Spring 2001--where to go over the three day Easter weekend? We had heard that Berlin was becoming a hot tourist destination and the only non-stop flight from the US was from Dulles Airport. Arriving on Good Friday, the weather was hardly tourist friendly. When it wasn't drizzling, the snow flakes flew. Nonetheless, umbrellas in hand we set off to explore.

Symbols of the divided city were few but attracted tourist like us. There are only four section of the 'Wall' remaining and we walked to longest, one-mile stretch. The is a museum at a building near Check Point Charlie. Inside the tiny house are many relics. No not Judie, she's just standing in front of one.

Our hotel was on a pretty square with a subway stop outside the door. Very efficient, we travelled all around town and, of course, to the flea market. We couldn't pass by the unusual food stand.

The more usual tourist sites were on our itinerary too, like the Brandenburg Gate. The Reichstag has become a major visitor center with its contemporary mirrored dome. Berlin also has some world class museums. Charlotte's old palace (or schloss) is representative of the 19th century royalty. The new Jewish Museum was not yet open but its building is quite unusual. But there is nothing quite like the Pergammon Musuem. With the Ishtar Gates from Bablylon, a visitor can walk the entire square ofsquare of the ancient city of Pergammon.

The overall impression is that Berlin is a city of contrasts, but this was no more evident than the shop near the hotel. Directly above a chocolate shop that's been there for nearly 150 years, we spotted--well check it out for yourself.