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Friday 31 August
We took our time over a simple breakfast, and over packing this morning, given our train to Berlin did not leave until 12:55. I made a quick trip out to get fresh rolls for our lunches from our faithful Netto, only to encounter the work experience guy on checkout duty. Slow as a wet week.
The air was cool and breezy as we set off for the short walk to the Dresden Plauen station. We soon arrived and clambered up the 40 steps to the platform, lugging cases. Caught the 11:18 S3 to the Hauptbahnhof, surprised to get our tickets checked. First time on an S-bahn anywhere. On arrival we sat in the waiting area until it was time to board the train, the EC174, which proved to be a Czeck train from Prague, and not the swish ICE.
An uneventful enough 2 hour trip, peaking at only 160 kmh (and often much slower). The only hassle was the queue of folk trying to get off at Berlin Hauptbahnhof contending with the passengers who wished to board the train, and those without seat reservations looking for non-reserved seats!
We got off the train though, and made our way up to street level at Europaplatz where we were able to catch a taxi (6 €) to our new apartment, in a relatively recently built apartment complex beside the Schifffahrtskanal, north of the Hauptbahnhof, where the Berlin Wall once stood.
Picked up the keys from the Tabac across the road and were soon settled into Steffi’s compact studio apartment. Living room spacious, but the kitchen and bedroom a little tight. After a short rest we took a walk of about a kilometre to the nearest supermarket, the slightly spiffy ‘Edeka Sapphire’, where we got essential supplies.
I took a late evening walk along the banks of the Schifffahrtskanal, finding a remnant Berlin Wall watchtower standing in the corner of our apartment complex. It is set up as a memorial to Günter Litfin, the second person to die attempting to cross from east to West Berlin, and the first to be shot by DDR guards.
Back at the apartment we had dinner, tortollini with pesto sauce and salad. I enjoyed a glass of budget red wine with the meal instead of beer.
Wine of the Day: Familie Langguth Erben Dornfelder 2017 Halbtrocken.
Saturday 1 September
A slow start to our first Saturday in Berlin. Minuk’s nerve pain bad this morning and slow to alleviate, drugs and baths notwithstanding. We set out a little after 10am, walked to Schwartzkopfstrasse U-bahn station and bought 7 day transport passes (30€ each). Took the U6 to Friedrichstrasses, then the S2 to Tiergarten.
We planned to take a leisurely walk through Tiergarten to Potsdamerplatz via the Siegessäule (Victory Column). This monument commemorates a period of successful war-making by Prussia from 1864 to 1871. The gilt winged victory ‘Victoria’ statue was added after the last of these ‘unification’ wars, which preceded the formation of the German state.
Across the traffic circle in which the column stands are massive statues to Albrecht von Roon and Otto von Bismarck, two of the leading military minds behind Prussia’s period of success through warfare.
We looked for food in the impressive Sony Centre at Potsdamer Platz, only to find it rather lacking in options, despite being a quite interesting space. So we went in search of an interesting sounding Indonesian restaurant (Mabuhay), near Mendelssohn-Bartholdy U-bahn station, only to find it closed.
So we decided to try out the famous Mustafa’s Gemüse-Döner (‘no stain, no gain’) stall, close to the Mehringdamm U-bahn station. This required another U-bahn expedition with multiple line changes. However, when we arrived, the queue, whilst not looking especially long, proved to be much too slow moving. Minuk satisfied herself with bratwurst in a roll with ketchup and a drink of coke from nearby Curry 36(much quicker service), I hatched a plan to find yet another alternative spot for a Döner fix.
Rüyam Gemüse Kebab was located in Schoneberg, a few U-bahn stations, and a couple of bus stops from Mustafa’s. I still had to wait 30 minutes for the döner to be prepared, but got to do it sitting at a table with a free glass of black tea. When it did arrive, it was worth the wait. Crisply toasted Turkish bread, tasty marinated and grilled chicken, with spicy and herb sauce, the full salad, plus grilled vegetables and some crumbled goat cheese. Yum. Managed to eat it without dropping too much on my clothes. This feast cost just 3.90 €. Bargain.
Minuk went off in search of vegetables whilst I was waiting, and came back satisfied, and with cake as well. Minuk was so taken with the bread at Rüyam‘s that she decided to buy some – only to be given two pieces because she smiled at the staff.
We decided to try out the bus back, since one of them allegedly went to the Hauptbahnhof. Sadly, the M48 stopped at Potsdamer Platz, so we had to do a bit of S-Bahn and U-bahn switches to make it back to our local station at Schwartzkopfstrasse. Minuk very glad to be back home, and enjoyed cake and tea. I took a walk to the local Netto, only to find it disappointingly small, and with a restricted range like most supermarkets here. Did manage to get some ice cream, beer and more milk to last through the Sunday drought of shops.
Dinner was light. Some Turkish bread and cream of broccoli soup. With cake (almond topped vanilla slice) and coffee.
Sunday 2 September
A leisurely morning, in keeping with a German Sunday. We ate eggs, bacon and potato cakes for breakfast. Minuk’s tummy was squirmy, so I went out for a walk to explore the remnants of the Berlin Wall which are commemorated at various places in the Mitte Neighbourhood.
