Berlin

Day 100 -103

5th to 7th August

First priority? Bratwurst!

Joined a walking tour with an Australian woman, studying acting, as our guide. Quite bizarre except that we have found, in some cases, the aliens are more interested in the history of a place than the residents.

Alexanderplatz is the city’s hub and is a vibrant space a lot going on: bands, food stands including  pretzels and bratwurst. The favourite of the Berliners is Bratwurst curry: diced sausage served on a plate with tomato sauce, curry powder and a toothpick. Interesting, but the original is much better.

 

Berlin is built on a swamp so buildings are not too tall and any excavations  have pipes erected to pump the water out. The landscape is full of  blue pipes rising up and over the roads.

The TV tower was in East Berlin and their tallest building. It transmitted 1 television station and even though the East Berliners could pick up Western TV shows, it was a criminal offence to have your TV tuned this way. Teachers would ask children questions regarding Western TV shows to find out if their parents were tuned into West Berlin. Can’t get lost in Berlin because you can always see the tower.

 

Marienkirche is the oldest church in Berlin and copped a bit of damage as did the Berlin Cathedral. Martin Luther stands proudly nearby.

 

Shrapnel damage is still evident on the walls of these buildings although a lot of the structure and façade has been repaired. The park in front of the Dom is so well utilised with bands, picnics and gatherings.

Checkpoint Charlie was not what we expected. The Brandenberg Gate is awesome in its history and stature. It was great being there. Not much of the wall is left but the souvenir shops are still selling pieces of concrete with a splash of paint on them. Hitlers bunker is a carpark but you can go to a museum that is a mock up of what it would have been like. No thanks.

 

The Bebelplatz is the site of one of the infamous Nazi bookburnings where so many original books by famous authors were lost forever. A memorial is set beneath the ground showing a room of empty bookcases through a perspex window.

 

There are bookstalls outside the university and small subtle brass plaques set in the footpath with the names of the scholars who were sent to concentration camps and died there. Potsdamer Platz hosts a history walk explaining the war and the wall.

 

The pieces of wall are covered in chewing gum to the point where they look quite artistic – from a distance.

 

There is a  car that is well known here called a Trabi. In East Berlin, if you wanted to buy a car you could have your choice as long as it was a Trabi and it would take 12 months to deliver. They are now rented out to tourists.

 

A double paved line outlines the walls boundary. So much wall is available for sale. At Checkpoint Charlie it is sold by the gram authenticated by a certificate. You can also buy a piece attached to a postcard for 2 Euros. Need a forensic guy for these purchases.

 

 

 

Berlin is a bit like Melbourne. Sunny in the morning and torrential rain and cold in the afternoon. It still lives and breathes what went on over 70 years ago, probably because tourism drives it that way. It is a city of food, drink and alternative lifestyles as historically it always has been. Anything goes here.

Two flea markets, a schnitzel, a beer and we are done!