A Day in Berlin

Trip Start Aug 23, 1996
1
370
457
Trip End Ongoing


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Flag of Germany  ,
Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Just when I thought I was catching up with my sleep, we decided that as Lucy's mum was in Europe, we should do the right thing and go meet up with her. We checked out her itinerary and decided that as it's been a few years, and there were also some new things I wanted to see, Berlin was going to be our chosen city.
 
Drive, Stansted, Fly, Schonefeld, S Bahn, Zoo
 
Berlin
 
Once we had thrown down a wake me up coffee, we grabbed Brenda and took a walk to our first stop. Bendlerblock. It's a big old armed forces building with a courtyard and this was the first thing I wanted to see. Back on the 20th of July, 1944 Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg tried to blow up Hitler. He and his collaborators failed, and were sentenced to death in this courtyard. There are a few memorial plaques and inside is a museum plotting the Nazis rise and fall. There was a bit on the assassination plot, but as it was all in German, it was quite hard to understand, so I did what every good male who reads mags like Penthouse/Playboy. I looked at the pictures !!!
 
Not far was Potsdamer Platz with a Weinacht Markt, so we stopped for a Gluhwein. We need the practice as we have a full weekend coming up. Strangely, they had built a ski slope, but it wasn't for skiers, just inflated inner tubes. Across the road was a piece of the Wall. We took Brenda over as it was her first time. She touched it and couldn't believe how big it was. It's nice that they have left one piece there. Over the road was the next monument I had not seen as it's only recently opened. The Jewish Memorial. It's weird. There is no explanation for it. All there are is concrete blocks everywhere. I listened in to a guided tour, but they to were unable to explain it. Next up was the Brandenburger Tor. I have walked through here loads of times. I love the gate, but the surroundings grow more hideous each time we come here. It's called progress, but I don't have to like it, but I do always look over at the Adlon Hotel and see where Michael J dangled his kid over the balcony, and that always makes me smile !!!
 
Back through the gate, we followed the bricks in the road to the memorials for the people who were killed trying to cross the wall. I always look at this and feel sad. And then there is the Reichstag. As it's Wednesday, there was no line, so for an added bonus, we climbed to the roof. I am a creature of habit, I do this everytime I come to Berlin !!!
 
Back at the Zoo, we ran around another Weinacht Markt, before it was time to head back to the airport. I said goodbye to Brenda and her partner, left Lucy behind and flew back to London.
 
And Finally
 
When people ask me, what's my favourite place, I say I have many, and one is always Berlin. Everytime we come, it changes, there are new things to see, and things get lost. I saw two new sites, but sadly, Berlin seems to have lost the Trabant. Part of its soul has gone, I hope one day they will return, but until then, a hole has gone from the heart of Berlin.