My walk took me through the Invaliden-Friedhof (cemetery) which adjoins our apartment building to the south. Remnant concrete sections of the wall stand in the peaceful and spacious grounds. No doubt the monuments lying in what was once the ‘no man’s land’ of the barrier have been newly replaced. The path continues by the canal until it reaches the major road Invalidenstrasse, where I caught the M10 tram to Bernauer Strasse where stands an interpretation centre, a lookout tower, adjacent to a restored portion of the wall showing its extent and form, including a guard tower, but eschewing the barbed wire and other obstacles which once were installed within the boundaries of the barrier. Where no wall now stand, the former course is denoted by vertical rusted steel posts, standing for the reinforcement which formed part of the concrete barrier. In the grassy expanses stand information boards where visitors can read as much or as little as they wish of the events of 1961 to 1989 when the wall stood, and most particularly, the individual stories of people whose lives were impacted by this extreme form of ‘border protection’.
Walked back to the apartment via the Berlin Mauerweg, which wandered through areas which are wasteland still, under decaying railway bridges and finally back to our apartment where Minuk was sufficiently recovered to do some exploring.
Today’s target was the ‘East Side Gallery’ another remnant section of the Berlin Wall by the Spree River, which has been colourfully painted with graffiti murals, and not just in the mindless tagging sense (though there is much of that). We took the U6 from Shwartzkopfstrasse to Friedrichstrasse, changing to the S5 to make the long above ground trip to Warschauerstrasse, the closest station to the site. It was lunchtime however, so we stopped at ‘Seoul Kitchen’ for an excellent Korean meal. Crispy Chicken thighs with marinated vegetables plus bibimbap with tempura prawns were good choices.
At the 'East Side Galley, the most iconic mural was the one where Breshnev passionately kisses Honneker. Many others make for a bright panorama. The turretted Osnabrukke completes the scene. Our route home took us via Tram no 10 along the ring road – 5 and 6 story apartment buildings abound in the old East.
We go off at the Mauerpark and enjoyed the Bearpit Karaoke, plus real market of souvenirs and food. Back to apartment for Bumbu Pecel with vegies for dinner. Afterwards, ice cream
Beer of the Day: Köstritzer Kellerbier
Monday 3 September
An early start was a bit of a challenge for Minuk, but she managed with great perseverance. A light early breakfast had us out the door and walking to the bus stop before 8:30am, timed to meet our 9:15 appointment with the Reichstag dome. The TXL bus brought us to the Brandenburg Gate, which was attractively hit by the rays of the morning sun. The verdigris green copper on the surmounting quadriga was quite striking. The Pariser Platz was fairly empty at the early hour of 9am, and we were soon at the security entrance to the Bundestag. Entry through the security check was efficient and soon enough, the group of us was herded up the ramp to the building, through the imposing portal and into a huge lift.
Above us, earlier visitors walked the spiral ramps up to the peak of the dome. Solar panels on the rooftops showed confidence in the future.
The Winged Victory column rising above the green treetops of the Tiergarten, just beginning to be touched by autumn colours. View not outstanding, Berlin is a very flat city, and most buildings are of a similar height to our vantage atop the building. The modern Parliamentary district on the banks of the Spree river is clean cut and attractive
We spent about 45 minutes before descending and finding the Tourist Info on Pariser Platz where we bought Berlin Museum Pass tickets, plus booked a 3pm entry time for the Pergamon Museum.
A stroll down Unter de Linden, under the linden trees. Stopped for a coffee and cheesecake for elenvenses at Mainly Berlin.
Passing Humboldt University, we soon found the Neues Museum, reconstructed from the post-war ruins. Highlights included the Egyptian displays and the reconstructed rooms where the exhibits were displayed. Wall paintings and murals, vaulted and domed ceilings abounded in the main exhibition halls and served to enhance the experience. Nefertiti’s head, many fine reliefs. Golden Hat etc
Lunch in the café. Very filling meal of potato salad with meatballs (18.8 euro)
On to Pergamon Museum, where sadly, the eponymous altar is ‘closed for renovation’ until next year. There was however, a very substantial amount of plundered antiquities on show. Satisfied ourselves with viewing the very grand Ishtar Gate of Babylon, stunning in blue glazed brick with mythical and wild animal motifs. The reconstructed Grand ceremonial way is equally impressive.
Other highlights included the Aleppo room, Mithrabs from Konya and Kashan and an intricate wooden cupola ceiling from the Alhambra. Lesser known, but also impressive were the various remains from Samara. The huge façade of Qasr al Mishra in Jordan with stone reliefwork of animals and mythical beasts (but not in front of the Mosque!), a reminder of our long ago visit to Jordan. Finally, the market Gate of Miletus, with accompanying altar to Tiberius rounded out our visit. All antiquitied out!
Shopping at REWE in the Hauptbahnhof yielded Bratwurst, mashed potato and salad for dinner.
Beer of the Day: Märkischer Landmann Schwartzbier
Tuesday 4 September
After breakfast, we caught the TXL bus to Brandenburg Tor, then walked past the Memorial for Murdered European Jews (a field of steles, separated by undulating aisles), then onwards to the Kultureforum, where our first attraction of the day was the enormous collection of Old Masters at the Gemäldegalerie. This was quite the maze of rooms, confusingly numbered in either Arabic or Roman numerals. The paintings range from the dark and dull European landscapes to the plethora of allegorical religious paintings.
