2.5 days in Berlin. First night

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Berlin

Number one surprise.

When we booked a three night January trip to Berlin back in October we didn’t expect to discover that friends Ewan and Helen would be joining us on the same plane from Newcastle last night. Great to spend some time together.

Number two surprise.

We had sussed that our plane was four minutes late in arriving, using our handy Easyjet Tracker facility. But once fully boarded and belted a sinking feeling permeated the mood of the travellers on board, and this despite, or perhaps because, we were still on the ground fifteen minutes after our captain’s welcome and reassurance that we were on our way. (He did mention a change to normal procedure and not to get anxious about unusual sounds......).

Twenty minutes in, the captain announced that the replacement starter engine for two main jet engines and air conditioning generator was on the blink. And that the replacement for the replacement was on the blink. A new replacement had been sent for.

Forty minutes in, I was swiping my phone off flight mode in order to order a taxi when various whizzing and grinding noises kicked something into action in the plane's underbelly.. The captain’s announcement said, a couple of minutes later: ‘Well, the good news is that we’ve got one engine started, we can proceed to the run way’. A rustle of concern spread through the cabin ...... can we take off with only one engine...... should we take off with only one engine?

50 minutes from schedule flight time we took to the air (the captain was either very game, or they got the second engine going).

Number three surprise.

After a successful taxi share and good night sleep, we woke up this morning, in Hotel Angleterre on Friedrich Straße, to billowing clouds of smoke at our window and large numbers of people mustering down below. Soon after, five police cars and four fire engines blared into proximity.

It turned out to be in the secondary school adjacent to us ....... a cool dude smoking in the bogs, no doubt.
It's still standing and students re entering as we start our tourist day.

We're staying just near Check Point Charlie, and passed by as we walked north to sights, food, drink and music. More tomorrow.

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