Philosopher Trail

10/31/2013 - Eze, France

Eze is an easy day-trip from Nice, just 20 minutes along the coast by train. My destination was a hiking trail from the beach to the mountaintop. The trail's claim to fame is that the philosopher Nietzsche used to walk along the trail while he was writing Also Sprach Zarathustra in Eze. I put on my headphones and listened to a recording of Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra for the first leg of the climb. Hiking has always been a good idea on this trip. I'd have trouble choosing my favorite path among this, the "Philosopher's Path" in Kyoto, Mt. Fuji, Cappadocia, Cinqueterre, and all the others.

Eze itself is a small, walled medieval town on the mountaintop. There is only one door in and out. I walked through the whole town: mostly just restaurants, art museums, and boutique shops. At the top, there is an "exotic garden" with cacti, agave, and many plants from the Americas. The view is very impressive. I could see well beyond Nice.

Pictured: Hiking through the Chemin de Nietzsche on the way to Eze

Vieux Nice

10/30/2013 - Nice, France

I'm closing in on the last leg of my overseas trip. I last visited France on my way to Amsterdam, in St Malo at the northwest end. Now I'm at the far southeast end. Nice is still very warm. Most people were wearing shorts, and plenty of people were hanging out at the beach. 

The old part of the city ("Vieux Nice") is near the beach and the palace, with charming maze-like streets. I found it easy to get around and find good places to go out. The park (above) was lively, the bars were friendly, and the French were patient as I tried to speak the language. 

Pictured: A fountain in the Promenade du Paillon park, just outside of Vieux Nice

Bookquest: Milan, Italy

10/29/2013 - American Bookshop

Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco

I picked up Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, about three men from Milan who read so many conspiracy theories that they decide to make up one of their own. Eventually, they start getting in trouble with actual secret societies. 

The American Bookshop was the third English-language bookstore I looked for in Milan. The other two had closed. The selection is pretty broad, but the Italian translations are limited: just one shelf for Eco, Dante, Italo Calvino, and a few others.

Madonna on the Mountaintop

10/28/2013 - Manarola, Italy

Manarola is one of the five villages in Cinqueterre, a small mountainous area on the northwest coast of Italy. It is known for having great hiking along the coast and up in the mountains. Each of the five villages has a remote chapel associated with it that can be hiked to from the village. From Manarola, I hiked to the chapel Nostra Signora della Salute in the tiny village of Volastra.

Along the way, I realized that there is huge variety in all the Catholic experiences one can have in Italy. Hiking to the top of the mountain to see a chapel reminds me of someone seeking advice from a  Himalayan guru. Less than two weeks earlier, I had jostled to see the Pope among the crowds at the Vatican. I saw the world's largest cathedral, St. Peter's. And I saw the luxury of the historic Church in Florence. Italy has options for whatever inspires you: cheering crowds, the Pope, ancient history, massive wealth, or remote mountaintop chapels.

Pictured: View of the village Manarola on the way down from Volastra

Fashion City

10/27/2013 - Milan, Italy

After history-loaded Rome and Florence, Milan felt like a real contemporary city. I first headed to some of its historic sights: the Cathedral downtown and the world's most famous opera house, La Scala. Outside of La Scala, there is a statue of Leonardo da Vinci. 

But besides these few historic sights, most of what I saw in downtown Milan was like Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Lots of shopping, with all the famous Milan fashion brands (some I recognized, many I didn't).

Pictured: Milan's central shopping mall, Galleria Vittorio Emaneule II, between the cathedral and La Scala.

Hollow Church

10/26/2013 - Florence, Italy

The massive Duomo (cathedral) in the center of Florence is mostly empty. That's unusual for churches in Europe. Usually you can walk in and sit down if you want to pray.

Walking to the front of the cathedral, you can look up and see a painting on the ceiling above the altar. Going back outside, you can buy a ticket to walk up the 400+ stairs for a closer look at the painting and a panoramic view of the city. It's a nice view. 

Pictured: Florence's cathedral, see the people in the background for scale.

Faith through Luxury

10/25/2013 - Florence, Italy

Today, I visited the famous Uffizi Museum. It is one of the world's best, with Botticelli's famous The Birth of Venus, many paintings of Raphael, the crowd favorite Nano Morgante, and many more. That would have been enough art for the week, but I also went to the Galleria della Accademia in the afternoon to see Michelangelo's David. 