Rembrandt. Peter Paul Rubens, Hans two Vermeers, Caravaggio,
Whilst the general collection uses natural light, a special exhibition showed just how good directed artificial lighting, and
Lunch at Mabuhay, the Indonesian restaurant that was tutup when we visited on Saturday. It was amply busy today, so much so that a) getting a table was tricky and (b) they seemed to have forgotten to serve our meals. Minuk queried the manager when a few folk who arrived after us were served. We were given extra mini-spring rolls as an apology. When the meals did arrive, they were tasty enough (gulai ayam and gulai sapi), though the meat seemed to have been added after the sauce was made, not cooked in it as is more typical. Price was very reasonable, just 15 euro for food and drink.
Minuk was too tired for anything further so headed home. I returned to the Kultureforum to visit the Kuntsgerwerbemuseum (decorative arts) which was mildly interesting, with displays of Jugendstil style furniture and ceramics. Most of the collection was older, from the rococo to the baroque to the bizarre. A large collection of costumes is also well displayed, but not of much interest to me.
In the third museum of the Kulturforum, the Kupferstichkabinett, a special exhibition of prints by Rembrandt and his students was the major point of interest.
Took U2 line to Ernst-Reuterplatz to check out the Temporary Bauhaus Archive. Found it to be not much more than a shop. The new museum (opening next year) will be very impressive though.
Back home via Zoo Station, U9 to Leopoldplatz, then U6 to Schwartzkopfstrasse. Trains quite crowded and hot at 4pm.
Had a light snack before going out at 6:30pm to walk to the Reichstag for sunset and evening shots. Very pretty light. Spent some time sitting in Pariser Platz, watching the lights brighten on the Brandenburg gate as the sun set behind it. Afterwards, watched the sound and light show on the banks of the Spree, telling the history of the Reichstag and the development of parliamentary democracy in Germany. Took the TXL bus back home, making it just before 10pm.
Wednesday 5 September
Another leisurely morning, of necessity. Breakfast followed by a wait for Minuk’s nerves to play ball. We headed first for the Jewish Museum, taking the U6 to Hallesches Tor, followed by Bus No 248 right to the door.
The museum is another David Libeskind building, all angles and slopes and inclines, zinc cladding and slashes instead of windows with barely a right angle to be found. The entry is via an unremarkable baroque building, once the Prussian supreme court. After a security check, one plunges down a dark angled stairway to the connected Libeskind building, where 3 intersecting walkways represent the experiences of Jews in the 20th Century.
The Axis of Emigration, its walls emblazoned by cities to which European Jewry fled to escape the fascist onset leads to the unsettling maze of the Garden of Exile, whose sloped surfaces and tilted concrete columns make balance and orientation difficult. The Axis of the Holocaust ends in a tomb like void towering above the visitor, a representation of the loss of humanity, culture and life in Europe cause by the ‘othering’ of a people because of their faith and ethnicity. The exhibits on the walls of the axis are poignant and spare, the little things of the lives lost to their murderers. Only the Axis of Continuity leads to actual exhibits (truncated on this day due to renovation work on 2 upper levels). Of the art installations, ‘Shalekalet – Fallen Leaves’ is a highlight. Thousands of open mouthed faces, cut from rusty iron plates are scattered on the floor of a void. Their screams are silent, unless a visitor walks into the space and brings their eerie voices to life. It is a remarkably successful museum, bold and innovative, forcing thought and reflection, rather than swamping the visitor with reams upon reams of information.
After our visit we took bus 248 onward to Alexanderplatz, the vast central plaza of the old East Berlin, towered over by the bulb of the TV tower. We took the U8 to Rosenthaler Platz, in the Kreutzburg district, streets lined with cafes, boutiques and restaurants.
We chose Transit Restaurant – Asian tapas – picked 4, all great, cost only 24 euro.
Walked to the Bode Museum. Grand rooms and a fascinating exhibit which juxtaposed African artifacts with European or classical equivalents, asking the question what is art, and what is craft. Amongst the other exhibits is an entire mosaic from Ravenna, and lots and lots of religious artifacts.
Our final destination, the Altes Museum focuses on Greek, Roman and Etruscan statuary and sculpture, ceramics. A grand rotunda is dedicated to the Roman Pantheon, and was populated by art students duly sketching. There was also a fine room of Greek erotica.
Alte Nationalgalerie had timed entry and a long queue, so gave it a miss.
Back home by Tram M5, which took us back to Invaliden Park, where once more the 120 bus failed to show. We had bumbu Pecel with vegies for dinner, and farewelled Jon, Jo & Caleb, plus Mum via phone and WhatsApp on their various flights.
Beer of the day: Augustiner Bräu Edelstoff
Thursday 6 September
Another sunny morning in Berlin. The weather has certainly been kind to us this trip, with a limited number of damp days, and also a limited number of unpleasantly hot ones. I’m looking at you Tallinn and Leipzig. We had a leisurely breakfast as Minuk got her bones moving.
