A Day in Berlin

I felt particularly energetic yesterday having enjoyed the buffet breakfast of the Hotel Concorde and so I chose to walk the four kilometres from my hotel to the Brandenberg Gate.

Berlin must be one of the flattest cities I have ever visited and it is very popular with cyclists. I wandered through Tiergarten, both the name of the borough and the beautiful park in Berlin but had to be careful not to step into the dedicated cycle ways. Twice I was castigated by rapidly moving cyclists to get out of their lane - I didnt need much encouragement to do so as I nearly collided with one cyclist within the first 5 minutes of my walk!

Prior to unification Tiergarten was part of West Berlin and in the centre of it stands the Siegessäule one of the most imposing landmarks in the city. I continued on, past the workmen dismantling the marathon course of the World Athletics Championships and onto the Unter den Linden Berlin's magnificent boulevard, the centerpiece of the Old Berlin.

The temperature was rapidly rising as I walked under the Brandenburg Gate which was commissioned by Friedrich Wilhelm II to represent peace. Ironically the gate was incorporated into the Berlin wall during the cold war years, it is now a symbol of the reunification of the two sides of this great city.

After the Brandenberg Gate it was a short walk to the Reichstag, where the German parliament sits. This building was left in ruins from 1933 until unification. The Reichstag building caught fire in 1933 and this indirectly attributed to the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany.

After the Reichstag it was back towards my Hotel but not before stopping briefly at Potsdammer Platz for a coffee and then to the famous Checkpoint Charlie. I loved the sleek lines and architecture in Potsdammer Platz. Like most places in Berlin the original Potsdammer Platz was destroyed in World War II, however it is well worth a visit, even if only for a kaffe or bier.

Anyway, I was now at Checkpoint Charlie, which became a symbol of the Cold War, representing the separation of east and west, and — for some East Germans — a gateway to freedom. I popped into The Haus am Checkpoint Charlie Museum to read about great tales of escape (some fact some possibly fiction). The museum is well worth visiting.

By now I was all set for lunch and headed back to my hotel. I ate lunch at Vapiano, a pizza, pasta and salad restaurant with a difference. The photo in this blog entry explains it all but you watch as the food is cooked by a chef in front of you. I was tempted to suggest changes to the way my chef was making my pasta dish but felt it may not have been appropriate.

Following lunch it was back to the Hotel for a siesta before heading out again in search of a launderette - its either find myself a launderette nearby or I may have to buy some new clothes. Quite frankly its probably time for new clothes!

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Part of trip: European Sojourn 2009

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