Originally published 30 December 2015
Riding in style!!!!
We met an Australian in the Swiss Alps. We were discussing our travels and he commented on Berlin. He said that he had traveled all over the Alps, in some of the harshest weather imaginable, and he had never been colder than when he visited Berlin. Now I understand.
I don't know what it is about the cold here...it just sticks to you and it's hard to shake. Coming inside for lunch or a coffee becomes a major treat. It was so cold that I bought a scarf! Now that's cold. I also understand why the Berliners are so bundled up It can be in the high 30's or low 40's....and you just want to bundle up.
Bill confined to his DDR prison cell. (DDR Museum)
We started our morning at the DDR museum. This was a representation of what life was like in east Germany before the wall fell. It was interactive and interesting. It covered most of the aspects of what it was like to live under communism before the fall of the Iron Curtain.
From there, we had lunch at a place we had eaten before. Throughout Europe are stands and small counter service restaurants called Donar Kebap restaurants. The donar kebap is basically like a Middle Eastern (in this case Turkish) sandwich. It is cut from a large (3 feet tall x 20 inches across) spinning cone of meat that is constantly cooking. As the outer layer is cooked, it is shaved off and put in sandwiches or plate meals. The food is superb and unfailingly fresh. I have yet to have a bad one.
Rosenthaler Grille and Schlemmerbuffet, my favorite restaurant in all of Europe!We head to the New Synagogue for Laurie to check out. It is the oldest surviving synagogue in Germany.......or as she finds out later, what's left of it. While Laurie is in the Synagogue, I go wandering as I am apt to do. It is rabidly cold and actually snowed for a few minutes. I go scarf buying....and trust me, I ain't a scarf kind of guy. It was cold!
I meet Laurie as she exits and we head for the Spy Museum. All of the museums we have seen while in Berlin have been 6 or 8 euros. The spy museum was 18 euros. We figured we would check it out....and see if it was worth the extra money.
Being a student of history and technology has its drawbacks. While many of the things in the spy museum were cool, I was familiar with most of them. I really didn't see anything that I haven't seen before. The museum was more for the layman. Whether it was worth 18 euros...that can be the next guy's call. Personally, I didn't think so.
While quite true...I'm too old for that.
After the spy museum we came back to our apartment, got our laundry, and set off to do the wash. While the was was running, we grabbed dinner at a burger place nearby. A young German couple shared the table with us as it was quite crowded.
We asked them about the upcoming new years celebration, what it would be like, and when it started. He told us that they don't allow fireworks to be set off IN THE CITY STREETS until after 6 p.m. That certainly eased my mind.......(sarcasm). Why, I can think of nowhere safer than on a heavily trafficked public throughfare with tall buildings on each side to set off fireworks and rockets! (Even more sarcasm) New years should be interesting to say the least.
We swing back, transfer the laundry to the dryer, go next door for more great European coffee and when we're finished we grab the laundry and head home. We're gonna try and sleep late in preparation for tomorrow night's show.
Goodnight everyone! Berlin Day 4 Slide Show
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I'm Bill. My wife Laurie and I love to travel and share our stories. We especially love it when we have been able to motivate our readers to start traveling on their own, and making their own stories. Click on any post below to go directly to that day. All posts are in chronological order. |