Today’s plan was for a day trip out to the palaces and park of Sanssouci, near the town of Potsdam. Wonder of wonders, the 120 bus showed up to save us a walk. We had some trouble with recalcitrant Ticket machines, which were unwilling to sell us the Extension tickets we need to extend our 7 day passes for the trip into the Potsdam zone. We found one which worked at the reservation office, and made the 10:11am RE1 train.
We were in Potsdam within 30 minutes, and despite some confusion over the place to catch the bus, eventually found the 695 bus, which brought us to the Ticket office of the Sanssouci Palace via a roundabout route through Potsdam.
We bought tickets for a 1pm entry to the palace (12 euro each), and went to the Weingarten café for coffee and cake and a coke (9.90 euro), before going for a walk into the gardens prior to our palace visit. We walked out to the Orangerie Schloss, which required a long walk up steps to reach the terrace with its reflecting pool.
The walk toward the Sanssouci Palace was shady along the Hauptallee, which runs a straight kilometre and a half between the grand Frederican Rococo façade of the Neues Palace to the circular pool and fountain at the base of the famous wine terraces of Sanssouci. Caught a glimpse of the Chinese House along the way. We made our way up the terraces to the wide façade of what was Frederick the Great’s Summer Palace to await our appointed entry time, enclosed by the Corinthian colonnades of the semicircular cour d'honneur.
The palace has just twelve rooms, the king’s own rooms being the most extravagantly decorated with gold leaf rococo moldings and paintings by French artists of the rococo fête galante style. The art is chosen for its relationship to the meaning of Sanssouci – to be without cares. Because the palace is situated in a vineyard, vines and grapes are a common element in the decoration. The other major element is that of music, drama and poetry. The Music room and the grand oval Marble Hall are the most spectacular of the rooms, whilst the guest rooms are more restrained and austere. The Kings own bedroom and study has been remodeled in more retrained classical style, though the armchair in which he died has been returned to the room. The final flourish is the Voltaire or Flower room, with extravagant painted woodcarvings of the natural world, from flowers to parrots, vines and squirrels, even a monkey extruding from its yellow walls.
After an ice cream break at the Weingarten, we set off to walk (via the Chinese House , an elaborate folly of Chinoiserie, (of very well crafted, but utterly crass gilt statuary adorning a little garden pavilion) through the huge Sanssouci parkland to view the grandeur of the Neues Palasi. A striking contrast to the playfulness and intimacy of Frederick’s Weinberghäuschen ("my little vineyard house") this building is all about demonstrating the power and wealth appropriate to the king of Prussia.
We made it to the Bahnhof at Potsdam Park just in time to catch the 15:47 RE1 back to Berlin. And at the bahnhof, the No 120 bus again blessed us with its timely arrival.
After a rest and a Happy Hour snack it was time for dinner, which consisted of marinated pork steaks with any and all of our remaining vegetables. Finished our ice cream too.
Beer of the Day: Veltins Grevensteiner Naturtrübes Landbier
Friday 7 September
Woke to a drizzly morning. Began packing after breakfast. Ate up most of the food.
I took a quick trip out to see ‘Checkpoint Charlie’, which is now just a ‘photo opportunity’. Easy visit using the U6 line from Schwartzkopfstrasse to Kochstrasse. I also walked to the Walter Gropiusbau, passing the ‘Topography of terror’ museum, behind a section of remnant Berlin Wall, where a presentation of the events of 1933, and Germany’s descent from democracy to fascism was on display in pictures and text.
On the way back I spied actual Trabants, both on the road, and waiting to be driven. They were a VERY basic car.
Back at the apartment we finished packing and set out at 12:20 to find lunch. The No 120 bus played ball for once and arrived, an connected with the M8 tram which took us to Rosenthaler Platz. We ate once more at the Transit Restaurant, enjoying tasty Asian tapas. Again the bill was 24 euro. Returned to Steffi’s via the Hauptbahnhof, since Minuk wanted pretzels in case of hunger at the airport or on our flights.
For some reason, the No 120 bus was packed from the starting point. Had never seen more than half a dozen board at a time before. We said hi and thanks to Steffi, collected our bags and returned to the bus stop to get down to Invaliden Park where we caught a very full TXL bus, which proceeded to become fuller still at the Hauptbahnhof. I had to stand the whole trip, though Minuk was fortunate enough to score a seat.
We were at the airport by 4pm. Tegel is a pretty grungy looking airport, but was not as bad as some reports suggested. Our gate was not yet open, so we connected to the free wifi to pass the time. Lucky we did, as there was a message from Airbnb advising that our accommodation in Hong Kong had been cancelled by our host. This was not good news, but we were able to rebook an acceptable place in Wan Chai in pretty quick time. Meanwhile, the gate opened, we dropped our bags and proceeded through a rather slow and inefficient security check. We managed to score an empty seat between us as well.
The flight to Helsinki (AY1486) was on time departing, and also on arrival in Helsinki, so no problems with making the connection to our flight to Hong Kong this time, despite the long walk between gates in a nearly empty airport. Boarding was a little late, but everyone was on board by midnight. A full flight, so no empty seat for us this time.
