Day 5 - Berlin

After a very sketchy night - I’m sure this building is constructed of iron just skimmed with plaster and was once a borstal / correctional facility. (For my American family) as has the lay out and attributes of a secure facility (doors opening outwards / steel trims / limited passages (uprising easily containable).

Anyway,  I have to say this place provides an all you can eat breakfast for 6 euros which isn’t bad and they make me tea and there’s a lovely little Italian restaurant next door where the waiter is getting very friendly - and no Tracy Sheldon I have not offered him sweeties!

Today’s activities:

I must admit this place is very centrally placed for all the important touristy sights - you can pretty much walk anywhere from here, but I have found that you can buy a Berlin transportation ticket for 7 euros a day which can get you anywhere in the central Berlin area - great value, love it!  First port of call was to be the Spy Museum but got distracted enroute by the Topography of Terror exhibition.  This follows the development of Hitler from political wannabe to Chancellor in a matter of months and tracks cronologically the early months of his ‘reign’.  The outdoor exhibition is on the site of the old SS Headquarters where a lot of people where inprisioned, beat up (or as they say ‘maltreated’) and often shot.  This is also the site of the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall - so very historical in many aspects.

 

 

Continuing on to the Deutche Spy Museum for a fun hour or so - very interactive, great fun and informative.  How uncomfortable must this bra have been!

 

Dressed up as a spy

I then got the transportation ticket and went to Freidrichstrasse and onto the Brandenberg Gate - very touristy and lots of the usual horse drawn carriages and pretzel sellers etc.  But the gate itself is amazing and you can imagining the history it has seen.  By the way, on the way to the gate I past a building that had an exhibition about Willy Brandt in - I just had to go in and view this - what a man, a true survivor of evil and spent his life working towards unity for the German people and world peace truly deserving of his Noble Peace Prize.

After the Brandenburg Gate I made my way to Alexanderplaza and Fernsehturm, total height is 368m with an observation platform at 206m.  Beautiful 360 degrees view of Berlin and there is a handy bar up their to get a well needed drink. 

Back on the subway, very easy to get around Berlin as once you have your ticket validated there are no other barriers to go through, to Potsdam Plaza (any Homeland fans may remember this in the 3rd series I think it was when Saul met a German Agent outside and I think it Carrie who was push into a van here.).  The Germans have cleverly marked the route of the old Berlin Wall here by erecting blue pipes and you can see how it dissected the city.