Two Old Relics discovering the Fountain of Youth!

True Berliner 

Work by Noir

Along the watchtower

Where are all the people?

A tea with a view

Berlin brickwork

Shelter building for charity

Michal Negrin rules

Post by Jane

We are now masters of the train system.  Validating our tickets and dashing through platforms with the ease of true Berliners (we are now getting mistaken for locals) we arrive at our destination – Potsdammer Platz. Luck arrives once again as we take a short cut through what looks like an alley to a piece of the Berlin wall outside a shopping mall.  Lured in by something that looked like barbed wire we discover it is the 25^th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall and we are absorbed by a cleverly organised exhibition. We were both moved by the emotion of a short documentary on the very night the wall fell.  We truly now have a better understanding of what it meant for both East and West Berliners.

We were also lucky enough to see the last original watch tower still standing a stones throw away from the shopping centre.

At the Germaldegalerie we need a quick apple strudel and tea to get us through the art gallery - we were able to do in less than two hours – where are all the people? Having the entire gallery practically to ourselves was such a pleasant way to see works by Rembrandt, Vemeer, Bottecelli, etc….best painting goes to – The Fountain of Youth by Lucas Cranachda.

After lunch we go our separate ways I go off to see an exhibition of Mario Testino photographs and Catherine learns about the dispute over the Guelph treasure.

As we leave the gallery we make a dash to the Berlin Philarmonic to arrive just before the heavens open.  We are privy to listening to a group of school kids practicing their vocals and watching people flood in to queue for tickets before the ticket office is even open.  Making a dash through towers we head over to the Panoramapunkt and enjoy spectacular views of the city.   Relaxing with a cuppa and cake we soak in the views breathe in the lovely ambience of the lovely bar at the top of this well positioned building. We are feeling very smug we have had a great day and this is as this is the better way of seeing the views without jostling with thousands of others at the Berlin TV tower.

Of course, we do our regularly late afternoon look around the shops.  An hour turns into three and Catherine is now resting, with her feet up and gazing out the window at the Berliner Dom – a well deserved rest!

Quote of the day – From Megolamania to a Sea of Rubble