Friday August 1, 2008 Berlin
It was a hot day in Berlin today, we drove the van to the former east side of Berlin, parking on Dorothy (Dorotheenstrasse) Street and walked to the Pergamom museum on the Museeum Insel (museum island). The current exhibit (incorporating the Ishatar Gate) was called Babylon, Reality and Myth. The Ishtar Gate is the first thing to walk through entering the exhibit. I could've stayed there all day looking at the blue, gold, white glazed tiles, relief lions and dragons. The myth side of the exhibit was a smattering of contemporary and older art dealing with the concept of 'babylon', not the myths that the ancient babylon might've had.We then went to the Altes Museum and the Egyptian Museum (Queen Nefertiti). We played in the fountain in front of the Egyptian Museum because it was SO HOT!We drove to Checkpoint Charlie and the Topography of Terror outdoor museum. Drove past the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column. Had dinner near our hotel and walked down to the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at 10pm while the bell tower was ringing boisterously. A concert started at 10pm, but we would've had to stay for the entire concert (1 hour) so we didn't. Walked home as the rain began to fall. Got ice cream cones and milk for Anna at the corner Ice Cream shop (that has open walls with black/white stripe comfy chairs to sit in.