Hi Everyone!

As the jet-setter travel lifestyle guru that I am, I sometimes get asked the question, “What’s the hardest part of traveling?” Now, some people might say the language barrier. Some might say the time change. Some might even say navigating a new and foreign area. However, I believe that the hardest part of traveling is figuring out how the shower works. Every time you travel to a new place, there is a new shower dial that is weirdly finicky about water temperature, and a new combination of dials and knobs required to turn it on because, for some reason, we as a society haven’t seemed to get our heads together to standardize the shower. 

In the most recent case, I was exasperated after a travel day of no sleep, struggling to comprehend how to turn on my hotel’s shower. I eventually had to go downstairs to get some professional help, and you want to know what the problem was? Turns out the water pressure is too strong, so you have to have the water gently flow before pulling up on the knob. How the hell am I supposed to know this?

Now, with that said, let’s find out What’s Up With Will…

Earlier this year, my dad asked me to join him at a conference in Berlin, and then we could take the rest of the week to explore. Even though this would be my third trip in three weeks, y’all probably already know that he had me at Berlin. It has been too long since my last Hot Girl Euro summer. So, less than 24 hours after getting back from the cruise, I flew out again with Rylee to Europe, and arrived the following evening (I told you that I was a jet-setter).

The next morning, I woke up bright and early for a day of helping at DevOps Con Berlin, a conference dedicated to all things CI/CD, Kubernetes, Platform Engineering, and DevSecOps. I know it’s a bunch of tech jargon, but I promise I understand it just as well as you do. I was back on booth babe duty, which, from my multiple tabling sessions this year, has practically made me a rockstar at it. 

As I checked in, something unexpected happened. After I said my name, “William Willis,” to the woman running the check-in booth, she chuckled. Then she asked, “It’s a joke? Yes?” Unfortunately, not. The Germans have such an ability to ruthlessly tear you down effortlessly.

It’s interesting to see how, even though we are worlds apart from the tech conferences I have been to in America, there are still the same sponsors at all the events. It goes to show that everyone uses the same tools. However, this conference was actually pretty cool in that it used AI transcriptions of the presentation and virtual image captures of the slides to create digital twins of the speakers for attendees to interact with. I don’t think that I have seen another conference that does this before.

At the end of the day, my dad and I met up with Rylee and my mom to go on a riverboat cruise around the city, at the suggestion of one of the conference organizers. So we got onto our river boat and floated down the Spree River, seeing many of the major landmarks and architectural styles present. I thought it was a great way to acclimate to our new surroundings for the week, especially since some of these major buildings would be places we would visit over the course of our trip. I must say, as the audio announced that Berlin dates back to 1237, I was quite shocked. For a city that old, Berlin feels surprisingly cosmopolitan. It’s a city that feels like it wants to reinvent itself while also staying true to its roots. One moment, we were sailing by medieval stone-carved structures worthy of a city close to a millennium old, and right next door were glass-adorned modernist buildings belonging in the 21st century.

And to round out the first full day in Berlin, we went to Restaurant Maximilians Berlin for a proper German meal (albeit more Munich-style, as Bavaria is what most of us know as the classic German cuisine). I got a Halbe Haxe, a tender pork shoulder with an extra-crispy skin. However, one thing that transcends regional differences is Germany’s all-around affinity for beer. I grabbed a beer poured from a wooden barrel, which supposedly reduces the carbon dioxide and makes it easier to drink. Could I tell? No. At the end of the day, it was just beer, although it was miles better than most American beer. Here, I also made a conscious decision to force myself to drink beer primarily during the trip, because when in Germany, do as the Germans do.

The next day, we headed towards Museum Island, which is exactly what it sounds like. Five museums reside in this UNESCO World Heritage-recognized island smack dab in the middle of Berlin, filled with archaeological treasures and painted masterpieces galore. 