Florence's Christian art seemed even more luxurious than Rome's. In depictions of the holy family, they are surrounded by gold. The wealthy commissioners of the paintings are sometimes shown along with the holy family (presumably, so they could get a portrait done with their gift to the church). Some paintings of the saints at the Galleria della Accademia were only used to show off the guild halls (for example, a painting of St Laurence with a banner of the bakers' guild seems to honor the guild more than St Laurence). 

Pictured: Cellini's statue of Perseus in Piazza della Signoria, with a replica of David in the background

Bookquest: Florence, Italy

10/24/2013 - B&M Bookstore

The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici by Christopher Hibbert

I picked up a history of the Medici family in Florence. The staff recommended it: a great story with powerful characters, dramatic story, etc. I don't know much about the Medicis, so I was happy to pick it up.

The bookstore had one of the best selections of the trip. I saw history, biography, classics, and contemporary books all on Florence. I had expected to pick up Room with a View, but the staff seemed so knowledgeable and interesting that I went ahead with their recommendation. 

The Pope and the Museums

10/23/2013 - Vatican City

Seeing the Pope's weekly address was challenging. I arrived 90 minutes early, but it was already very crowded. It didn't seem to matter that I had a ticket, but I wouldn't have been surprised if everyone actually did have a ticket: mine was number 36,861. I stayed long enough to see Pope Francis appear and wave to the crowds from his jeep. I left early to get a head-start on the museums.

I only saw the suggested highlights of the Vatican Museums, which still took me almost three hours. One of the first stops was a view of the Vatican Gardens, where the retired Pope Benedict XVI resides. Inside, the museum was full of sculpture, paintings, tapestries, and more priceless objects. I had favorites: I liked the room with statues for all the Muses, the gallery of maps, fifty-five small rooms for contemporary art, and of course, the Sistine Chapel. 

Pictured: One of the contemporary pieces in the Vatican Museums, Mary and John at the cross

Bookquest: Rome, Italy

10/22/2013 - Fetrinelli International

Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar

In Rome, I got Memoirs of Hadrian, an imagined series of letters from the Roman Emperor Hadrian to his successor, Marcus Aurelius. It's been on my radar for a while, so I was happy to pick it up in Rome.

The bookstore is pretty well stocked for contemporary English language literature and nonfiction. There were even sections for classics and drama in English. I was hoping to get a copy of Marcus Aurelius, but no luck. There was a section for Italian authors, including Calvino, Machiavelli, Marco Polo, Umberto Eco, and others. But nothing jumped out to me as more Roman than Memoirs of Hadrian.

Bookquest: Vatican City

10/22/2013 - The Vatican Book Shop

Lumen Fidei by Pope Francis

I picked up Pope Francis's first encyclical, Lumen Fidei in the Vatican Book Shop. I've been meaning to read it, and even though it's easily available online, this seemed like it would give me another push to read it.

The Vatican Book Shop has mostly prayer books and Bibles, as you'd probably expect. There is also a section for English-language art books and tour books. I was surprised why what wasn't there. Pope Benedict's book Jesus of Nazareth wasn't there, and there weren't any histories on the Catholic Church. 

Window into Heaven

10/22/2013 - Vatican City

I took an official tour of St. Peter's Basilica, the largest Catholic cathedral. The tour group was small: me, two Catholics from India, two Orthodox Romanians living in Australia, and our English guide. She was patient and welcoming as she explained the plaza outside St. Peter's and inside the basilica. One of the architects, Bernini, had designed St. Peter's to be a "window into heaven." It was one of the best experiences of the trip. 

St. Peter's would have been enough to make a great day, but I had a pretty full afternoon also. I saw touristy Rome: the Trevi Fountain seen in La Dolce Vita, the gelato shop from Roman Holiday, the Pantheon, and the site where Julius Caesar was murdered. It was a good part of Rome for aimless wandering. I eventually ended up walking along the Tiber River before heading out for the nightlife.

