Germany...Where everybody (can pronounce) my name

What can I say? Is this really my life? This time last year, even this time 3 months ago I was slaving away in 'pharmaceutical organisation' thinking the time to break out would never come. Here it is, and I am absolutely, positively, without a doubt in LOVE with Germany. It is magic.

Berlin, Berlin, Berlin. If I could manage to actually learn German someday, I might forgo my dream of England and move there. The culture and history is vast and fantastic; they've done a surprisingly great job of commemorating their past (good and bad) and intrigrating technology and current events into the city. I actually stayed in East Berlin, and this probably sounds naive, but I really didn't want to. I wasn't aware of how Berlin would actually be 20 years after reunification and the thought of getting 'stuck' on the east did occur to me more than once. Turns out, East Berlin is the Berlin to be in. I was a few minutes walk from all the sites and hardly even ventured into the west despite living there for 4 days. The wall, of course, was heartbreaking and kind of magical all at once. The stories of desperation that you hear about people crossing the wall; the stealth and precision of the German/Soviet population in creating the wall...it's all awe-inspiring, for different reasons.
Friday, I made my way to Sachenshausend (which I cannot pronounce or spell) concentration camp. I decided to go with a tour group in case the sights were too much for me. Those of you who know me well, know my obsession with the Holocaust and also my utter inability to make it through the DC museum intact. I did it though! This camp was a work camp, which in no way undermines the shear amount of death and destruction that occured, but it does make for an easier transition into the dark sights. Most of the camp was destroyed post liberation by Soviet troops who then used the camp for their own prison in a very ironic sort of way. Some structures are still intact, and the museum people have done a great job restoring other parts and memorializing the camp and its inhabitants. I placed a stone on a barrack memorial (for me and for you, Lizzle).
I met a couple of people at my second hostel in Berlin and was actually able to go out Friday night. Irish pub for a few strongbows and Karaoke. I love German karaoke. The thick German accent is adorable coming from a bunch of drunks!
I am now in Cologne Germany for about another hour. I came to Cologne as an easy stop over on the train and to see the sights--- Chocolate Museum. Hershey Park still wins in my opinion. Next I'm off to Munich.
Last night, however, I ventured out on my own around 9 30 and ended up in front of the massive Dom Cathedral sitting on the steps and listening to two guys play guitar and sing Oasis tunes. Definitely magical. I then noticed a bookstore still open on a Sunday night at 10, so I headed over. I bought the cutest little journal, very small--passport size--with parchment-like paper. I wasn't going to keep a journal because I was doing the blog and I didn't want to carry it around, but alas, it was cute and cheap and I gave in.

On a very lame and dorky note- In Copenhagen I picked up Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban from the book pile. I finished it last night and was in a panic as to what I would read next (especially since I really just wanted to read HP forever). Then, to my great amazement, Goblet of Fire was awaiting me in the Cologne hostel book pile. I told you Germany was magical.