[Rick Lee]

Ah yes, East Side Gallery is pretty cool. I was there right after they decided to keep that section and invited a bunch of artists to paint it up.

Z-man, if you haven't seen The Lives of Others, I can't recommend it highly enough. It's a Stasi thriller that is super well done and really gives you the vibe of what the DDR was like in the early 80's. Also Goodbye Lenin is a great film, an absolute classic that every German has seen. Both will make Berlin more enjoyable as you see how different it is now.

One thing that really bothers me about Berlin, however, is the rampant graffiti. It's everywhere and it really hurts the city's vibe. There are so many amazing neighborhoods and old apt. bldgs. in Berlin and the vandalism on them is such a shame.