Pictured: A small piece of art in St. Peter's

From Caesar to Marcus Aurelius

10/21/2013 - Rome, Italy

A big section of Rome is essentially an unearthed archaeological dig. I spent the morning there, walking through the ruins of the Palatine Hill and the Forum. Those ruins include a temple to Julius Caesar, the home of Augustus, and much more. Next to the Palatine Hill is the Colosseum. I visited the Colosseum next. It has a few small museum exhibits inside: one explains its history, and another showed some small pieces from board games found in the Colosseum. 

From the Colosseum, I walked past the Arch of Constantine, got some lemon gelato, walked down the Circus Maximus park, saw the Bocca della Verita, and finally made it to the statue of Marcus Aurelius in Piazza del Campidoglio. It was a good, full day.

Pictured: View of the Ancient Roman Forum

Palace or Beach

10/19/2013 - Split, Croatia

Split was relaxing after pushing myself through Central Europe. It was one of those days where the big questions are: do I want to get coffee here at the beach, or wait until I get to the palace? I spent most of the day at the palace, chatting with other tourists, getting lost in the ancient streets, and stopping for street food. Dinner was right outside an ancient Temple of Jupiter.

The palace was also alive at night. During my evening visit, I heard live music in the main square before heading to the cafes and bars. This might have been the most self-indulgent day of the trip: nothing to do except go to the beach and get drinks in a 1600 year old palace.

Pictured: Split's waterfront, with the palace at left (behind the palm trees)

Travel Surprises

10/18/2013 - Split, Croatia

So far on my trip, most things have gone according to plan. Today, I felt off balance as I seemed to encounter one surprise after the other. At breakfast, I bit into what I thought was a sweet cheese strudel, but instead there was a lukewarm hot dog inside. Later, when I got to Zagreb's train station for my trip to Split, I saw that I'd be spending five hours on a bus instead of a train. When I finally arrived in Split, the apartment I had reserved was unavailable. So the owners picked me up and took me down some dark alleys to another place. The new place was fine, except I had to follow specific directions about turning off the water heater so I wouldn't get electrocuted in the shower.

The day's biggest surprise came at the end. It was a good one, and something I should have seen coming. I hadn't done much research on why I was supposed to visit Split; I just thought it was just a beach destination. It turns out, there's a major UNESCO World Heritage Site: a 4th century Roman palace, filled with cafes, restaurants, and bars. Nice!

Pictured: Diocletian's Palace in Split

No Must-Sees

10/17/2013 - Ljubljana, Slovenia

Everything I had read about Ljubljana told me that there aren't any must-sees in Ljubljana. That was good; I had made a mistake and didn't have much time in the city. I had hoped to see the country's famous caves, but it didn't work out. So instead I walked from the train station to the center of town: a small square and a river walk. 

It's common to see signs in English, even in remote Slovenia. Ljubljana's town center had many touristy restaurants, all advertising in English. I had an Italian cannoli, Ljubljana beer, and a Thai dish before seeing the castle and heading back to the train station.

Pictured: View of the Ljubljana River and a statue on the bridge.

Bookquest: Zagreb, Croatia

10/16/2013 - Skolska Knjiga

Our Man in Iraq by Robert Perisic

Our Man in Iraq is a novel about a Croatian journalist whose cousin disappears in the Iraq war. I thought it would be interesting to get a perspective on recent world history from Croatia, whose own history is moving pretty quickly.

The bookstore Skolska Knjiga in Zagreb's main square had a couple shelves of English language literature, including many of a series "The Best of Croatian Literature" (Our Man in Iraq is part of this series). 

Ancestral Homeland

10/16/2013 - Zagreb, Croatia

Some of my ancestors are Croatian, so I was eager to see the nation's capital, Zagreb. I used the same plan I've been using to introduce myself to a city: "choose a landmark, walk to it, and find interesting things along the way." I first walked to the cathedral and saw prayers written on the wall in the old Croatian alphabet. From there, I walked through a market, through a few parks and plazas, and up to the upper half of the old town. 

In the old town, I first stopped at the celebrated Museum of Broken Relationships. From the museum, I walked to Zagreb's government buildings and the center of Old Zagreb, St. Mark's Square. The brightly tiled St. Mark's Church prompted a cheer of "Kawaii!" (cute!) from a Japanese tourist. From St. Mark's, I walked a few blocks to get a view of the city. In the evening, I passed a statue of Nikola Tesla on my way to the bars and cafes of Zagreb. The city made a good first impression; it is lively and easygoing.

