Hey guys! So yesterday we visited an American cemetery where one of our classmate's great uncle is buried after passing away in the war. Then, the main part of our day consited of traveling and spending time in Mont St. Michel, which is an incredible piece of architecture located in a truly unique position on an island and only accessible when it's surrounding tides permit. Here's some info and pictures about it, but needless to saz I had to conquer my fear of heights to participate in the tour! https://owa.dm.duke.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=8347d477863f408a8f32645f12a30347&URL=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fMont_Saint-Michel. Today, we left France and flew into Berlin on the scariest flight of my life, and possibly one of my scariest experiences ever. I'm already shaking when it comes to planes, but we flew right through the middle of a storm with HEAVY turbulance and lightning striking all around us. We all applauded the captain when he landed us safely!
Upon reaching Berlin, we met up with our tour guide Gabe who has a VERY unique sense of humor and is a huge personality. I know dad has always joked about Germans and how their cars were nicer than their homes, but I was definitely taken aback by the poverty and dilapidation in what was once considered the future center of European growth. With a gray, rainy backdrop similar to Western Pennsylvania, Berlin and it's people cast a much more intimidating spectre compared to the French who simply seemed annoyingly tolerant of us at the worst of times. So far, Berlin is an incredibly interesting city unlike anything that I've ever experienced or could possibly even imagine. Most of the buildings are run down and covered with grafitti. According to Gabe, the problem with Berlin is that it has no middle class. With a 20% unemployment rate There is an overwhelming lower working class but with no work to do. As a result, the East Berlin area in which we're staying has become a haven for the unemployed, college dropouts, druggies, and young hipsters. But, with cheap rent and even cheaper prices to go out and have a good time on the town, it is a paradise for young people trying to take a break from finding their way. When we entered the first floor of our hostel we were greeted with a main room full of young people of all nationalities, and I could see why many students take time off after graduation to travel the world and stay at places like this. Dubstep and club style music blares out of speakers and a 24 hour bar completes the spectacle. As for our rooms, the living quarters are actually very nice and the rooms feel quite secure featuring an electronic lock system and electronically secured lockers for valuables and other belongings.
Tonight, Gabe invited us over to his apartment for dinner. He had his Italian friend and her Brazilian husband over and they cooked us the most delicious authentic Italian dinner I've ever tasted! The previous sentence clearly illustrates the unique cultural makeup of this distinct city, and I can't wait to explore the rest of what it has to offer. After dinner, we were treated to fine wines and a special private concert in Gabe's apartment! His friend Susannah, a local young musician, sang and played guitar for us and sounded almost exactly like Adele! I cannot believe no one has signed her yet but I bought her CD from her and will be bringing it home. The thing that struck me the most about Susannah and this city in general is that the young people don't seem to care about money or superficial things but rather their culture, creative ability, and self-expression which I found very refreshing coming from today's dog eat dog world.
Well, that's all I've got for now. Since nobody here works apparently, all of the bars were packed so most of us just came back to the hostel bar to hang out. Since this is the only computer with Internet access, I need to let some other people use it! Tomorrow we take a foot tour of Berlin with Gabe. I love you all, miss you, and will talk to you soon! -Patrick
