I love Berlin.

 Berlin was awesome.
I can't get over the Wall.  I mean, we went to Checkpoint Charlie and the information there just blew my tiny mind.
The Allies win the war and then the carve up Berlin with the Soviets and boom: families are torn apart and life as Berliners stuck in the East knows it is totally and radically changed to the extent that people would risk their lives to get over the Wall.
Hey, perhaps if you build a wall around a portion of a country and people are risking death to escape it, maybe your politics are just a little bit off.  I'm not saying Capitalism works, because in its current bastardized form it doesn't, but nor does Communism seem to work either.  I mean, if you have to build a very intensive wall resplendent with anti-vehicle construction and which you police with dogs around your "conquest" to keep people from escaping?  Maybe your idealism is really rather misplaced.  East Berlin was essentially a giant jail: it was very sad to read about how the city was carved up and how the residents that just happened to be living in that arbitrary location suffered.
Anyways, Berlin was wonderful.  The people were so friendly.  Every time we opened a map someone came over to help us.  Our hotel (the Circus) was totally brilliant: we had an amazing buffet breakfast for 8 euro a night; they were into the vegan, organic scene; they are ideally situated next to transit; their staff was wonderful and exceptional. 
We ended up at B Flat for two nights running, before checking out a heavy metal bar (that was highly recommended by our hotel). The bar was run by a guy that was originally from San Fran via NYC which was pretty crazy.  And naturally we ended up sharing our table with a couple of guys from the Vancouver area.  I mean, really?  Anyways, the burgers were great, but what's with the conversation skills of Vancouverites these days?  #lacking
We went to Potsdam and visited Park Sanssouci, which was very epic and sprawling and amazing.  It's interesting to think that Berlin was like Paris in the early 1900's, and then they made some rather epically bad choices and ultimately their city was destroyed, and yet there are still amazing pockets of history there.
After visiting the park went in search of Mendelsohn's Einsteinturm  naturally.
Michael has pointed out that I have been photographed in front of a lot of very significant buildings which is valid: Mies; Corbusier; Wright; and now Mendelsohn.  But I've got to say that the Einsteinturm building was totally amazing.  I just loved it.  It was - it is - such a beautiful and organic and artistic and wonderful thing to behold.  We got totally lost trying to find it and it was just so worth it.  I love the great architects, but the Einsteinturm bypasses all of the greats that I've seen thus far, including Robie House.
This was our last day in Berlin, and to cap it off we went to Gorki Park Restaurant which was simply and absolutely sublime.  Not only was it one of the highlight meals of my trip to Europe, it was one of the best meals I've had ever.
Anyways, the next day we left.
Boo.