A couple days in...

Well, so far we've gotten to see a great deal of the city. Unfortunately, in a city of 3.2 million that spans almost 50 miles from side to side, a great deal means the high points in the middle of town. Yesterday we were given the option of taking a four hour walking tour, or a 4 1/2 hour bike tour....the vote for the bike tour was unanimous. It was great to see the big sights here and town and have a brief history of everything. I think it's the history that is the most fascinating part of the whole trip. I'll publish some photos with this entry of the neat things we got to see on the tour. German is a strange language, but I think I shouldn't have too much trouble picking up the words. ..grammar might be a little more difficult. Especially with words like "exclusivist." Last night we went to see Porgy and Bess. It was alright. The orchestra was too loud and the company was from South Africa...so, i couldnt understand any of it except "Summertime." Oh well. Today was somewhat of a free day. We woke up early this morning for a trip to the Reichstag and went up to the observation deck. It's interesting the idea behind the government buildings. They all incorporate steel and glass. The idea is that the government should be transparent, so there can never be a dictatorship in Germany again. I like it....lets add more windows to Congress, or make 'em meet outside on the lawn. This afternoon we broke apart as a group and toured the city. A couple of us went to The German History Museum, I'm not really sure what the rest did. Tonight, though, was great. We went to Komische Opera and saw an amazing closing production of La Boheme. The acting and vocals were superb and the stage and costume design were magnificent. I'm really glad I got to see it. I guess that's about it. I'll try to add more in the next couple of days. Tomorrow is our day on Museum Island, so Code of Hamurabi, here I come.