Europe Recap: Berlin Marathon Expo

Continuing tradition, while we are on vacation this year, I'm sharing some photos and details from last year's trip. Last year, you got to see China while we were in Europe. This year, you get to see Europe while we are in India! 

The primary reason for our trip in 2013 beginning in Berlin was for the marathon.

Part of me wants to do all the World Majors marathons, and Berlin is one of them.  I've now done 4, but since I started my quest to do all 5, they've added another (Tokyo), so now I need to run that one as well as London if I'm going to do them all.  Still an idea I'm considering.

I don't have tons of Berlin expo photos, but it was great. 

This Brooks guy was real!  He creeped a lot of people out, it was very funny:

BMW was the race sponsor, yet another reason I liked the race: 

 

Unfortunately, no photos of the overall expo.  The outdoor part was cool, with some stands selling beer and pretzels, which made it more fun than your average expo for the non-running spouse who might accompany you.  I liked the pretzels! 

An official race vehicle spotted the night before:

 

So I posted my race recap last year, but I spent about 2 or 3 hours the day after the race in line.  This was the line:

Filled with runners, all heading to the Adidas store:

Why?  Something called mi time:

In our race packets, we got these plastic yellow Adidas bracelets (like the LiveStrong ones).  And if you went after the race (and stood in line for hours), they'd burn your race time into yours!

Far and away one of the coolest race souvenirs ever (obviously, one million times cooler since I PR'ed, not sure I would have waited for a non-PR time): 

 

Europe Recap: Berlin Eats

Continuing tradition, while we are on vacation this year, I'm sharing some photos and details from last year's trip. Last year, you got to see China while we were in Europe. This year, you get to see Europe while we are in India! 

One downside to doing these posts a year later is that I don't remember what it all was.  All I can say is I ate well in Berlin!

I was trying to be very careful in advance of the marathon.

I remember these dumplings well, OMG.

And this was at a little cafe right by our hotel, I had the feeling it was insanely healthy, given the lentils and veggies, but at the same time, it was something I could happily eat again and again:

My husband's currywurst I believe.  He was not very impressed.  This restaurant was somewhat overpriced and near the Brandenburg Gate (basically across from the Embassy):

I couldn't tell you exactly what this was, kind of like a potato pancake -- not overly impressive:

 

 The veggies in my dish were really good:

Another "connection to prior year's trip" photo:

Lots of Italian restaurants fed pasta-hungry runners the night before the marathon, the one our group chose had a special menu:

I got the penne arrabiata, but "light on the arrabiata" -- this was one of those awesome restaurants where we didn't have to go through the awkward "do you speak English?" thing, instead, we just spoke Italian, which was all we needed with the owner and with our waiter!

 

 After the marathon, we went for pizza and beer, plus tomato soup and dessert for me:

(Sorry, turn your head...):

The morning after the marathon, my husband got his favorite breakfast ever, granola, fruit and yogurt, again at the cafe right by our hotel: 

But the granola had nuts, so I opted for a cheese plate for breakfast.  Hey, I ran 26.8 miles the day before!

 

Europe Recap: Other Berlin

Continuing tradition, while we are on vacation this year, I'm sharing some photos and details from last year's trip. Last year, you got to see China while we were in Europe. This year, you get to see Europe while we are in India! 

If all goes according to plan, when you read this post, we'll be at the Taj Mahal! 

Here are some other parts of Berlin.

Templedrom:

The US embassy, right by the Brandenburg Gate:

Can anyone translate the top of this sign?

An old train station gate: 

Alexanderplatz:

Churches, one of my favorite things to visit on any trip, anywhere:

Alexanderplatz:

 

Europe Recap: Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

Continuing tradition, while we are on vacation this year, I'm sharing some photos and details from last year's trip. Last year, you got to see China while we were in Europe. This year, you get to see Europe while we are in India! 

While it's easy to go to Europe and just have fun, I feel very strongly that when you are in a country that had a concentration camp, it is very important to visit it.  That is how we ensure that we never forget, and that history never repeats itself. 

While in Berlin, we went to a new-to-me concentration camp, Sachsenhausen, which was at Oranienburg.  It was my husband's first time touring a camp.  Not easy or pleasant, but so important.

The first arrivals at Sachsenhausen were Polish Jews on Sept. 13, 1939.  The Nazis had prepared for this by spreading the lie that these captives were Polish Jews who had killed Germans in Bromberg, just after the outbreak of the war. 

Thus, when the first transport arrived at Oranienburg station, a crowd of people, men and women, including children, were waiting to see them.  The spectators chanted "Kill the Bromberg murderers, kill the Polish snipers."  They threw stones, bits of wood, nails, and dung from the street at the captives. 

So much suffering on this land.  Oranienburg and Sachsenhausen concentration camps, and then a Soviet Special Camp:

The Camp Commandant's house:

A small memorial park outside the camp's main gate:

The Sachsenhausen Camp's main entrance: 

Inside the camp, the gravel rectangular plots were barracks:

The perimeter:

Another view of the markings of the original barracks:

A restroom inside one of the few preserved barracks:

Bunks:

A picture I took given the Shanghai connection to the prior year's vacation:

The camp prison:

Execution posts:

A memorial in the camp:

Indicating the nationalities of the victims who died there:

The shooting/execution pit:

Others' words are better:

The text is in the photo below (which I unfortunately don't know how to rotate): 

 

 

No more words.