Finding Warmth in the Winter Wonderland of Berlin: It’s all in a Boy’s Eye
I have a love of travel that I believe I have firmly instilled now in my six year old son. He loves “adventures.” Whenever we love the hotel, he notes we are going on a grand adventure for which he is the guide. Today in Berlin, he quite literally was. We went to the Reichstag Dome building at 9am. The snow was falling swiftly yet calmly. We were caught in a wonderful winterland. It was beautiful and awe-inspiring. So much so, that we did not really feel the cold. Our awe and happiness acted like a warm bubble around us.
See, whenever we travel anywhere, we go off-peak. Or rather, we go when many others may consider not going. In a way, we feel that we get to see the destination in its real, in-vivo state. Obviously, there is no such thing. Summer time in new York is just as real as wintertime. It is just a different vibe. and has a different meaning to people. It is as if New York is four different cities depending on the season. Ok. Back to Berlin.
We got to the Reichstag which has a large glass dome at the very top with a 360-degree view Berlin. We picked up the individual audio guide machines but only my son’s worked. He thus listened intently and guided us through the dome. He was ecstatic; filled with pure unbridled joy. His little hands were warm and moving happily as he pointed things out to us. After we left he said that “this was the best day ever”. As a parent traveling with a child those are unbelievably wonderful words to hear.
We then walked past a building that he felt was the perfect fairy-tale location.
We toured and toured ending up at the The Fernsehturm which is a television tower. Again, we went up way high with a 360 degree-view of the city. He was again filled with ecstasy.
We then ran down into the winter markets where he saw his first ice skating rink and where he got to pet a pony.
His hands were super warm rubbing my face as he told me how much fun he had had today. His warm hands. My warm beating heart. And random happy bears throughout the city. these bears remind me of my little boy.
There were also brightly colored food shacks that drew his attention.
Yes, we are in a veritable winter wonderland in Berlin where unequivocally warmth emanates from a boy’s eyes to the hands he holds his mommy with.
Categories: childhood, Children, Psychology, Travel
psychologistmimi 
That off-peak timing is such a good idea!
Your son’s face has so much joy in it…. 😊
Looking forward to reading more, thank you for sharing your travels.
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thanks! he is so joyful. Im so lucky. have a wonderful week ahead as we near 2015! how quickly it all goes by
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Oh, I love your photos! Your son’s eyes are simply twinkling. Continue to enjoy your journey! 🙂
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thanks so much. he is a twinkling boy! hope your holiday season is going fabulously
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Sounds like you are having a wonderful time. Love those pics! And thanks for “bringing us along”. Safe travels!
-ValS
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Lovely post, Mimi. I enjoyed the short travelogue – including the snow! Beautiful boy!!!
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Great post Mimi and great to meet your son. He’s gorgeous as are the snowy winter landscapes. I stayed in Berlin for a week back in 1992 after finishing university. It wasn’t long after the Berlin Wall had come down and I stayed in what had been East Berlin in a student house. The decor was incredible…like the 1950s. Retro before its time. I remember walking through the Brandenburg Gate and how exhilarating that was at the time. I studied German at school and it was a special treat on the last day of term for our teacher to read a book about escapes through the Berlin Wall to us. It was incredible to be there and experience it all. My uncle went on to marry a woman whose parents had escaped and come to Australia just as the wall was starting to go up. They had lots of family left behind.
My mum tells me that they never thought the wall could come down and now it has. It’s such an encouraging symbol of what is possible and how wounds between nations can be healed.
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We also tried to take family vacations at more off-peak times, mainly to avoid the crowds which always made it a more enjoyable experience. We also had to try to schedule them around the kids’ school and extra-curricular activities, so continue to take advantage of the flexibility you have in that regard now.
If I wasn’t such a wimpy California girl, I might visit the Northeast US in winter. Who knows, maybe I’ll outgrow the wimpiness now that I live in a four season state? I’m visiting my mom now and we’re freezing here with highs only in the 50s. Poor us!?
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