Prague, Czech Republic

Today we hopped on the train to Prague. This was our first experience with train travel in Europe, and it was really enjoyable. The train is more comfortable then a bus or a plane. You can get up and walk around and stretch your legs. You get to look at all the scenery with out having to stare at another vehicle. There are no bumps in the road, just the clackety-clack of the rails. Flying is faster, but you miss everything along the way, and you arrive feeling confused and disconnected with your destination. For me, train travel is the best form of transportation ever made.
This trip was also exciting as it was our first trip across what once was "The Iron Curtain". Intellectually, I knew the Czech republic was part of the EU and NATO, and fully westernized but I still wondered if there would be some strange problems at the border. I would have the same nervousness before each successive border, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey. All would end up being easy transitions, I think you never completely lose that nervousness at borders no matter how much you travel.

Well, The Czech Republic is very pretty, and old town Prague is simply amazing. We had never been to a city with a true old town before, and we really spoiled ourselves by visiting Prague first. Cities all over the world are characterized as "The New Prague" and for good reason. It's brightly painted, perfectly preserved 17th century buildings, surrounding cobblestone squares, linked to the 14th century Charles Bridge makes for a magical place.

Berlin, Germany

We were interested to see how the Germans have memorialized WWII. The Holocaust Memorial was particularly moving. The stone columns of varying size clearly resembled gravestones, but with a beautiful yet haunting simplicity. We spent a while walking among the columns, and found that once you get to the center, they reach heights of over 7 feet, thus completely surrounding you.
Berlin has almost no monuments of any kind mentioning WWII. Germany has outlawed any public denial of the Holocaust, and also the sale of any Nazi memorobilia. It stuck me as a city with no history, as if it just rose from the ashes in 1945, and doesnt want to think about anything that happened before then.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall, all Soviet monuments on the east side of the city have been dismantled as well. That makes East Berlin a city trying to erase 50 years of history.
Checkpoint Charlie still stands and there is even a guy dressed as an East German soldier who will stamp your passport for 2 euros.
It can be difficult to tell where the wall once stood. Since East Berlin was so economically backward under communist rule, it's ugly soviet style concrete apartments have been the first buildings to be demolished and replaced by stylish new architecture. Berlin is still a city spread out among many different neighborhoods with empty space, parks, and loads of graffiti in between. Tiegarten Park was wonderful, probably the best major city park for running Ive ever seen.