Ian : Hello again ! ... Hamburg - tick ! . . . Lubeck - tick ! . . . Next . . . Berlin !

Remember to click on the photo to see the full-size version

GIANT ACTRESS TERRORISES THE BERLIN WALL!

Gay Superstore!

Michael: We spent a few hours at the "newly" (2001) opened Jewish Museum on Lindenstraße (map). This museum charts the history of the Jewish people over the last ~2000 years and is housed in a stunning building designed by Daniel Libeskind. The thunderbolt shaped building has been described as being in the shape of a deconstructed Star of David. To my untrained eye, the external treatment of this building has many features in common with the east shard at Federation Square. The various spaces and exhibits contained within provide an absorbing insight into the culture of the Jewish people and they way they have maintained their culture and religious practice in the face of misunderstanding and persecution.

Yarmulkes come in a wide variety of designs!

Ian : We did the Jewish traditional thing and touched the wedding stone ... and that triggered some extrordinary music - in a flash I was back in the Newmarket High School's 1975 production of 'Fiddler on the Roof'!
... legs were flung into the air and I was complaining about my over-bearing mother ! Oy vey !!

Michael: Gendarmenmarkt is a beautiful 17th century square just south of Mitte, which contains three buildings of significance. The Französischer Dom (French cathedral) and the Deutsche Dom the northernmost and southernmost buildings within the square. The newest building here is the Konzerthaus, built in 1821 and the home of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin (or Berlin Symphony Orchestra). As you'd expect there are cafes and restaurants aplenty in the surrounding blocks, which allow you to take in the view while enjoying some refreshment.

This picture was taken at Potsdamer Platz, while we were having a quick lunch at a shopping centre. There isn't much to say about this shopping centre really, but the rest of Potsdamer Platz has seen very significant rejuvenation and revitalisation since reunification (the Berlin wall bisected it) and is now home to several buildings of architectural and commercial significance, including the Sony Centre and the Bahn tower. More about Potsdamer Platz later.

The Siegessäule or Victory Column is located within the Tiergarten and was designed to commemorate the Prussian victory against the Danes in 1864. However, following the further series of victories against the Austrians and the French, the design was modified to incorporate the 35 tonne, gilded bronze statue of Victoria.

The Siegessäule or Victory Column.

View from the top.

I loved the huge range of different architectural styles !

Behind the tree I have cleverly hidden a lovely 50's style motif.
and just to its left is some distinctive tiling.

Jewish holocaust memorial

The Brandenburg Gate

The Potsdamer Platz area is full of very new development

Inside one of the MANY museums.

The Ishtar Gate (6th century BC) inside the Pergamonmuseum.

The Reichstag

The new dome of the Reichstag - Bright !

Berlin Cathedral

There are these cute lil' cabins with gardens where people go on the weekend to potter around.
Some of them are extremely ornate and even have satellite dishes.

Near our friends place west of the city.
A lovely river with lots of boat traffic.

Our new friend Ann Katrin finding out if it's a working pump or not.

We take two dare-devil cycling kids to the 287 hectare Park Sanssouci !

Park Sanssouci is in Potsdam - 36km from Berlin.

In the gardens there is a Chinese tea house.

Fig trees grow and fruit behind glassed enclosures.

And as well as feasting on the delights of culture and architecture, our new friends, Fabian & Ann Katrin,
gave us a seasonal treat in the form of a meal - white asparagus with hollandaise sauce.