We took our time over a simple breakfast, and over packing this morning, given our train to Berlin did not leave until 12:55. I made a quick trip out to get fresh rolls for our lunches from our faithful Netto, only to encounter the work experience guy on checkout duty. Slow as a wet week.
The air was cool and breezy as we set off for the short walk to the Dresden Plauen station. We soon arrived and clambered up the 40 steps to the platform, lugging cases. Caught the 11:18 S3 to the Hauptbahnhof, surprised to get our tickets checked. First time on an S-bahn anywhere. On arrival we sat in the waiting area until it was time to board the train, the EC174, which proved to be a Czeck train from Prague, and not the swish ICE.
An uneventful enough 2 hour trip, peaking at only 160 kmh (and often much slower). The only hassle was the queue of folk trying to get off at Berlin Hauptbahnhof contending with the passengers who wished to board the train, and those without seat reservations looking for non-reserved seats!
We got off the train though, and made our way up to street level at Europaplatz where we were able to catch a taxi (6 €) to our new apartment, in a relatively recently built apartment complex beside the Schifffahrtskanal, north of the Hauptbahnhof, where the Berlin Wall once stood.
Picked up the keys from the Tabac across the road and were soon settled into Steffi’s compact studio apartment. Living room spacious, but the kitchen and bedroom a little tight. After a short rest we took a walk of about a kilometre to the nearest supermarket, the slightly spiffy ‘Edeka Sapphire’, where we got essential supplies.
I took a late evening walk along the banks of the Schifffahrtskanal, finding a remnant Berlin Wall watchtower standing in the corner of our apartment complex. It is set up as a memorial to Günter Litfin, the second person to die attempting to cross from east to West Berlin, and the first to be shot by DDR guards.
Back at the apartment we had dinner, tortollini with pesto sauce and salad. I enjoyed a glass of budget red wine with the meal instead of beer.
Wine of the Day: Familie Langguth Erben Dornfelder 2017 Halbtrocken.
Saturday 1 September
A slow start to our first Saturday in Berlin. Minuk’s nerve pain bad this morning and slow to alleviate, drugs and baths notwithstanding. We set out a little after 10am, walked to Schwartzkopfstrasse U-bahn station and bought 7 day transport passes (30€ each). Took the U6 to Friedrichstrasses, then the S2 to Tiergarten.
We planned to take a leisurely walk through Tiergarten to Potsdamerplatz via the Siegessäule (Victory Column). This monument commemorates a period of successful war-making by Prussia from 1864 to 1871. The gilt winged victory ‘Victoria’ statue was added after the last of these ‘unification’ wars, which preceded the formation of the German state.
Across the traffic circle in which the column stands are massive statues to Albrecht von Roon and Otto von Bismarck, two of the leading military minds behind Prussia’s period of success through warfare.
We looked for food in the impressive Sony Centre at Potsdamer Platz, only to find it rather lacking in options, despite being a quite interesting space. So we went in search of an interesting sounding Indonesian restaurant (Mabuhay), near Mendelssohn-Bartholdy U-bahn station, only to find it closed.
So we decided to try out the famous Mustafa’s Gemüse-Döner (‘no stain, no gain’) stall, close to the Mehringdamm U-bahn station. This required another U-bahn expedition with multiple line changes. However, when we arrived, the queue, whilst not looking especially long, proved to be much too slow moving. Minuk satisfied herself with bratwurst in a roll with ketchup and a drink of coke from nearby Curry 36(much quicker service), I hatched a plan to find yet another alternative spot for a Döner fix.
Rüyam Gemüse Kebab was located in Schoneberg, a few U-bahn stations, and a couple of bus stops from Mustafa’s. I still had to wait 30 minutes for the döner to be prepared, but got to do it sitting at a table with a free glass of black tea. When it did arrive, it was worth the wait. Crisply toasted Turkish bread, tasty marinated and grilled chicken, with spicy and herb sauce, the full salad, plus grilled vegetables and some crumbled goat cheese. Yum. Managed to eat it without dropping too much on my clothes. This feast cost just 3.90 €. Bargain.
Minuk went off in search of vegetables whilst I was waiting, and came back satisfied, and with cake as well. Minuk was so taken with the bread at Rüyam‘s that she decided to buy some – only to be given two pieces because she smiled at the staff.
We decided to try out the bus back, since one of them allegedly went to the Hauptbahnhof. Sadly, the M48 stopped at Potsdamer Platz, so we had to do a bit of S-Bahn and U-bahn switches to make it back to our local station at Schwartzkopfstrasse. Minuk very glad to be back home, and enjoyed cake and tea. I took a walk to the local Netto, only to find it disappointingly small, and with a restricted range like most supermarkets here. Did manage to get some ice cream, beer and more milk to last through the Sunday drought of shops.
Dinner was light. Some Turkish bread and cream of broccoli soup. With cake (almond topped vanilla slice) and coffee.
Sunday 2 September
A leisurely morning, in keeping with a German Sunday. We ate eggs, bacon and potato cakes for breakfast. Minuk’s tummy was squirmy, so I went out for a walk to explore the remnants of the Berlin Wall which are commemorated at various places in the Mitte Neighbourhood.
