Xmas in Berlin

My parents decided to spend Xmas in Berlin this year. On Christmas Eve, my parents, a friend of the family, his son and me left by plane for Germany's capital. Always when you plan to visit a city, people who have already been there give you their opinion on the city. Some compared her to Europe's greatest cities, Paris, London and Rome, others were impressed by the visible difference between East and West and some claimed Berlin to be good for partying. My impressions were different from all these expectations.

I do not think Berlin can measure herself with the greatest cities in the world. Berlin was destroyed too many times and construction still characterizes the city. However, her historical significance in ofcourse immense. Home to the initiators of world's last great war, symbol in post-war Europe and victim of two superpowers who could not agree on her future. The city has suffered but has also survived.

The picture shows a symbolic place: Checkpoint Charlie. This is an impressive and again historical significant place. We all found it hard to distinguish which side is East and West, an illustration of the unification of the city nowadays.

The other picture for me characterizes the Berlin of today. It shows the Sony centre, a highly sophisticated architectural building, resurrected only 1000 of meters besides the remainings of the Wall and checkpoint Charlie. It shows how Berlin is alive and redefining itself. I am sure it will become one of Europe's greatest cities again in the near future.