Today was another nice day in this rare city. Firstly, I had booked a ticket for Potsdam on Sunday and it says you have to print it out. I didn’t know how I was going to do this but when I set out I saw a Copy shop so I went in with little hope that they’d help me. But they were terrific and helped me access it so they could print it…that was a great thing first up in the morning. Then I had my usual morning coffee at Einstein before setting out in ernest.
I got on the underground and went to Alexanderplatz. Strangely enough, although I’ve been to this central Platz before I’ve never really had a look around so thought I should. In the centre is the massive radio tower that dominates the skyline of Berlin. I sniffed around there for a bit trying to decide whether I should pay my 13 Eu and go up to the top or whether the Reichstag was enough in terms of views (and a much more exciting building)..sniff, sniff, sniff… nah, don’t think I need to do that.
So I wandered around a bit more. The really annoying thing that is happening in Berlin at the moment is that they are setting up everywhere for the Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmarkte). The really annoying part of this is that it means construction sites in the platz and all sorts of places. Fine, if I get to enjoy the market, sipping my gluhwein, but such is not the case….no sipping gluhwein for me as I poke about the stalls…just a bloody nuisance detracting from the beauty. Oh well !!
I walked towards the DDR Museum which was my destination. I stopped in at Marienkirche which is a nice, very old, C13, church but they’re very minimalist with their Churches. The lovely thing was that there was an Organ Recital happening so I sat and enjoyed that for a while before setting off again. The DDR Museum is on the River Spree and just as I got there there was a river cruise about to depart. Chris and I had tried to do that when she was here and failed so this just fell very conveniently into my lap (‘BWTS Maria’ – for the record). It was a lovely hour of cruising the river and getting a whole new perspective on the layout of the city around the river and the immensity of their public buildings. The sun came out and shone brightly which added to the pleasure AND they even sold Gluhwein on board…that warmed me up on the inside!
After that I got off the boat and walked straight into the DDR Museum which was a fun place full of interactive displays of life in the DDR under communism. Just how different life was for those living in East Berlin/ East Germany is mind blowing and how far the city has come following unity is truly awe inspiring. It just seems to be booming.
After I finished there I decided it was time to get something to eat so found a place for some soup. By then it was starting to get dusky so I headed home. All in all a nice day and very manageable i.e. I’m trying not to arrive home totally exhausted.
More tomorrow as my time in Berlin moves rapidly towards its end. Love to all. Happy Birthday Kirst…hope it was a good one XXX