July 26 - Beginning the Final Chapter

(John) We are snuggled into our own first class compartment, zipping west toward Amsterdam. I'm listening to classical music and writing on my PDA. Gene is working on a puzzle book with his shoes off. This seems an appropriate time to record some final thoughts about Germany and Berlin.

We are traveling along the old east/west rail corridor that the communists allowed western trains to use enroute to Berlin. Of course, this route has obviously been upgraded in the last decade. I'm told the East allowed the West to lease this rail corridor so they could have a regular influx of Western currency. Which sparks my first comment about the Deutsche Bahn, the German rail system: fantastic!

We need a national system like this in the States, or at least regionally in the Pacific Northwest. Thankfully, we have the beginnings due to the Amtrak Cascades which is actually owned by Washington state. The outstanding feature of German trains is the high level of reliability. The system operates with unbelievable precision.

I could use the same superlatives about the U Bahn and S Bahn systems that are the backbone of public transit in German cities. Those rail systems are supplemented by trams and buses. At major bus/tram stops, reader boards update riders about the arrival of the next vehicle, counting down the minutes. I love it. The US should look at Germany as a model for our future.

However, all is not roses in Deutschland. Berlin, more than any other city we saw, was dirty. There was a great deal of graffiti and garbage. Munich was not like that. Berlin's parks and boulevards are ill kept as well. There were no beautiful window boxes and flower baskets as in Munich or along the Rhine. Cigarette butts are everywhere - just like smokers. Weeds fill the parks.

The architecture in Berlin was also lacking significance. The fact that the entire city was leveled by the allies means almost no great buildings were left. Unfortunately, reconstruction took place during the isolation of the Cold War when shipping construction material through the communist East was no doubt expensive. Also, internationally, I believe the decades of the fifties, sixties, and seventies were an architectural wasteland. Therefore, Berlin (east and west) has only recently seen the revival of beautiful architecture.

Thankfully some beautiful old buildings were restored during reconstruction and many new ones are rising. It seems as though the entirety of East Berlin is under construction. At one point we counted no fewer than seventeen construction tower cranes within sight.

Most of the taller buildings are already located in the East - the ubiquitous communist apartment blocks, rows and rows of them, extend to the horizon. But, high-rise office towers were almost completely lacking. Large groupings of skyscrapers seem more a feature of the Americas and east Asia than Europe.

Regarding the people of Germany, I had heard they could tend toward arrogance. I didn't find this to be the case. In large cities people are, as throughout much of the world, more distant and reserved. Munich may be a partial exception to that rule.

In small towns especially the folks are very warm and inviting. In fact, I found that those Germans who lived abroad at some time in their lives were the friendliest. They would initiate conversation more readily.

In the conservative south, the folks impressed me with their discipline and productivity. I can't tell you how many times I saw adults, especially older ones, rushing about as though their lives depended an the quick and efficient completion of a task at hand. Many of the older ladies that assisted or waited on us were rather like a stern but loving mother. I expected finger wagging and reminders about good posture.

Finally, I must comment on the German landscape. The country is far flatter than I expected. Even the mountainous areas of Bavaria are really quite small in the area covered. Most of Bavaria is low rolling hills.

Parts of the central highland region were far more varied in topography. Deciduous forests covered steep hills and shadowed the river valleys. Pine forest was common as well, especially in the central highlands near Leipzig. The north central region strikes me as flat and featureless except for occasional small towns and cities, usually located along a slow moving river.

Overall, I've found a great deal of pleasure in our explorations of Germany. We are coming into Hannover now, I need a shot of coffee and Gene is anxious to write too. Auf wiedersene!

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The trip to Amsterdam went well, and it was very relaxing. This city of canals is very lovely, especially the view from our creaky old hotel. Most buildings are very old and they all lean in one direction or another.

Just a block away there are half-naked ladies occupying windows lit with the expected red lights. I guess that is the way of things in Amsterdam. A couple of them called out to us as we walked by on our way to dinner - talk about barking up the wrong tree!

During the late nineteenth century, Seattle was like this, an open and tolerant town. Yet I felt very safe on the street tonight. Holland is the most densly populated country in Europe, and I really belive that's true. There are people everywhere! On the way into Amsterdam it was one town after another, with occasional farming tracts and canals in between.

Tomorrw we have a day trip to Haarlem on the itinerary.