"Berlin wall. Like, I got a fragment of it in a souvenir shop, but it doesn’t feel special at all. Just some chunk of concrete. With how important it was, you’d think you’d feel something when you stand less than 5 meters away from where it used to be. But, nope."
Kartoffelkamm
The separation and re-unification are part of my childhood and I consider them an essential part of German history. Finding almost no remnants of the wall felt horrible.
After a few visits and 15 years later, I have changed my mind. I understand that for Berliners, a constant reminder of their decade-long separation must be saddening – therefore, they removed nearly all of it. Everyone else (including myself) should respect that. We don't have to live there. :)
as someone from East Germany, I feel like your initial statement. There are many memorials all around the world that remind and warn us of bad times and Berlin would have had the space to keep some of it fully intact incl. the death strips. But everything had to go away. The copper strip does not give the right view of the oppression of the people who were told that the wall protects them.
There are some memorials scattered around the city. You just have to go look for it.
The Space Needle in Seattle is a pretty big rip off anymore. it used to be cheaper once upon a time. A much better & higher view of the city and on a clear day the mountains can be had from the Columbia Tower (we call it the darth vader building) for half the price and your 72 floors up although it is not open air. I haven't been up to Seattle since the lockdowns but I worry that this has pretty much killed off all the neat little shops that used to make up Pike's Place Market. Forget a harbor tour and hop a ferry to save money too!
Disneyland is much better in the middle of the week and get there early when it opens. You go to a theme park or attraction, expect crowds though. There's better pictures of the Mona Lisa online than you can see or get in person. I've seen the crowds and it's horrible.
Yes Berlin! I was born in Berlin and lived their for 40(!) Years. Now? Nothing more then a multicultural sh#t hole.