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001 David on a Train, Berlin 001 David on a Train, Berlin 002 Lucy & Brenda, Berlin 002 Lucy & Brenda, Berlin 003 Bendlerblock, Berlin 003 Bendlerblock, Berlin 004 Bendlerblock, Berlin 004 Bendlerblock, Berlin
005 Bendlerblock Plaque, Berlin 005 Bendlerblock Plaque, Berlin 006 Bendlerblock Memorial, Berlin 006 Bendlerblock Memorial, Berlin 007 Bendlerblock Memorial, Berlin 007 Bendlerblock Memorial, Berlin 008 Bear, Berlin 008 Bear, Berlin
009 Nazi Posters, Berlin 009 Nazi Posters, Berlin 010 Nazi Poster, Berlin 010 Nazi Poster, Berlin 011 Jewish Sign, Berlin 011 Jewish Sign, Berlin 012 Old Picture, Berlin 012 Old Picture, Berlin
013 Old Picture, Berlin 013 Old Picture, Berlin 014 Old Picture, Berlin 014 Old Picture, Berlin 015 Old Picture, Berlin 015 Old Picture, Berlin 016 Old Picture, Berlin 016 Old Picture, Berlin
017 Bendlerblock, Berlin 017 Bendlerblock, Berlin 018 Bendlerblock, Berlin 018 Bendlerblock, Berlin 019 Old Church, Berlin 019 Old Church, Berlin 020 Old Building, Berlin 020 Old Building, Berlin
021 Shrapnel Wounds, Berlin 021 Shrapnel Wounds, Berlin 022 Brenda & Lucy, Berlin 022 Brenda & Lucy, Berlin 023 Sculpture, Berlin 023 Sculpture, Berlin 024 Christmas Ball, Berlin 024 Christmas Ball, Berlin
025 Lego Giraffe, Berlin 025 Lego Giraffe, Berlin 026 David, Berlin 026 David, Berlin 027 Brenda & David, Berlin 027 Brenda & David, Berlin 028 Potsdamer Platz Ski Slope, Berlin 028 Potsdamer Platz Ski Slope, Berlin
029 Lucy, Berlin 029 Lucy, Berlin 030 Brenda & Lucy, Berlin 030 Brenda & Lucy, Berlin 031 Don't Walk, Berlin 031 Don't Walk, Berlin 032 Walk, Berlin 032 Walk, Berlin
033 Berlin Eye !!! 033 Berlin Eye !!! 034 Berlin Wall 034 Berlin Wall 035 Berlin Wall 035 Berlin Wall 036 Berlin Wall 036 Berlin Wall
037 Berlin Wall 037 Berlin Wall 038 Water Pump, Berlin 038 Water Pump, Berlin 039 Jewish Memorial, Berlin 039 Jewish Memorial, Berlin 040 Jewish Memorial, Berlin 040 Jewish Memorial, Berlin
041 Lucy in the Jewish Memorial, Berlin 041 Lucy in the Jewish Memorial, Berlin 042 Jewish Memorial, Berlin 042 Jewish Memorial, Berlin 043 David in the Jewish Memorial, Berlin 043 David in the Jewish Memorial, Berlin 044 Jewish Memorial, Berlin 044 Jewish Memorial, Berlin
045 David in the Jewish Memorial, Berlin 045 David in the Jewish Memorial, Berlin 046 Brenda in the Jewish Memorial, Berlin 046 Brenda in the Jewish Memorial, Berlin 047 Brandenburger Tor, Berlin 047 Brandenburger Tor, Berlin 048 Christmas Tree, Berlin 048 Christmas Tree, Berlin
049 Quadriga, Berlin 049 Quadriga, Berlin 050 Brandenburger Tor, Berlin 050 Brandenburger Tor, Berlin 051 Cross, Berlin 051 Cross, Berlin 052 Cross, Berlin 052 Cross, Berlin
053 The Last Death, Berlin 053 The Last Death, Berlin 054 Memorial, Berlin 054 Memorial, Berlin 055 Berlin Wall 055 Berlin Wall 056 Berlin Wall 056 Berlin Wall
057 David in the Reichstag, Berlin 057 David in the Reichstag, Berlin 058 Lucy in the Reichstag, Berlin 058 Lucy in the Reichstag, Berlin 059 Lucy & Brenda in the Reichstag, Berlin 059 Lucy & Brenda in the Reichstag, Berlin 060 David in the Reichstag, Berlin 060 David in the Reichstag, Berlin
061 Brenda & the Reichstag, Berlin 061 Brenda & the Reichstag, Berlin 062 David & the Reichstag, Berlin 062 David & the Reichstag, Berlin 063 Lucy & the Reichstag 063 Lucy & the Reichstag 064 The Reichstag, Berlin 064 The Reichstag, Berlin
065 Sunset, Berlin 065 Sunset, Berlin 066 Sunset, Berlin 066 Sunset, Berlin 067 Ice, Berlin 067 Ice, Berlin 068 Statue, Berlin 068 Statue, Berlin
069 Bendlerblock, Berlin 069 Bendlerblock, Berlin 070 Bear, Berlin 070 Bear, Berlin 071 Santa, Berlin 071 Santa, Berlin 072 Christmas Lights, Berlin 072 Christmas Lights, Berlin
073 Star, Berlin 073 Star, Berlin 074 Soldier, Berlin 074 Soldier, Berlin 075 Weinacht Markt, Berlin 075 Weinacht Markt, Berlin 076 Wurst, Berlin 076 Wurst, Berlin
077 Bear, Berlin 077 Bear, Berlin 078 David Eating, Berlin 078 David Eating, Berlin 079 David Eating, Berlin 079 David Eating, Berlin 080 David & Gluhwein, Berlin 080 David & Gluhwein, Berlin
081 Lucy & Gluhwein, Berlin 081 Lucy & Gluhwein, Berlin 082 Bear, Berlin 082 Bear, Berlin
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