My walk took me through the Invaliden-Friedhof (cemetery) which adjoins our apartment building to the south. Remnant concrete sections of the wall stand in the peaceful and spacious grounds. No doubt the monuments lying in what was once the ‘no man’s land’ of the barrier have been newly replaced. The path continues by the canal until it reaches the major road Invalidenstrasse, where I caught the M10 tram to Bernauer Strasse where stands an interpretation centre, a lookout tower, adjacent to a restored portion of the wall showing its extent and form, including a guard tower, but eschewing the barbed wire and other obstacles which once were installed within the boundaries of the barrier. Where no wall now stand, the former course is denoted by vertical rusted steel posts, standing for the reinforcement which formed part of the concrete barrier. In the grassy expanses stand information boards where visitors can read as much or as little as they wish of the events of 1961 to 1989 when the wall stood, and most particularly, the individual stories of people whose lives were impacted by this extreme form of ‘border protection’.
Walked back to the apartment via the Berlin Mauerweg, which wandered through areas which are wasteland still, under decaying railway bridges and finally back to our apartment where Minuk was sufficiently recovered to do some exploring.
Today’s target was the ‘East Side Gallery’ another remnant section of the Berlin Wall by the Spree River, which has been colourfully painted with graffiti murals, and not just in the mindless tagging sense (though there is much of that). We took the U6 from Shwartzkopfstrasse to Friedrichstrasse, changing to the S5 to make the long above ground trip to Warschauerstrasse, the closest station to the site. It was lunchtime however, so we stopped at ‘Seoul Kitchen’ for an excellent Korean meal. Crispy Chicken thighs with marinated vegetables plus bibimbap with tempura prawns were good choices.
At the 'East Side Galley, the most iconic mural was the one where Breshnev passionately kisses Honneker. Many others make for a bright panorama. The turretted Osnabrukke completes the scene. Our route home took us via Tram no 10 along the ring road – 5 and 6 story apartment buildings abound in the old East.
We go off at the Mauerpark and enjoyed the Bearpit Karaoke, plus real market of souvenirs and food. Back to apartment for Bumbu Pecel with vegies for dinner. Afterwards, ice cream
Beer of the Day: Köstritzer Kellerbier
Monday 3 September
An early start was a bit of a challenge for Minuk, but she managed with great perseverance. A light early breakfast had us out the door and walking to the bus stop before 8:30am, timed to meet our 9:15 appointment with the Reichstag dome. The TXL bus brought us to the Brandenburg Gate, which was attractively hit by the rays of the morning sun. The verdigris green copper on the surmounting quadriga was quite striking. The Pariser Platz was fairly empty at the early hour of 9am, and we were soon at the security entrance to the Bundestag. Entry through the security check was efficient and soon enough, the group of us was herded up the ramp to the building, through the imposing portal and into a huge lift.
Above us, earlier visitors walked the spiral ramps up to the peak of the dome. Solar panels on the rooftops showed confidence in the future.
The Winged Victory column rising above the green treetops of the Tiergarten, just beginning to be touched by autumn colours. View not outstanding, Berlin is a very flat city, and most buildings are of a similar height to our vantage atop the building. The modern Parliamentary district on the banks of the Spree river is clean cut and attractive
We spent about 45 minutes before descending and finding the Tourist Info on Pariser Platz where we bought Berlin Museum Pass tickets, plus booked a 3pm entry time for the Pergamon Museum.
A stroll down Unter de Linden, under the linden trees. Stopped for a coffee and cheesecake for elenvenses at Mainly Berlin.
Passing Humboldt University, we soon found the Neues Museum, reconstructed from the post-war ruins. Highlights included the Egyptian displays and the reconstructed rooms where the exhibits were displayed. Wall paintings and murals, vaulted and domed ceilings abounded in the main exhibition halls and served to enhance the experience. Nefertiti’s head, many fine reliefs. Golden Hat etc
Lunch in the café. Very filling meal of potato salad with meatballs (18.8 euro)
On to Pergamon Museum, where sadly, the eponymous altar is ‘closed for renovation’ until next year. There was however, a very substantial amount of plundered antiquities on show. Satisfied ourselves with viewing the very grand Ishtar Gate of Babylon, stunning in blue glazed brick with mythical and wild animal motifs. The reconstructed Grand ceremonial way is equally impressive.
Other highlights included the Aleppo room, Mithrabs from Konya and Kashan and an intricate wooden cupola ceiling from the Alhambra. Lesser known, but also impressive were the various remains from Samara. The huge façade of Qasr al Mishra in Jordan with stone reliefwork of animals and mythical beasts (but not in front of the Mosque!), a reminder of our long ago visit to Jordan. Finally, the market Gate of Miletus, with accompanying altar to Tiberius rounded out our visit. All antiquitied out!
Shopping at REWE in the Hauptbahnhof yielded Bratwurst, mashed potato and salad for dinner.
Beer of the Day: Märkischer Landmann Schwartzbier
Tuesday 4 September
After breakfast, we caught the TXL bus to Brandenburg Tor, then walked past the Memorial for Murdered European Jews (a field of steles, separated by undulating aisles), then onwards to the Kultureforum, where our first attraction of the day was the enormous collection of Old Masters at the Gemäldegalerie. This was quite the maze of rooms, confusingly numbered in either Arabic or Roman numerals. The paintings range from the dark and dull European landscapes to the plethora of allegorical religious paintings.
