Sunny Weekend Out

We finally had a sunny Sunday in which to explore the city and actually with an added assignment to take some photos.  A good friend of ours who runs a magazine had asked us to write a story about Berlin.  Things most tourist don't see.  Marty really took the lead and wrote up a great story along with insight of coming her as a child with his family.  Alongside the story there would be photos so after a couple failed attempts due mostly to weather, this Sunday we had time, it was sunny and we finally had the motivation to do it.
We walked up to Gleis 17 - the infamous train track that once took trainloads of people to be killed in the concentration camps.   It is a somber place, especially on a cold winter day imagining the horror that went on there and how the people being loaded like cattle felt when they were there.  There are roses and candles left by family members or others who go and visit and pay their respects.

We then hiked up Teufelsberg, the highest point in Berlin and it is a manmade pile of rubble.  It was once an unfinished Nazi  Military-Technical college that was then covered up and became a US listening station during the Cold War. We had Mogli with us as this is in the Grunewald and part of the largest off leash dog park in Europe.  He had a ball running up ahead of us and coming back and up ahead again and then back.  On our way back down, however, he took off charging. And he is FAST. We had no idea where he went. Our eyes could not keep up with his speed.  Plus he is now exactly the color of the fall, golden leaves.  After calling his name and Josie completely losing her mind having convinced herself that he was lost for good, we came upon a few people walking up the mountain.  They asked what our dog looked like and told us they saw him and another dog chasing the wild pigs.  You see here in Berlin they have tons of Wild Boar that roam free.  *watch the video that is embedded in that link. Kleinmachnow, where this was filmed is about half a mile from our house!!**They are typically quite harmless unless they are with their young or are cornered and I say "quite harmless" but

I would lose my mind if I actually saw one upon my bike ride or walk home from somewhere.  They often run in packs and it sounds like this is what happened and then Mogli and another dog decided to chase them? Try to play with them?  We have no idea.  But he came back after 10 minutes of gruelingly waiting for him and calling his name.  His tongue was out and it was as if he was saying "You have NOOO idea what I just did"

We then hopped a train for the center of the city and our favorite Greek restaurant - Asteria.  Good end to a good weekend.