Day One - Arrival in Berlin

Time for a Little Shopping

---

We didn't want to go back to our hotel too soon so we briefly walked through a mini-mall near Alexanderplatz. This flower store was loaded with fresh exotic flowers from all over the world. Germans are still firm believers in giving flowers to your hosts anytime you are invited over for dinner or a party. Flower shops are everywhere. We found a little grocery store in the mall. We got ourselves a couple sodas, some Bounty candy bars, cookies, ketchup and other chocolate bars for the upcoming days driving the roads of Eastern Europe.

About as Much as We Were Going to See of the Fernsehturm

---

Our trip back to the hotel required our going back through the Alexanderplatz Christkindlmarkt. Looking up at the TV tower we could almost make out the bottom of the observation deck hundreds of meters above us.

Inside the U-Bahn Shopping Promenade

---

Heading for the steps that would take us down into the U-Bahn stop, we had to pass through another indoor mall. Not only were there all kinds of flower shops, bakeries, souvenir stores and fast food stalls, they also had this little coin-operated train layout. It entertained us for quite awhile.

It Was the Wurst of Times

---

Even with my full belly the smell of Bratwurst, Weisswurst and Bockwurst summoned me to this vendor. I didn't buy but I did a lot of sniffing. Soon we boarded the still near empty subway car and headed back to our hotel. As much as I tried to fight it I was asleep before 8:00 pm.