Last day in Berlin.

Well this is it, my last hurrah in Berlin. It's been an unbelievable four days here and Berlin is really starting to grow on me. (Even more surprisingly, so is the creepy picture of Andy Warhol in my hotel room.) But, unfortunately for everyone back home, I'm sure I won't shut up about it for quite some time. Well, probably not until March 30th, when I get back from Argentina.

All kidding aside though, it's been an awesome time. This morning I got up and headed out with no real plan in mind. I checked out a church I'd walked by the other day but didn't visit. It was partially destroyed in World War II and was left unrepaired to serve as a reminder to Berliners what happened during those years.

After that I walked up to the Bauhaus Archive, which is a museum dedicated to the Bauhaus movement, a design movement started in the early 1900's. Michelle mentioned it to me and I figured I'd check it out as no other museums in Berlin are open on Mondays. (The museums in Poznan are also closed today, but thus far I don't believe anyone's noticed.)

Bauhaus is apparently about designing things to get the greatest effect from the most simple of means. I'm not exactly sure what that means, but basically think of the more contemporary furniture and buildings today and you'll get the picture. They really don't get into the grand, ornate ways of designing things, so the simpler the better. It was an interesting museum, but as someone who knows little about design, it was really hard to follow what you were seeing.

From there I walked through the Tiergarten and back toward the Brandenburg Gate and Unter den Linden, the main shopping thoroughfare in the eastern part of Berlin. I hadn't bought anything to take home yet, so I figured I'd better start. I grabbed lunch; more sausage, potatoes, sauerkraut and beer, and then headed back for the hotel.

I spent the rest of the time walking the side streets off the Ku'damm near my hotel and finished buying gifts for the better behaved of everyone back home. (Hint: I'll be back in Atlanta in roughly 30 hours so if you want your gift, start sucking up now.)

As much fun as I've had though, I'm ready to come home. Berlin is a great city to visit, but after the few days I've devoted to it, I think I've just about seen everything I've wanted to. I could definitely get used to the lifestyle over here and that is one thing I'll really miss.