"Beautiful Berlin? Ja!" a Berlin Travel Page by richiecdisc

When Marlene Dietrich whispered seductively, "I vant to be alone," all the mystery and intrigue that surrounds Berlin was set. This enigmatic city is not only the largest in Germany but also one of Europe's greatest cultural treasures. From its many varied museums to eclectic counter-cultural nightlife, it thrives as a hedonistic nod to modern possibilities while retaining more than a memory of its torn historic past. Even with its iconic "wall" reduced to a few sections for tourists to gawk at, Berlin remains a city separated by eastern and western philosophies. Much as is the case in the whole-unified country that is Germany, there is a distinct difference being from one side or the other with the west still looking down on those from "the other side." To think that this separation was a mere dividing up of "assets" by the victors of WWII only shows that the devastation of war goes far beyond the mere destruction of buildings or even human life. It scarred a people so deeply that to this day they remain divided even though the actual separation was a mere 40 years. But to write off Berlin as a city torn by its past is to do it great disservice. It's a city whose perhaps most noted claim to fame is that its citizens partied till dawn as a war raged on, taking each breath as it could be their very last. This wild abandon has not dissipated. To this day, it's one of the great nightlife cities in Europe, accommodating all tastes and lifestyles. With the most diverse multi-cultural population in Germany comes a resultant plethora of ethnic restaurants. Add to this, one of the greatest collections of museums in the world, and Berlin just stands out. But what will surprise you most perhaps is it's not the "gray city" it sounds in novels. With a gentle countryside surrounding it, and a bit of luck in the form of blue, sunny skies, Berlin is quite a pretty city too. You might not be drawn to Berlin like Paris or Rome, but it won"t be ignored either. And given a chance, you'll find it a fascinating place to explore and with each nuance you might join its legion of fans that herald it as their favorite city in all of Europe.

I had the opportunity at another visit to Berlin this past spring (2003) and I half hoped that the weather would not be so pleasant so I could visit one of the city's world class museums, but no such luck. With sunny skies and warm tempertures, I opted to walk around town for the few hours I had on this second trip to Germany's capital. The fountain looked even better than on the winter trip, with the water flowing as spring time weather warrants. Also, met up with Rolf (R.Dettman) once again in my favorite Berlin pub for a beer. Thanks Rolf!