our bombers arrived twice a day/night like clockwork for the last nine months of WWII to drop their payloads on this very land. What does that do to a child of that age? I was speechless and flooded with feelings and images I couldn't name.
Perhaps that was partly due to exhaustion. Our flight was only 6 hours long and they served dinner which after take off and serving drinks and early waking for breakfast only left 3 hours to sleep before arriving in Munich. Shortly after the lights went out there was a lot of movement. A woman in one row ahead of us in the center section was ill and there was a crowd around her bringing oxygen, bags of supplies all talking in German. we were halfway across the ocean so there was no chance of turning back. Eventually she was spread across the 4 center sets and covered with blankets. We didn't know how serious it was. I don't think I went back to sleep . When we arrived in Munich an ambulance was waiting for her and we were all asked to exit by the rear so they could get to her.
The flight to Berlin was only 50 minutes and I suspect lack of sleep contributed to my hazy state of mind when we landed.
We passed several things I would have loved to have shared in pictures but my camera was in the trunk of the taxi that brought us to our hotel. I spent the rest of the afternoon on reservation issue while Norbert went out for a few groceries.
It is now almost 8 pm and we ahve been up about 30 hours so we are both turning in.
Tomorrow should be an exciting day as we will ride the Hop On Hop Off bus around to see many of the iconic sites of Berlin and then visit the Reichstag which is a centuries old building that has a long history - more on that after tomorrow but suffice it to say it is the Parliament building at the heart of modern German Democracy since the Wall fell in 1989 and the Capitol of the reunited Germany moved from Bonn to Berlin.
I promise pictures tomorrow.
Perhaps that was partly due to exhaustion. Our flight was only 6 hours long and they served dinner which after take off and serving drinks and early waking for breakfast only left 3 hours to sleep before arriving in Munich. Shortly after the lights went out there was a lot of movement. A woman in one row ahead of us in the center section was ill and there was a crowd around her bringing oxygen, bags of supplies all talking in German. we were halfway across the ocean so there was no chance of turning back. Eventually she was spread across the 4 center sets and covered with blankets. We didn't know how serious it was. I don't think I went back to sleep . When we arrived in Munich an ambulance was waiting for her and we were all asked to exit by the rear so they could get to her.
The flight to Berlin was only 50 minutes and I suspect lack of sleep contributed to my hazy state of mind when we landed.
We passed several things I would have loved to have shared in pictures but my camera was in the trunk of the taxi that brought us to our hotel. I spent the rest of the afternoon on reservation issue while Norbert went out for a few groceries.
It is now almost 8 pm and we ahve been up about 30 hours so we are both turning in.
Tomorrow should be an exciting day as we will ride the Hop On Hop Off bus around to see many of the iconic sites of Berlin and then visit the Reichstag which is a centuries old building that has a long history - more on that after tomorrow but suffice it to say it is the Parliament building at the heart of modern German Democracy since the Wall fell in 1989 and the Capitol of the reunited Germany moved from Bonn to Berlin.
I promise pictures tomorrow.
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