Hello this is Tom speaking...........

Yet another awesome week I've had here in Germany. The main event this week was a trip to Berlin for 5 days from Thursday till Monday (today). We left at 8:30 in the morning from Rosenheim on the Thursday and got into Berlin at 3:15 in the afternoon. We went straight to the hotel from the train station and settled in for the afterrnoon.
   
In the morning on the Friday we went to the Gedaechtniskirche. Basically it's a church that was three quarters destroyed in the Second World War. All that remains is the bell tower and the room directly under the belltower. Another church and belltower have been built on either side to replace the church so it is still operational. Sadly, the actual church is covered in renovation/restoration panels at the moment so we couldn't get a picture of the actual building, or what remains of the original structure.

In the afternoon we went to The Story of Berlin museum and fallout bunker tour. The Fallout bunker was built in during the Cold War along with 16 others spread out across Berlin to provide the citizens with some protection in the event of a nuclear bomb. However, the bunker only has the capability to hold 3592 people. So in reality they were more just a way of giving the people something to make them feel better. The museum was also quite interesting and had some interesting exhibits. We also got to meet some grammar school students from England but if you ask me they were just plain rude.

On the Saturday, at first we went to the East side of Berlin and to the Neues Museum. It has four floors and consists of Egyptian and Roman exhibits. We stayed there for a few hours and then went to the Berliner Dom, the biggest cathedral in Berlin. That was probably one of my two favourite things we did in Berlin. Next we went to the Fernsehturm (television tower) at the Alexander Platz. That was pretty cool too but not so much as some of the other attractions.

On our last full day in Berlin, we did more sight seeing than on any of the other days and didn't get back to the hotel until just before dinner.

First, we went to the Reichstag and booked a spot on the 2:00pm entry. We then walked to the Brandenburg Gate which is only 500m from the Reichstag. That was super busy and we basically got some photos and left. Next we went to the Jewish Holocaust memorial which again is only 500m from the gate. The memorial was my favourite attraction we went to. For anyone who doesn't know what it is, basically it consists of 2000 retangular blocks that are about 2m long by 1m wide and vary in height from a few cm to 4-5m, and all the blocks are in perfect rows. Also the ground varied from flat to sloped and dipped oftenly. This along with the way the light is shining, how much noise there is and how busy it is can create feelings of isolation and and the bigger blocks tend to bare down on you and make you feel small and insignificant. This this was the highlight of the trip to Berlin and I would go back any day.

Next we went to Hitler's Bunker which nowadays is nothing more than a carpark because it has been demolished. By now it was time for the Reichstag, so we made our way back there and made our way through security and up to the rooftop terrace. The Reichstag basically is the equivalent of our Parliament house and houses the seats of parliament, the Bundestag. It was severely damaged in the war and the inside had to be completely rebuilt and refurbished. All that remains of the original building is the exterior. On the roof there is a huge glass dome and it is possible to walk around in a spiral all the way to the top, from which you get amazing views of Berlin and all the attractions in the area of the Reichstag. From the glass dome you can also see through to the seats of parliament.

Next we went to Checkpoint Charlie. Thankfully it wasn't that busy so we could get a good look at the guard hut and the famous sign. We then had a look at a part of the Berlin Wall just a few hundred metres down from the checkpoint. This particular part is where the Stasi or the secret police headquarters used to be located and until only a few years was unknown of. There is also a whole seies of information boards that stretch for about 100m and go through a brief history of Germany. These were also interesting but I rushed through and mostly looked at the pics.

Berlin is one of the most interesting cities I've ever been to. It has been through so much change, and, unlike a lot of cities, is rich in history and culture. I would go back tomorrow if could.

So thats it for now, till next time.

Ciaio



Berliner Dom




Holocaust Memorial





Reichstag





Checkpoint Charlie



Brandenburg Gate