Pictured: View of Zagreb's cathedral (at left, under restoration), and more of the skyline.

Hundertwasserhaus and KunstHausWien

10/15/2013 - Vienna, Austria

My last day in Vienna, I took an easy day and enjoyed the city's cafe culture. By now, my German is good enough that I could actually order coffee and pay for it in German. That's a payoff from fifth grade or so; I learned how to order coffee in German long before I ever actually wanted to drink coffee. Besides coffee at the art museum, I saw the Ferris wheel from The Third Man at the carnival grounds and checked out the unique apartment building, the Hundertwasserhaus. 

I left Vienna wishing I had more time there. I had planned to visit mostly for the classical music history, but there's much more to the city than that. 

Pictured: The KunstHausWien museum in Vienna. 

The Third Man

10/14/2013 - Vienna, Austria

After all the trains the last few days, I took a slow day in Vienna. After my chores, my first stop was a park, the Stadtplatz. It had statues of many Viennese musicians that I hadn't seen earlier: Johann Strauss, Schubert, Bruckner. Also, just outside the Stadtplatz, I finally saw Beethoven at Beethovenplatz.

The main event of the afternoon was a themed tour of Vienna. The theme was the famous British film The Third Man. Our guide explained the history of the city, and he pointed out locations from the film. It gave me a better appreciation for the city. Hearing Vienna's history in World War II and the Cold War was another reminder that we live in a time of unprecendented peace and prosperity. 

Pictured: One of the sewers of Vienna, as seen in The Third Man

Quirks of Bratislava

10/13/2013 - Bratislava, Slovakia

Bratislava is a quick day trip from Vienna. I had no expectations. I went into the country thinking that I would try to see at least as much of Bratislava as I saw of Luxembourg, and that I could just walk around enjoying the view. So far, Central Europe's fall colors have been pretty impressive.

If I had to put a single word on Slovakia, it would be "quirky." I walked from the train station to the city center across the "UFO bridge." The old town of Slovakia didn't look very old; I guessed that much of it had been redone to look old in the last few years. Throughout the old town, there were odd statues of non-Slovaks: a Napoleonic soldier, Hans Christian Andersen, etc. 

Pictured: Most SNP, the "UFO" bridge

Autumn and Szilard

10/12/2013 - Budapest, Hungary

I rushed through Budapest: I went to Parliament, across the bridge from Pest to Buda, up to the castle, and back to the train station. I snuck in a few small stops along the way. I found a good place for goulash, and I picked up a book. The city looked nice; the trees on the Buda hills had all the colors of autumn.

My last small stop, not far from the train station, was the childhood home of Hungarian scientist Leo Szilard. He was one of the first to conceive of the atomic bomb and how it could be a deterrent to war. His home is now a dormitory for music school students, with a plaque to commemorate him outside. I was disappointed that Ronald Reagan gets a prominent statue, but there's not much for Leo Szilard.

Pictured: Budapest's Ronald Reagan statue, with Parliament in the background

Bookquest: Budapest, Hungary

10/12/2013 - Bestsellers

My Happy Days in Hell by Gyorgy Faludy

I picked up My Happy Days in Hell in Budapest. It's an autobiography from a poet who saw a lot of World War II: he flees Hungary for Paris, then Paris for North Africa, then North America for military service, and back to Europe for the war. 

Most of the translated Hungarian fiction at Bestsellers had unhappy sounding titles: you can see in the picture "tragedy" and "sinister." I wondered if this was because Hungarians only wrote miserable stories, or because English-reading audiences only cares to read about Hungarian misery. 

Mozart Wins

10/11/2013 - Vienna, Austria

I fit a lot of Vienna into a single rainy day, since most of the previous day was spent on trains leaving Poland. I started in the Hofburg, the Habsburg palace in the city center. It's huge; I visited at least four parks inside it. The parks were nice enough that I didn't even bother going in any of the buildings. I passed the old congress building, the national library, and some impressive museums. After the palace, I saw today's Parlement, several huge churches, a house where Freud once lived, and others. 

I was happy to stroll through the city that was the center of classical music. Unsurprisingly, Mozart is everywhere: his statue is in one of the palace gardens, and his image is on many souvenirs. The surprise was that I didn't see any evidence of other famous Viennese musicians (and there are many). It's like going to Hollywood and only seeing Marilyn Monroe. 