Rembrandt. Peter Paul Rubens, Hans two Vermeers, Caravaggio,
Whilst the general collection uses natural light, a special exhibition showed just how good directed artificial lighting, and
Lunch at Mabuhay, the Indonesian restaurant that was tutup when we visited on Saturday. It was amply busy today, so much so that a) getting a table was tricky and (b) they seemed to have forgotten to serve our meals. Minuk queried the manager when a few folk who arrived after us were served. We were given extra mini-spring rolls as an apology. When the meals did arrive, they were tasty enough (gulai ayam and gulai sapi), though the meat seemed to have been added after the sauce was made, not cooked in it as is more typical. Price was very reasonable, just 15 euro for food and drink.
Minuk was too tired for anything further so headed home. I returned to the Kultureforum to visit the Kuntsgerwerbemuseum (decorative arts) which was mildly interesting, with displays of Jugendstil style furniture and ceramics. Most of the collection was older, from the rococo to the baroque to the bizarre. A large collection of costumes is also well displayed, but not of much interest to me.
In the third museum of the Kulturforum, the Kupferstichkabinett, a special exhibition of prints by Rembrandt and his students was the major point of interest.
Took U2 line to Ernst-Reuterplatz to check out the Temporary Bauhaus Archive. Found it to be not much more than a shop. The new museum (opening next year) will be very impressive though.
Back home via Zoo Station, U9 to Leopoldplatz, then U6 to Schwartzkopfstrasse. Trains quite crowded and hot at 4pm.
Had a light snack before going out at 6:30pm to walk to the Reichstag for sunset and evening shots. Very pretty light. Spent some time sitting in Pariser Platz, watching the lights brighten on the Brandenburg gate as the sun set behind it. Afterwards, watched the sound and light show on the banks of the Spree, telling the history of the Reichstag and the development of parliamentary democracy in Germany. Took the TXL bus back home, making it just before 10pm.
Wednesday 5 September
Another leisurely morning, of necessity. Breakfast followed by a wait for Minuk’s nerves to play ball. We headed first for the Jewish Museum, taking the U6 to Hallesches Tor, followed by Bus No 248 right to the door.
The museum is another David Libeskind building, all angles and slopes and inclines, zinc cladding and slashes instead of windows with barely a right angle to be found. The entry is via an unremarkable baroque building, once the Prussian supreme court. After a security check, one plunges down a dark angled stairway to the connected Libeskind building, where 3 intersecting walkways represent the experiences of Jews in the 20th Century.
The Axis of Emigration, its walls emblazoned by cities to which European Jewry fled to escape the fascist onset leads to the unsettling maze of the Garden of Exile, whose sloped surfaces and tilted concrete columns make balance and orientation difficult. The Axis of the Holocaust ends in a tomb like void towering above the visitor, a representation of the loss of humanity, culture and life in Europe cause by the ‘othering’ of a people because of their faith and ethnicity. The exhibits on the walls of the axis are poignant and spare, the little things of the lives lost to their murderers. Only the Axis of Continuity leads to actual exhibits (truncated on this day due to renovation work on 2 upper levels). Of the art installations, ‘Shalekalet – Fallen Leaves’ is a highlight. Thousands of open mouthed faces, cut from rusty iron plates are scattered on the floor of a void. Their screams are silent, unless a visitor walks into the space and brings their eerie voices to life. It is a remarkably successful museum, bold and innovative, forcing thought and reflection, rather than swamping the visitor with reams upon reams of information.
After our visit we took bus 248 onward to Alexanderplatz, the vast central plaza of the old East Berlin, towered over by the bulb of the TV tower. We took the U8 to Rosenthaler Platz, in the Kreutzburg district, streets lined with cafes, boutiques and restaurants.
We chose Transit Restaurant – Asian tapas – picked 4, all great, cost only 24 euro.
Walked to the Bode Museum. Grand rooms and a fascinating exhibit which juxtaposed African artifacts with European or classical equivalents, asking the question what is art, and what is craft. Amongst the other exhibits is an entire mosaic from Ravenna, and lots and lots of religious artifacts.
Our final destination, the Altes Museum focuses on Greek, Roman and Etruscan statuary and sculpture, ceramics. A grand rotunda is dedicated to the Roman Pantheon, and was populated by art students duly sketching. There was also a fine room of Greek erotica.
Alte Nationalgalerie had timed entry and a long queue, so gave it a miss.
Back home by Tram M5, which took us back to Invaliden Park, where once more the 120 bus failed to show. We had bumbu Pecel with vegies for dinner, and farewelled Jon, Jo & Caleb, plus Mum via phone and WhatsApp on their various flights.
Beer of the day: Augustiner Bräu Edelstoff
Thursday 6 September
Another sunny morning in Berlin. The weather has certainly been kind to us this trip, with a limited number of damp days, and also a limited number of unpleasantly hot ones. I’m looking at you Tallinn and Leipzig. We had a leisurely breakfast as Minuk got her bones moving.
