So Much to Enjoy: Berlin Day Three

October 24, 2014

Anna makes the most delicious breakfasts (and dinners too) and we are being spoiled. This morning we had a car to use, which Wolfgang and Anna generously provided for us, so we followed Anna to the U Bahn station, squeezed into a parking spot and were on our way.

Our first stop was Alexanderplatz, as we finally had time to do the Dom justice. It was impressive. Like many historical sights in Berlin it had to be restored after the heavy bombing of Berlin at the end of the war. It had a museum which explained the restoration with many photos. We walked up to the top of the dome and then outside to walk around it. It was warm going up that long, narrow spiral staircase and both Keith and I were relieved to finally step outside! The views over Berlin were fantastic. There is a construction site which is billed as one of Europe's largest that we overlooked, and you really got an idea of the scale of the project from the dome. Then it was back down, down and into the crypt which is the burial place of the Prussian royals. The numerous tiny tombs were a reminder of how many children died very early in those days.

Then outside and a walk around the Museuminsel (museum island). We saw the Pergamon Museum last time we were here, and wanted to do it again, but a large section of it is closed for renovations, so we are saving it for next year. It is probably Berlin's most famous museum. Instead we visited the Alte Nationalgalerie which houses priceless German paintings and sculptures as well as art from all over Europe. We both enjoyed this. My favourites were Manet, Monet, Degas and Van Gogh. We had an audio guide, so we learned something too!

It is amazing how much time one church and one museum can take. From there we jumped on the hop on hop off bus and visited some of the famous spots in Berlin, but we were simply too short of time to give them more than a cursory look. I would have loved to climb to the top of the siegessaule (victory column) but that will have to wait until next year too.

We spent some time in Galleries Lafayette, the French department store, just because it was fun. Then it was back on the U Bahn, and off at the Witteneau station. Here we mindlessly followed the crowd up the escalators and then couldn't figure out where we were. We had gone right by street level and were up by the S Bahn track. That is the overhead train. It was quite funny. Back down we went, jumped into the car, and I drove while Keith did a brilliant job of getting us straight to Wolf and Anna's. We arrived about 7:45 PM.

They had a wedding to attend, and Anna, unbelievable hostess that she is, had a lasagne waiting for us in the oven and a bottle of good red on the table. We are being very, very spoiled. I am getting behind on the blog, so I did a little catch up and then we headed for bed. Last day in Berlin tomorrow. I am not ready to go.

Views from the top. It was cool today and we had layered up. By the time we got to the top of the staircase we were hot and slightly claustrophobic. It felt so good to get outside.

It was magnificent up there. You don't realize how big these statues are until you are up close and personal with them.

Lots and lots of construction cranes in the distance.

The Humboldt Box, which is a temporary exhibit to explain the building site. It features exhibits about the Berliner Schloss construction and organizations that may be housed here including the Ethnological Museum, the Museum of Asian Art, the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, some of Humboldt University and the Library of Berlin. The project will hopefully be completed in 2019.

Museuminsel overload. This huge building is full of antiquities. We poked our noses in but decided on paintings and sculpture instead. This one will have to wait.

Dom in the background, taken from the steps of the Altes Museum.

The Reichstadt. It is starting to get dark. Time for a peek in Galeries Lafayette, and then back to Wolf and Anna's.

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