June 6, 2007

Photo Gallery

Wednesday was the women's basketball team's final full day in Germany. Tomorrow it's up early and off to the airport for the flight back to Boston. The Bulldogs spent the day touring the German capital of Berlin, where they saw all of the city's major sites, including the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. The team also stopped at Checkpoint Charlie and saw what remains of the Wall that divided the city for 28 years. Sara McCollum provides the penultimate account of the team's experiences.

This morning, our team woke up to its last German breakfast excited to start a day of touring the city of Berlin. Our very own Robert, a native Berliner, provided the narrative for today's adventures, which took us crisscrossing back and forth between areas formerly divided by the Berlin Wall. Everywhere we turned there was a beautiful building, palace or gate to take in, and we just couldn't snap our photos quick enough to keep up!

Our first stop of the tour was the impressive Sholtenburg Palace, an architectural masterpiece more than 300 years old that once housed the royal family of Prussia. Next, we drove through the Tiergarten, the city's largest park, before being greeted by the size 96 feet of the statue of Victoria atop the Victory Column from the 2nd German Reich (And I thought my size 13's were huge!) When we arrived upon the magnificent Brandenburg Gate, now a symbol for the unification of East and West Germany, we were able to get off the bus to get a closer look and to peruse the many souvenir shops.

A highlight of our Berlin tour was our stop at the famous Checkpoint Charlie, the passageway between East and West for non-Germans prior to the fall of the Wall. As the bus tour continued, we were able to look out the window and see parts of the wall that still stand today. It was incredible to see the amount of new construction that the city has undergone to fill the void that once existed because of the Wall.

After our scenic ride, we were allowed some free time to explore the Old Historic district of the city. Many of us took the opportunity to sit down to a relaxing lunch at one of the area's several sidewalk cafes, while some sped away for some more power shopping! All of us found the lovely boutiques and specialty shops very enjoyable, and a nice change of pace from the H&M-lined streets of yesterday.

Our final leg of the journey took us for a brief viewing of the renovated East Side Gallery, where beautiful murals adorn a mile-long stretch of the Wall that still stands.

After an incredible final day in Germany, we're heading off for a special dinner in celebration of our trip. Afterwards, we're looking forward to a memorable night out in the city!

Danke.

-Mac T