June 27 (Wednesday)

Now we are in Berlin, and Mom and I are overwhelmed by the sites here. This morning we went to the Zoo, where it was as much fun to watch the German families as it was to see the polar bears and chimpanzees. Then we walked to the Victory Column (Siegessäulle), built after the victories against Denmark and France in the 1840's and 50's. The line to enter the Reichstag was too long, so instead we went and had lunch at a delightful outdoor cafe along Unter den Linden boulevard - the linden trees are in full bloom and Mom and I are nearly besotted with their sweet scent.

June 30 (Saturday)

Well, I must say that the capital cities of the Nordic countries seem downright provincial in comparison to Berlin. For some reason, the city is reminding me of Paris - maybe it's the size and the sheer quantity of cultural events and sites here, as well as the somewhat curt attitude of the native Berliners.

Our friend Dennis from Seattle has been in Berlin this week as well, and we've met up with him a couple times. He's been to Berlin before, plus speaks German fluently, so it's wonderful to not only see a familiar face here, but also get good tips on where to go and what to do. Mom and I went to Potsdam one day and toured Sans Souci palace (Frederick the Great's summer residence), which was delightful. We also found our way to Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin and wandered the immense gardens there. The museum of applied art is packed full of good stuff - no descriptions in English (the staff didn't speak any English either), but I loved it. Not being a huge opera fan, I was relieved when Dennis said he'd be delighted to go to "The Magic Flute" with Mom, which gave me a chance to go to a concert by the Berlin Youth Symphony. I just love the energy and excitement of youth symphonies.

The Brandenburg Gate is currently covered over, because of renovation work, so we didn't get to see any of the Berlin Wall. And I had a rather difficult time discerning which parts of Berlin used to be East and which West - there has been an incredible amount of construction in the last ten years, and if I didn't know better, I would have had a hard time believing that this used to be a divided city.

I must say how grateful I am that Mom was able to join me for 2½ weeks on this incredible trip. It's been wonderful traveling together, and I'm definitely going to miss her when I continue on by myself to Munich tomorrow.