More Berlin and yet another Museum!

 Thursday, 28 February, 2013

Guten Abend! (well, almost…not quite evening, but I’ve no idea how to say “afternoon!”) [Note from RJB: Nachmitag]

Well, we did have an interesting morning!  For those of you who are unfamiliar with my issues with electricity, I can only say that it happened…again.  I got up about 2:30 a.m. for a bathroom break (I know, TMI!) and as soon as I hit the light switch for the bathroom, there was a loud “POP” – and of course, no lights!  I did mention it to Robert, but we both fell back to sleep.  When we finally got up, around 6:30 – not only were there no lights in the bathroom, but NO lights overhead in the main room!  Not sure if I popped a circuit breaker or blew out a switch – at any rate, it was dark.  Fortunately, the power outlets were still working; they must be on a different fuse.  Robert called the front desk, and they thought at first that it was something to do with our key cards.  But, when he explained about the loud “pop” I heard, they figured they were going to have to get to housekeeping to fix it…which would, of course take a whole.  They very nicely brought up a key to #103, the room down the hall, for us to use to shower in, as it’s not that easy showering in the dark … only to find that their lights were out as well!  At any rate, I took a shower in cold room 103, and R figured out that he could move a floor lamp into the bathroom, and voila, he could see!  Hmmm…out about 8 to find some breakfast and see some sights.

Antipodes

At Antipodes

Breakfast

I had read in a hotel publication about a nearby coffee shop run by two Kiwis that was highly recommended; it is called Antipodes.  We set out to find it – and ran into not one but TWO Laundromats!  I am SOOOOOO happy!  (I hadn’t planned to do any wash here in Berlin, and take care of things in Prague, but with them being so close and all, I just can’t help myself…as Robert says, it’s a good thing that I’m not REALLY OCD!) [I was being ironic! – RJB]  Antipodes is a couple of blocks away – about 15 minutes on foot – but while we were walking, we actually saw a bit (little bit!) of blue sky, and later,  some SUN!!  Whoopee!!  Made it to the coffee shop and it is really delightful!  Nice, clean place complete with piles of magazines, a computer, and some fabulous baking!  We both ordered their breakfast platter of German bread, smoked ham and cheese – and it was GREAT!  Two kinds of cheese – Camembert and something like Swiss, and the German bread was heavy into whole grains, and was delicious!  We also bought a few cookies to munch on the way out…hmmm…they didn’t last long!  Will definitely head back there tomorrow morning!

Tram

Tram

    

Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall

Berlin Wall

From Antipodes, we found a tram line, and caught our first tram of the trip.  Fun ride to the end of the line and the North Train Station.  A block or so from the station we came to the Berlin Wall Memorial; an incredible sight.  Not sure, actually, where to begin.  There is so much to see and experience in

The Death Strip - Between the inner and outer walls

Markers of the Berlin Wall (with M outside!)

Berlin, but when you contemplate the actual physical division of a city into separate parts, it’s incredible!  There were parts of the outer and inner walls still standing, and then what was known as the “death strip” – about 100 m. of deserted ground between the two  – with barbed wire, and lights – everything to make it as difficult as possible to “escape.”  But can you seriously imagine waking up one morning and finding that you were no longer able to get to your job, because it was two blocks on the “other” side?  Or get to your family members or friends, for the same reason?  And that you could be KILLED for even trying?  The memorial itself spanned blocks, with posts sticking up to indicate where the outer wall had been, and there were various exhibits talking about various features of the wall – the original low wall, the fact that the East Germans took over a cemetery that just “happened” to cross the line – they cleared it out (or said that they did) and then literally made it into a part of the wall!  When you see it now, there is a great deal of

The Death Strip

commemoration – there is an entire wall of photographs with dates indicating the names and ages of the 100+ people who died trying to escape.  The saddest one was a 2 year old child, who obviously was killed when his parents were trying to get to the West.  And we think we have it so rough.  When you think of what these poor people had to go through just to get to freedom; wow!  There is a visitor center that has an amazing film – it shows when the wall first went up, there were people living on a certain street – the buildings were in East Berlin, but the street behind

Killed trying to cross the Wall

the buildings was in West Berlin – and film of people literally jumping out of high windows and leaving everything else behind in their attempt to escape. 

Parts of the dismantled wall

Eventually, the East Germans evacuated everyone from the buildings, and literally bricked up the windows – amazing footage.  Do have to admit that I was in tears by the end of the film; the way East Germany collapsed, so suddenly and unexpectedly – and to see the people actually jumping on the wall and over it, and streaming back and forth across the border stations – I do remember it from news coverage at the time, but to be here and actually see where this all happened – wow…

Altes Museum

Cleopatra

Roman Mosaic

Roman sculpture of a young girl

At the Altes Museum

At the Altes Museum

At the Altes Museum

Rotunda - Altes Museum

At the Altes Museum

At the Altes Museum

At the Altes Museum - Love the Leg!

Decided then to see if we could make our way back down to Museum Island and this time, try the Altes Museum.  We found the appropriate tram, but it apparently was running into some sort of civic demonstration, so we didn’t make it to our final destination – rather, a bit more walking to get to the Altes, and by now, whatever sun and blue sky had been there in the morning was no longer the case; plus, the wind had spring up, which was COLD!  

Lovely time at the Altes Museum.  It’s not exactly our favorite periods – Greek, Etruscan and Roman – but they had some beautiful things, and everything was displayed extremely well.  We spent about three hours wandering around – very, very few other people there; sometimes we had entire galleries to ourselves – and the security guards!  Stopped in their café to have a sandwich – one cheese, one salami, and we split them – washed down with Coca Light in the tiniest bottles – literally, about one small glass full, and that was for 2.50E!  Obviously they’ve never heard of a “large” coke at McDonalds – a real bucketful!

As it was after 3 p.m. when we left the museum, we decided to head back to the hotel – 1) to see if we had electricity (we DO!) and 2) regroup before dinner!  I’m thinking nap, myself…R already there!  We’re heading back to Transit tonight for dinner, but going about 6, so hopefully it won’t be quite so chaotic!

So – more later!

m

xxx