Berlin and Prague

My international business class headed out last week for Berlin, stopping on the way at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg, Germany.  The autostad (auto city) was a labyrinth of museums, exhibitions, warehouses, and factories.  In a careful balance between manufacturing and Volkswagen's extensive marketing scheme, the grounds were peppered with aesthetically-appealing landscaping and buildings as well as with museums, hotels, and restaurants in an attempt to create the "Volkswagen experience."

In Berlin, we spent the next morning at the ITB Berlin, an international trade show.  It's the largest such event and is well-known throughout Europe and the world.  Think job fair times 300,000.

We had an amazing tour of the German Reichstag - their parliamentary building in Berlin.  With an emphasis on transparency, the building boasts a huge glass roof where citizens and visitors alike can always see the happenings in the parliament.

Other visits: Kaiser-Wilhelm Gedachtniskirche (a memorial church - bombed in WWII and left untouched for the memorial), the Brandenburger Tor, Potsdamer Platz, parts of the wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Holocaust Memorial, and a famous shopping hall.

After Berlin, Melodie and I jumped on a bus to Prague.  It was an absolutely stunning city with a bloody history.  The eastern European architecture was definitely different, reminding me of a mix between perhaps European architecture and Central American colors (light blue, green, pink, etc.).  It might just tie with Barcelona for favorite city.  We went to an absolutely amazing brass quartet and organ concert (the organist was unbelievable!), enjoyed some typical Czeck food (dumplings, sauerkraut), and saw some truly stunning buildings, sights, etc.  Success!