Pictured: The Mozart statue in the palace's Burggarten park

Bookquest: Vienna, Austria

10/11/2013 - Shakespeare and Company

The Kraus Project by Jonathan Franzen

Jonathan Franzen's latest is a collection of translated works by an early 20th century Viennese satirist, Karl Kraus. I'm happy that the timing worked out that I could pick up a copy in Vienna. In this book, Franzen compares Kraus's criticisms of technology and culture in Vienna to Franzen's criticisms of American technology and culture today. 

I was inside Shakespeare and Company for only a couple minutes. I knew what I was looking for, and it was front and center. I could tell that it had a good selection of English language books. In the center were some of the latest big releases, and I also saw plenty of books about Viennese and Austrian history. 

Religion in Krakow

10/9/2013 - Krakow, Poland

Krakow is friendly, fun, and very Catholic. The first Polish pope, Pope John Paul II, is a hero here. He kept showing up as I walked through town. Between his presence and all the Polish people, it reminded me of growing up in Milwaukee.

Aside from the Catholic culture, I explored the city's Jewish history. The main sight of the day was Schindler's Factory. It is now a museum describing the history of Krakow and its Jewish population from 1939-1945 under the Germans. It's tough to get through, and it doesn't even end on a positive note. In the last room, there is a large portrait of Stalin next to a sign that reads, "After 5 years, 4 months and 12 days, the German occupation was over. Krakow was about to enter a new and extremely difficult period in its history." 

Pictured: A statue of John Paul II faces Krakow's Wawel Cathedral.

Bookquest: Krakow, Poland

10/9/2013 - Massolit

Another Beauty by Adam Zagajewski

Another Beauty is a memoir about post-WWII Krakow written by a Polish poet. I had walked through Krakow's beautiful town center to reach the bookstore, so I was looking for a book that could evoke the city's beauty.

The bookstore Massolit was pretty excellent. I didn't expect to have much luck; I had heard, wrongly, that there is very little Polish literature translated into English. Massolit had plenty, and also English-language nonfiction. The staff was also helpful; they spoke English and gave a few recommendations.

Currywurst and Restoration

10/5/2013 - Berlin, Germany

Just about anywhere I could go in Berlin, I would encounter some kind of history. At a festival near my hotel, I walked by the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, damaged in World War II and under restoration. Unlike Dresden's once-damaged Frauenkirche, this church still has visible damage from  the war. It was controversial to restore the Frauenkirche, since it stood as a reminder of the war. I'm not sure if they're fulling restoring the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church or not.

Also at the festival, I finally tried currywurst, the big food stand item in Berlin. I wasn't too impressed, but at least I didn't get sick from it.

Pictured: The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, surrounded by a structure to help with restorations. Also, a currywurst stand.

Dresden Resurrected

10/4/2013 - Dresden, Germany

Dresden was incinerated in World War II, then suffered under the communists with the rest of East Germany. I had expected it to be a depressing visit: a reminder of war and failed government. I was happy to be wrong. Over the last ten years, Dresden has been impressively restored. 

The old part of town has many restored sights, but the new town is also alive. I first stopped at a  festival to eat something called "Dresdner Krauterhandbrot," then headed to the hip Louisenstrasse for the early evening. A good day trip from Berlin.

Pictured: View from Schlossplatz in Dresden

Stasi and Faust

10/3/2013 - Leipzig, Germany

Leipzig was the home of many composers, including Bach, Mendelssohn, and Robert Schumann. It's also where the protests began in East Germany that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

It was strange going back and forth between the two all day: I walked to a museum of West/East German history, then to the cathedral with Bach's grave, then a Stasi Museum, then the cafe that Robert Schumann frequented. I ended the day at a bar called "Mephisto," outside of a restaurant where Goethe set a scene of the classic Faust. 

Pictured: The wall at the Stasi Museum, a former headquarters for the East German secret police.

Bohemian Bureaucracy

10/7/2013 - Prague, Czech Republic

I don't think "bureaucracy" when I think "Bohemia," but bureaucracy was the theme of the day. My first stop was the impressive Prague Castle. I visited the castle's palace, which explained the government's bureaucrats that worked there. As I walked through the palace, I saw the old "Land Roll" books that were used to keep track of who owned what. There were hundreds of them, labeled with numbers on their artistic bindings. As far as bureaucracies go, it was an aesthetic one. 

