Berlin in Motion, Berlin, Germany

Berlin is a lot to handle. Definitely too much for a weekend. But when the weekend is understood to be a simple introduction, Berlin flashes a quick smile with a hasty, "Wie geht's?"

Berlin beckons you to follow it around, showing every bright side and dark corner of itself without blushing.

We did nearly all the main World War II and Cold War sights in one full afternoon sweep. We started at Checkpoint Charlie, took the U-Bahn up to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, walked to the Brandenburg Gate, and finished at the Reichstag.

Checkpoint Charlie is a strange sight. It's very difficult to imagine this open intersection being a border checkpoint where people were regularly forbidden to cross. Now it's a tourist-filled crosswalk with a McDonald's. The sign in four languages serves as the reminder of the balancing act that the Allies tried to achieve. Not much to see, maybe, but the McDonald's does have that ever-elusive free internet connection.

I can't bring myself to visit concentration camps as a tourist. I know the whole concept is an important part of history and humanity, but I don't personally feel like I must see for myself what it was like. I also tend to avoid torture museums and horror movies. It's all down the same alley for me. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).