Today’s plan was for a day trip out to the palaces and park of Sanssouci, near the town of Potsdam. Wonder of wonders, the 120 bus showed up to save us a walk. We had some trouble with recalcitrant Ticket machines, which were unwilling to sell us the Extension tickets we need to extend our 7 day passes for the trip into the Potsdam zone. We found one which worked at the reservation office, and made the 10:11am RE1 train.
We were in Potsdam within 30 minutes, and despite some confusion over the place to catch the bus, eventually found the 695 bus, which brought us to the Ticket office of the Sanssouci Palace via a roundabout route through Potsdam.
We bought tickets for a 1pm entry to the palace (12 euro each), and went to the Weingarten café for coffee and cake and a coke (9.90 euro), before going for a walk into the gardens prior to our palace visit. We walked out to the Orangerie Schloss, which required a long walk up steps to reach the terrace with its reflecting pool.
The walk toward the Sanssouci Palace was shady along the Hauptallee, which runs a straight kilometre and a half between the grand Frederican Rococo façade of the Neues Palace to the circular pool and fountain at the base of the famous wine terraces of Sanssouci. Caught a glimpse of the Chinese House along the way. We made our way up the terraces to the wide façade of what was Frederick the Great’s Summer Palace to await our appointed entry time, enclosed by the Corinthian colonnades of the semicircular cour d'honneur.
The palace has just twelve rooms, the king’s own rooms being the most extravagantly decorated with gold leaf rococo moldings and paintings by French artists of the rococo fête galante style. The art is chosen for its relationship to the meaning of Sanssouci – to be without cares. Because the palace is situated in a vineyard, vines and grapes are a common element in the decoration. The other major element is that of music, drama and poetry. The Music room and the grand oval Marble Hall are the most spectacular of the rooms, whilst the guest rooms are more restrained and austere. The Kings own bedroom and study has been remodeled in more retrained classical style, though the armchair in which he died has been returned to the room. The final flourish is the Voltaire or Flower room, with extravagant painted woodcarvings of the natural world, from flowers to parrots, vines and squirrels, even a monkey extruding from its yellow walls.
After an ice cream break at the Weingarten, we set off to walk (via the Chinese House , an elaborate folly of Chinoiserie, (of very well crafted, but utterly crass gilt statuary adorning a little garden pavilion) through the huge Sanssouci parkland to view the grandeur of the Neues Palasi. A striking contrast to the playfulness and intimacy of Frederick’s Weinberghäuschen ("my little vineyard house") this building is all about demonstrating the power and wealth appropriate to the king of Prussia.
We made it to the Bahnhof at Potsdam Park just in time to catch the 15:47 RE1 back to Berlin. And at the bahnhof, the No 120 bus again blessed us with its timely arrival.
After a rest and a Happy Hour snack it was time for dinner, which consisted of marinated pork steaks with any and all of our remaining vegetables. Finished our ice cream too.
Beer of the Day: Veltins Grevensteiner Naturtrübes Landbier
Friday 7 September
Woke to a drizzly morning. Began packing after breakfast. Ate up most of the food.
I took a quick trip out to see ‘Checkpoint Charlie’, which is now just a ‘photo opportunity’. Easy visit using the U6 line from Schwartzkopfstrasse to Kochstrasse. I also walked to the Walter Gropiusbau, passing the ‘Topography of terror’ museum, behind a section of remnant Berlin Wall, where a presentation of the events of 1933, and Germany’s descent from democracy to fascism was on display in pictures and text.
On the way back I spied actual Trabants, both on the road, and waiting to be driven. They were a VERY basic car.
Back at the apartment we finished packing and set out at 12:20 to find lunch. The No 120 bus played ball for once and arrived, an connected with the M8 tram which took us to Rosenthaler Platz. We ate once more at the Transit Restaurant, enjoying tasty Asian tapas. Again the bill was 24 euro. Returned to Steffi’s via the Hauptbahnhof, since Minuk wanted pretzels in case of hunger at the airport or on our flights.
For some reason, the No 120 bus was packed from the starting point. Had never seen more than half a dozen board at a time before. We said hi and thanks to Steffi, collected our bags and returned to the bus stop to get down to Invaliden Park where we caught a very full TXL bus, which proceeded to become fuller still at the Hauptbahnhof. I had to stand the whole trip, though Minuk was fortunate enough to score a seat.
We were at the airport by 4pm. Tegel is a pretty grungy looking airport, but was not as bad as some reports suggested. Our gate was not yet open, so we connected to the free wifi to pass the time. Lucky we did, as there was a message from Airbnb advising that our accommodation in Hong Kong had been cancelled by our host. This was not good news, but we were able to rebook an acceptable place in Wan Chai in pretty quick time. Meanwhile, the gate opened, we dropped our bags and proceeded through a rather slow and inefficient security check. We managed to score an empty seat between us as well.
The flight to Helsinki (AY1486) was on time departing, and also on arrival in Helsinki, so no problems with making the connection to our flight to Hong Kong this time, despite the long walk between gates in a nearly empty airport. Boarding was a little late, but everyone was on board by midnight. A full flight, so no empty seat for us this time.