Later in the day, I visited my favorite sight in Prague, the Franz Kafka Museum. It's very thematic: dark, with ambient machinery noises that evoke an existential bureaucratic nightmare. A highlight was the room that explained Kafka's career with the Worker's Accident Insurance Institute.

Pictured: View of Prague from Prague Castle 

Bookquest: Prague, Czech Republic

10/6/2013 - Kanzelsberger

Disturbing the Peace by Václav Havel

Disturbing the Peace is a series of essays by playwright-turned-heroic-politician Václav Havel. I've been meaning to read more about Havel, whose life and work sounds pretty amazing. This was recommended as an introduction.

Kanzelsberger is one of many bookstores in Wenceslas Square. It has a large English language section in its basement, with plenty of Czech authors translated into English. Kafka and Kundera are both well-represented. I also saw the science fiction book by the author who invented the word "robot" (I didn't realize he was Czech).

Pursued by Bagpiper

10/6/2013 - Prague, Czech Republic

Prague was described to me as Europe's best kept secret: a beautiful, inexpensive old city with good food, culture, etc. The secret is definitely out; even in October, Prague was swarmed with tourists. Regardless, it's popular for a reason. It really is a beautiful old city. And fortunately, since there's so much to see, I never felt too crowded.

I arrived in the afternoon and walked through the main attractions: Wenceslas Square, the Old Town Square, and the Charles Bridge. I must have been moving at the same pace as one of the wandering street performers, since I saw the same man playing his bagpipes at both the squares. Just before sunset, I reached the Jewish Quarter, then stopped back at the Old Town Square for a Czech dinner.

Pictured: The Spanish Synagogue in Prague's Jewish Quarter.

Unter den Construction

10/2/2013 - Berlin, Germany

I did the touristy walk along the famous Unter den Linden street, from Brandenburg Gate to Alexanderplatz today. It was very nice, like walking from the Supreme Court to the Potomac River in Washington D.C. Some of the historic walk looked like it was being renovated. 

There are historic and international reminders all along the way. First, there are the historic Reichstag and churches. There are newer embassy buildings flying American, French, and Russian flags. There is public artwork: the "Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe" sits close to the U.S. Embassy. The restaurants celebrate history, like "Berlin Moscow" and "DDR Restaurant." Most amusing, I saw many advertisements for a new musical about lovers from across the Berlin Wall (it looks like a cross between Grease and Pyramus and Thisbe). 

Pictured: Looking east down Unter den Linden

Bookquest: Berlin, Germany

10/2/2013 - Dussmann das KulturKaufhaus

Berlin Blues by Sven Regener

The staff recommended Berlin Blues, a recently translated book about a lazy young man whose life is shaken up when the Berlin Wall falls and he meets a beautiful woman, etc. It was recommended when I asked for something about Berlin, but not about the Nazis.

The KulturKapfhaus has a large English language section, with many new releases. The two bookstores I had visited earlier were limited to books about World War II, with maybe a few on the Berlin Wall. The KulturKapfhaus had books on World War II, the Berlin Wall, its aftermath, and plenty on Germany before World War II, all in English. It had a section of translated books by German authors. There were even recent graphic novels in English: a German history called Berlin Chronicles: A City Divided and an adaptation of the latest Cannes Palme d'Or Winner, Blue Is the Warmest Color.

Four Berlins

10/1/2013 - Berlin, Germany

I was excited to see Berlin. Even though I arrived close to sunset, I still made it out to see some of its famous history. First, I was greeted by a reminder of Germany's election, just a few days ago. A massive poster of the famous "Merkel diamond" filled the side of a building outside of the train station. 

On the way to my hotel, I passed the day's oldest piece of German history, the 19th century Victory Column (Siegessäule). In the evening, I saw the 20th century: a few pieces of the Berlin Wall that are still standing, and finally the site of the "Führerbunker" where Hitler spent his last days in World War II. Altogether, that's 4 periods of Berlin's history in a short night walk. 

Pictured: The first sight I saw as I exited the main Berlin train station: a CDU poster.