Our first stop was the Altes Museum (Old Museum), which showcased the life and history of Ancient Greece through a collection of assembled artifacts. Among these halls were sculptures, jewelry, pottery, and coins, ranging from the 7th century B.C. to the 3rd Century A.D. The gallery is also built around a massive rotunda filled with Statues of the Greek Gods. While I love myself a sculpture, and the amount of detail for stones carved centuries ago is quite impressive, I did have one critique. As I walked around, a lot of the sculptures had no heads, which I think is setting some really unrealistic body expectations.

We then walked over to the James Simon Galerie, exploring archaeological finds from Southeast Türkiye dating back to the beginning of the Neolithic period. These recovered artifacts focused more on the natural world, showing the powerful and dangerous animals surrounding them as the permanent settlements developed. Additionally, they built several T-shaped pillars that are believed to represent people (which, again, I think sets more unrealistic body expectations).

From there, we stopped at the Neues Museum (New Museum), which focused on archaeological findings from Egypt. We walked our way around sarcophagi, hieroglyphic murals, and sculptures depicting the life of Egyptians, from their conception of the afterlife to the Nile’s importance to Egypt’s existence. It is safe to say that the Egyptians had the most realistic body expectations. Their sculptures generally had heads, and sometimes, they were just heads (Looking at you, Bust of Nefertiti).

From here, we went to Alte Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), showcasing works from the most important art movements of the 19th century, such as neoclassicism, romanticism, realism, and impressionism. A major exhibit that I spent the most time walking through focused on Paul Cassirer’s impact on Germany’s art scene. His benefactions led to the introduction of French Impressionism to German audiences and ultimately proved pivotal in turning Berlin into a center for modern art. The gallery featured works from Van Gogh, Degas, and Monet, while also highlighting works from German artists like Hermione von Preuschen and Adolph Menzel.

At this point, I think we all had one museum more in us before we were museum-ed out for the day. While the Pergamon Museum on Museum Island was shut for extensive renovations, a temporary immersive exhibit, the Pergamon Museum: Das Panorama, was available to visit. It is a 30-meter high (98.43 feet for us Americans) 360° reconstruction of the ancient city of Pergamon as it may have appeared in 129 A.D. You can climb up a 5-story tower for a very trippy, yet incredible vantage point of the panorama.

And to wrap up the day, we made our way to Feinberg’s, an Israeli restaurant, for dinner. In addition to quite an extensive Israeli wine list, they had mouthwatering kebabs. I had to get a Hummus Kebab, which consisted of just a set of kebabs thrown on top of a pile of hummus, but I was not complaining. For dessert, I got malabi, a pudding-like dessert infused with rosewater for a creamy yet delicate floral flavor. It was the perfect way to end the dinner. Well, almost.

We waited an hour between the main course and dessert, only to find out that the servers had forgotten to put in the order. I didn’t even realize something was wrong, though. We were in Europe after all, so I just thought it was part of the slow food movement.

The next day, we rented a car and drove north of Berlin for our first day trip. Our first stop was the Sachsenhausen Memorial and Museum.

This memorial and museum explores this site’s historical phases as the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp during the Holocaust (1936–1945), a Soviet Special Camp after World War II (1945–1950), and most recently, Sachsenhausen National Memorial (1950–1990). Sachsenhausen is now a place of remembrance for the victims of these atrocities and a museum dedicated to understanding dictatorship, persecution, and systematic violence in Europe during the 20th century. As we walked through the site and the educational material, the profound human loss was palpable and heartbreaking. It’s a visceral reminder of the brutality that humans are capable of. 

Honestly, I debated including this information in the newsletter. Places like Sachsenhausen are difficult to visit and talk about, but I think that this is an important part of history to discuss rather than gloss over, especially as history has a tendency to repeat itself. It was certainly an important but difficult part of our trip. While I am not going to talk about it much more here, I am willing to discuss what my experience was and what I learned from this location, if you want to hear more. 

It feels strange to immediately return to writing about art museums, restaurants, and sightseeing, but travel has a way of compressing vastly different human experiences and emotions into the same day. After taking some time to process it all, we drove into Oranienburg.

