Berlin

Monday night we arrived into Berlin, and stayed at a little apartment Nat had found. Up for breakfast, and a quick walk through the construction zones of Berlin, we finally made it to the bustling and happening Berlin that everyone raves about - in glorious sunshine.

Facinated by the East German chubby and animated Amplemann, we stopped off at the shop selling all the traffic-light-man gear. We then walked along Unter den Linden to the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of the divison of the city between East and West.

We lined up for the dome and rooftop veiws of the city from the Reichstag building, before walking through Tierpark to central Berlin, where we following the Berlin Wall remaining cobbled path to Checkpoint Charlie.

The Checkpoint Charlie Museum was a collection of stories and accounts, and artifacts from the experince of the city divided. A fairly confusing museum, with no distinct layout or chronology...I don't know if I understand what the wall was all about any more after this visit than before! Loads of accounts of attempts to break through, to escape, and reactions to the tearing down of the wall were powerful, nonetheless.

After this, and a look at the East Side Gallery, which is the longest portion of the not so well preserved wall, we treked over town to catch up with Nick, for a beer or two. Was lovely to see Nick, who I haven't seen his 30th in Sydney.

Another mad and stressful dash to an airport for a flight I came so close to missing, I was back in London late, late on Tuesday night.