We’ve booked at great hotel Hotel Kastanienhof— it’s in the "communist" side (aka East Berlin) - of course now it's difficult to tell them apart. The street we're in as a great bohemian vibe. The shops (especially the clothes ones) offer something different--Australia is all big box stores (lets be honest) and so I love scrounging around in different places.
Everyone will tell you Berlin is big and it doesn't really have a 'centre' - cos there's nothing left of an "old town". So it's a collection of biggish areas. We tried to cover as much as we could first day but as it was raining today we gave up and caught a hop-on hop-off bus. Yes we know it's the most touristy thing to do but it gives a great overview of a place. Hey BTW, Big Bus Berlin - your online ordering system sucks.
It was great fun - we grabbed the top deck front two seats so we got to careen around corners and almost smash our faces when the driver hit the breaks. But the best part -- an American woman, She sat beside the commentary guide and helped fill him in any silence. For example
"This area was a park where I played and had family bbqs in the 1980s and now it's been developed"
"I guess there was a problem with the developers"
"Um, well, like any city there was discussion..."
"And what did you do in the park again?"
"BBQs and played ..."
"Played with other people"
"Umm well family I guess"
"Your family?"
".....
Then she and her husband had a loud and complex discussion about whether they should get off at a certain stop. Bill and I were deliciously amused. And felt smug as we remembered our Bose headphones and could actually hear what the guide (and her interjections) was saying.
The drivers here are killers. Gone is the Danish politeness to the biking community. And they clearly don’t have a rule for “wait til pedestrians finish crossing”. But you gotta love Ampelmann (the traffic light dude) -- read this CNN article for the whole story.
We noticed in London earlier this year all sorts of traffic light men--so I'll write up something on them when I have time. Meanwhile, I'm thinking Brisbane could do with something a little more fun in its lights.
Tomorrow I’m just going to do some shopping. The whole WW2 thing is just too sad and too damn big for me. We’ve visited Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It's soo big and so many - six million. It's overwhelming and so freaking overwhelming - I just cannot comprehend it or people.
It's just past the Brandenburgh Gate--we were there with the striking famers. The city was at a virtual standstill --- honking horns, pissed off drivers and even more pissed off farmers. Before Bill and Toni
After Bill and Toni
We felt like Forest Gump - everywhere we go lately something big is happening. Remember, we were just in Hong Kong.
Toilets - why do I have to pay 50c each time I go to a toilet - even in a shop / shopping centre. What’s that about?
Okay it's time to go to sleep. Tomorrow is another day....