Oranienburg was named after Louise Henriette of Orange-Nassau, a Dutch Princess and the wife of Frederick William, the Elector of Brandenburg. At the center of the town is the Oranienburg Palace, and that would be where we were headed next. 

Completed in 1655, this palace was used extensively by their son, Frederick I, as one of the main representative residences of the newly created Kingdom of Prussia. Two major fires hit the palace in the 19th century, and modifications during World War II stripped away much of its decorations. It was refurbished and opened as a museum in 2001. As we walked through bedrooms, halls, and antechambers, I noticed two things. One was the overwhelming number of Frederick I portraits. A king never says no to the opportunity to get painted. Second, though, were luxury rooms only found in royal residences, such as a porcelain chamber and a silver vault. 

We happened to visit Oranienburg just in time for its yearly Stadtfest, which transforms the palace’s square into a festival grounds. We navigated through a set of carnival games and rides and stopped at the beer garden with live renditions of American pop music. I was especially excited to see the band feature the sweet sounds of the clarinet, as that’s the instrument I used to play. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: more bands should make use of the clarinet.

When I ordered my drink, though, I noticed that the server was pouring beer between cups like a chemist does with test tubes. It turns out, this science experiment actually fulfills a particular legal requirement. According to German law, beer must hit the Eichstrich, an official fill line that is placed on every glass. As German beers are highly carbonated, pouring from a tap, a server might not be able to hit the Eichstrich, so they might use this method. Despite how comical it is that Germany has a law to ensure that a customer is getting the exact amount of beer they ordered, I will say that when I grabbed my glass, it did hit the .5L line on the cup.

We then drove back to Berlin, making a stop at Witty’s Currywurst before calling it a night. In case you are unfamiliar, currywurst is a local street food that developed after World War II, where you take a sausage and pour ketchup and curry powder on top of it. Along the way, someone also had the idea of adding a mountain of fries as a side. I will admit that I was a bit skeptical while ordering, as this sounds like a drunken creation at 2 AM. I thought that the curry powder elevates the ketchup by adding complexity and just a touch of heat, and it probably goes without saying that ketchup is a natural pairing for German sausages. Witty’s fries were also top-notch.

The next day, we drove West to Potsdam for our second day trip, for its main draw, the Sanssouci Park, home to several palaces used historically by Frederick II, son of Frederick I.

We first stopped at the Historic Windmill of Sanssouci, one of the more famous windmills in Germany, due to a mythical dispute between Frederick II and the owner. Legend has it that, after Frederick II demanded it be torn down, the miller went to the Berlin Chamber Court to force the king to let him reside there. While historians believe this is mostly fictional, it has endured as a story of law triumphing over royal authority. Today, it still acts as a working mill, and they sell bread made fresh from flour milled from the windmill every day. I grabbed a roll and was not disappointed, although I think knowing the process probably made me appreciate it more.

We then made our way to the Neues Palace, built by Frederick II as a display of Prussian power and significance, meant to accommodate visiting dignitaries. While the outside was currently in the midst of a complete renovation, the interior showcases this level of grandeur. We walked through the Grotto Hall and Marble Hall, rooms that took my breath away from its opulence.

Our next stop, the Sanssouci Palace, or the palace built “Without A Care”, was much more intimate and was completed as Frederick II’s personal retreat. Don’t get me wrong, the palace was still very opulent with its own Marble Hall, Music Room, and 4 Guest Rooms, but its smaller size felt more like a place meant for the enjoyment of life rather than a monument to power and prestige.

We then stopped for some more German food, because, in case you forgot, we are in Germany. Tucked away at the base of the nearby hill, Pfingstberg, Kades Restaurant "Am Pfingstberg” serves classic Bavarian German cuisine. At first, our server was confused when I ordered a Wiener Schnitzel. After some back-and-forth, we finally figured out the problem. In Germany, it’s just schnitzel, and when I say “wiener schnitzel”, I am referring to a particular kind of schnitzel, popularized by Vienna made with veal, instead of the more broad categorization of “schnitzel” which can be made with any meat. Hopefully, this is helpful for any of y’all that decide to go to Germany and want to order a thin, tenderized meat fried with a coating of breading on it.

