My German Odyssey 1989 Part 6

We flew back to Berlin with a 13 year old Amanda and an eleven year old Jess. It was an exciting time for the girls as neither one had been to a country where English wasn’t the first language. We had also decided to try to get them to live eating German foods. Amanda wasn’t sure she liked the idea, but she was game. Jess however, was still at an age where she didn’t like to eat anything but chicken McNuggets and French Fries. In the end the girls found that the various wursts could make a good meal and like me, they fell in love with the Semmel (also known as Schrippen, and in the US known as rolls), and the yummy goodies. So no one starved.
We started off by showing them around Berlin We drove out to Spandau with them and had lunch in the restaurant there.


Spandau Prison was where 7 prisoners were housed after the Nuremberg Trials. The most famous prisoner was Rudolph Hess.

We went to the Dahlem Museum, saw the Siegesaule (Victory Column), We went over to the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichtag, the Wall, Check Point Charlie Museum and the Berlin Zoo. We decided to walk the girls through the Tier Garten where many nude sunbathers were sprawled and see who noticed first. Amanda noticed right away, but Jess walked along oblivious to all for quite a while until all of a sudden…She nearly shrieked, with 11 year old indignation.
We took Amanda and Jess grocery shopping where the girls were fascinated with all the differences in German vs America grocery stores. Of course now in 2006 the only difference is the food you find in the stores. Germany has evolved with a large frozen food section, pre-made meals and lots of junk food. I’m not entirely sure if this is a good thing.
We did some cooking at the flat, and the girls helped. Most memorable was making spaghetti sauce from scratch. Something that I wasn’t particularly skilled at, at the time.
The Cafe Fest street fair occurred and we went to that. Oh my goodness. The beer, the kaisersmarren, the crepes, and the wursts! (This is where I started to really put on weight!)
The girls loved to go out and shop and we ate many lunches out at Imbiss stands. Amanda particularly like the Curry Wurst with Pomme Frites, and even learned how to go to the closest Imbiss and order that in well practiced German. Jess liked the Pomme Frites, but didn’t exactly care for the Curry Wurst.
Amanda and Jess enjoyed taking the S-bahn (surface trolley) and the U-bahn (subway) around town. They learned how to get their tickets from the machine and I swear understood the exchange rates better than I did.
We went shopping a lot and each girl bought post cards and gifts for their friends at home. It was an exciting time for them and for us as we shared a new world with them.

4 thoughts on “My German Odyssey 1989 Part 6”

  1. Hey, I’m playing catch up but it’s a good read. I have not been to Berlin since 1973!

    My son was there last year. A lot different now I suppose since the place is the capital city again. They should have left it in Bonn. Berlin really isn’t the “historical” capital city of Germany. That notion is as fanciful as a Wagner opera, and cost us tax payers a fortune.

    As for Germany evolving since your last visit. Well, both my sons live on frozen pizza from Aldies!

  2. The Partnerin was envious that I had been to KaDeWe and she had not. Nowadays the real shopping is happening in the former East around Friedrichstrasse and some around the Hackescher Markt.

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