Berlin, Germany on Foot

In December of 1995 my daughter and I took a trip to Berlin, Germany. (The map shows the apartment building we stayed in for the approximately six weeks we were there.)

Berlin is an amazingly beautiful city and we were so fortunate to be able to visit there. Every day we would take a long walk through the streets surrounding the apartment building we stayed in, exploring and taking in the atmosphere.

We would, generally, head west on Buchsenweg then take a right on Klemkestrase. That building on the corner had a bubble gum machine on the outside of it, all exposed to the weather, yet the gum was still good!

Along our route were neat little shops in mini underground 'malls'. We also found and Aldi's and a Woolworth's for our shopping enjoyment.

We would walk until we came to Brekopfstrase and walk toward the lake. That lake had the most beautiful swans and we would take a loaf of bread to feed them many days. There was one particular swan that the other swans were picking on and they would refuse to let it eat bread, so Candi would make sure to hand pieces of bread directly to that swan, until it had it's fill, before giving any to the others. All the way home on the plane she was quite concerned and upset because she could not bring the lonely swan back to the US with her and was concerned it would starve to death without her!  

We were astounded at the number of families with newborns out shopping with their babies in strollers even though the temperatures were too cold to snow! They simply bundled the babies up warm and put a thick cover up to their chins. No wonder they are so hardy! No wimps there!!!  

Also, we were introduced to Kinder Uberraschung Eggs~ the most wonderful chocolate treat for a child! http://www.kinder-chocolate.com/kinder-eggs.html
http://www.international-chocolates.com/2009/02/01/kinder-surprise-egg-chocolate-uberraschung/
http://www.amazon.com/Kinder-Surprise-24pk-Pack-Canada/dp/B006NL3HKA%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAIXHJPOJ5CSRGZH2A%26tag%3Dbuychecom01-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006NL3HKA

These are hollow chocolate eggs with a tiny toy inside. Many of the toys are mini kits to put together. All are very collectible. We were fortunate to be able to bring a whole case back on the plane. Candi enjoyed munching on one a day for fifty (50) days even after we returned to Toledo, OH.

If you have the option, take a vacation in Berlin and see it all on foot. We did see some by car, and even saw Frankfurt, as that's where our plane arrived and where we ate our first authentic German meal in a beautiful old German restaurant. We were also able to experience the Autobahn first hand along with seeing a small pack of German wolves standing along it. But the best part of the sightseeing was everything we saw on our walks!