We spent the remainder of the day walking around downtown Potsdam before heading back to Berlin. Local craftsmanship flourished under Frederick II, so I wasn’t surprised to see countless jewelry shops while walking the streets. Like, honestly, I do not know how they all stay in business. As I had no interest in getting myself something shiny, I also got to see Potsdam landmarks like the Brandenburg Tor, Potsdam City Palace, St. Peter und Paul Church, and the Alter Markt (Old Market Square).

On Sunday, we took a walking tour to learn more about the history of Berlin. I bet you would be surprised to know that Berlin comes from the Slavic word for swamp, but that is what the region was back in 1237, when it was first mentioned in legal documents in a battle between two farmers over the custody of a pig. At the time, Berlin was nothing more than a settlement of rowdy farmers. However, the ruling family of what would later be Germany, the Hohenzollerns, struggled to get them to pay taxes, and after years of trial and error, they eventually moved their entire army to Berlin, and it slowly but surely became the capital city.

We walked through areas with the fresh perspective of our tour guide, learning about the history of buildings like the Berlin Cathedral, the Opera House, Brandenburg Gate, and what was once the National Armory. It should be important to note that under the Hohenzollerns, especially during the 1800s, Berlin became a place of multiple diasporas, increasingly becoming more of an accepting place with some of the first anti-discrimination laws for religion. Through Frederick II’s emphasis on culture and arts, it also became home to many great intellectuals, like Einstein. Berlin would even be home to the world’s first institute for sexual research. 

Yet, while the Hohenzollerns would have great periods of growth and expansion under the reign of rulers like Frederick I and II, their rule would come to a grinding halt under Wilhelm II, whom the tour guide lovingly referred to as an “idiot”. It was at this moment that both Rylee and my dad simultaneously turned to me and patted me on the back. I am truly grateful that I have such a strong support system. 

As the tour guide described, Wilhelm was determined to prove himself as a military leader and spent much of his time pursuing an increasingly aggressive foreign policy, leading to World War I. As another nod to his “idiocy”, Wilhelm famously stated that they would win the war in 6 months. They did not.

Germany’s loss of the war led to the creation of the Weimar Republic, but economic hardships and hyperinflation led to the political extremism that allowed Hitler and the Nazi Party to rise to power. This also marked the collapse of many of the policies that allowed art, culture, and intellectualism to grow in the first place. As we walked through Humboldt University, we listened to how professors fled the country. We arrived at the  Bebelplatz, and we saw the sunken library empty of books, a memorial to all the knowledge lost when the Nazis burned over 20,000 books that went against their ideology. 

When World War II ended, it didn’t mean that the scar tissue disappeared overnight. Instead, some of it got built into the city itself. We stopped at Neues Museum, and our guide pointed out marks in the stone, where old materials scarred by gunshots and bombing in the war were reused. We also walked by the Neue Wache, the Memorial For The Victims of War and Tyranny, a memorial to the lives lost in the war.

This scar tissue was also present through the division of Germany and Berlin into its East and West. We walked to the largest section remaining of the Berlin Wall, which was built practically overnight, separating friends and families based on an arbitrarily drawn line never meant to actually be a physical border.  

We finished our tour at Checkpoint Charlie, the crossing point from East Berlin into West Berlin during the Cold War, as the tour guide talked about Gorbachev’s policy of glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), which led to the fall of the Berlin Wall. While Berlin has reunited and, for the most part, completed its physical recovery, it is still dealing with the social and economic impacts from this time period. As the tour guide said at the beginning of the tour, “Berlin is a complicated place filled with history”.

I was beginning to understand exactly what he meant. While this might be the end of this newsletter, our time in Berlin was not quite over yet…

And they say grammar can’t be fun…