Last Full Day – Walking Tour of Central Berlin

Our last full day. We did a walking tour of central Berlin, including some Third Reich sights, such as the memorial to the 1933 Nazi book-burning in the Beberplatz in front of Humboldt University. Gabe brought the memorial by Micha Ullman alive for us, explaining its symbolism and imagery. The famous words by Heinrich Heine are engraved on it as well, “Where they burn books, they ultimately burn people.”

We visited the German Historical Museum (to which many returned) and we learned about artist Käthe Kollwitz: Her moving sculpture “Mother and her dead son” presides over the war memorial. We were free for the afternoon and went our own ways, some to the Christmas markets, some to the Historical Museum and some to the Emil Nolde art museum.

Our last evening in Germany was one that will be indelibly imprinted on everyone. Gabe created something very, very special. The entire group was invited to his flat for dinner and a cabaret performance. The food was Italian (and some Brazilian) – absolutely top-notch, delicious, incredible – one course after another of simply wonderful, flavorful, marvelous dishes. Just when we thought we were done, more food came — and all of it was so good, we couldn’t resist! We met Tania, another Earthbound guide, who will be taking the next WPR group around Italy. She was terrific and full of personality, providing some info and description of all the great food (and pouring liberal quantities of Prosecco.)

Gabe set the stage as we entered his East Berlin building, with some remarks about Berlin in the 20s and house concerts/cabaret performances. We still had no inkling, though, of what was to come– the singer and pianist (the band is called Princessin Hans) http://www.princessinhans.de/ were really talented, a bit edgy and thoroughly captivating and entertaining. We LOVED it.

After that, I sang and played a little Christmas song, and group members Ruth Williams and Carl Stehling played a song they wrote for Gabe. We had a couple of sing-alongs at the very end (including Hans) and eventually made our way back to the Ubahn uplifted and exhilarated by this powerful climax of the tour.

It was a magical night; an unforgettable night.