Berlin – David Enzel

I recently learned that, Maisie Hitchcock, a guide on a Rick Steves tour of Switzerland I took in 2018 died peacefully of ovarian cancer on August 9, 2023 in the company of her family.

Maisie was a kind, gentle guide who did an excellent job showing us the highlights of Switzerland. Although she was English, she lived in Berlin and spoke fluent German.

Maisie enjoyed people and knew how to relate to each person as an individual. Maisie’s father, Robyn Hitchcock, is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. He wrote a loving memory of his daughter on Instagram.

During that 2018 trip, my suitcase broke and I asked Maisie where I could buy a new bag. Maisie helpfully sent me to Manor in Lugano where I bought a bag that I continue to use on my travels.

May Maisie’s memory be a blessing for many years to come.

Deutscher Bundestag, Berlin – © David H. Enzel, 2018

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Berlin twice. The first time was in the early 1980s and the second time in 2018. The transformation was dramatic.

Berlin Before the Fall of the Wall

I visited Berlin in the early 1980s. Berlin was then a divided city. I stayed in the Western zone near the Kurfurstendamm, which at the time was the heart of Berlin. I took a one day bus tour to the East. We crossed through Checkpoint Charlie. The bus was thoroughly searched by East German border guards. In contrast, the American military just let us pass freely.

The West was vibrant with shops, restaurants and people everywhere, In contrast, buildings in the East still showed signs of the bombing it received in the war. There were Soviet style memorials throughout East Berlin.

Our East German guide was openly dispirited and seemed to be reciting a script he was told to speak, especially when he spoke of “warm relations” with the then Soviet Union. At the end of the day, I was glad to be back in the West where I felt free and comfortable.