Edwin and Alison return to Europe: Ich bin ein Berliner

We're not exactly JFK, but we are at least in Berlin, having arrived mid-afternoon. After a home cooked meal (I made a goulash of sorts), we went for a bit of an outing to look at one of Berlin's most famous landmarks, the Brandenburg Gates, which are located in Pariserplatz. After Germany was divided up into four zones at the end of the war (well, two really), the Brandenburg Gates found themselves in the Soviet sector. When the wall went up in 1961, it passed right by the arches, basically becoming part of the barrier which kept East and West Berliners apart until 1989.

The Brandenburg Gate

Pariserplatz with the tower at Alexanderplatz in the background.

After visiting this famous landmark, we decided to stroll along the Unter den Linden which took us all the way to Alexanderplatz, another really famous Berlin landmark, notable for its huge transmission tower which can be seen from almost anywhere in Berlin. This famous boulevard has so many lovely buildings on both sides, but it is a real shame that so many of this buildings are covered in scaffolding, clearly undergoing repairs or restoration. While we have no doubt this is important work, it's a real pity so many landmark buildings are covered up at the same time. We had the same problem with the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Colosseum and the Trevi fountain in Rome, etc. (I know, now we're just showing off).

The Unter den Linden Boulevard

The Berlin Cathedral undergoing some work on its facade

The Alte Museum

Tomorrow we are going to visit the Jewish Museum and perhaps Hohenschonhausen prison, which was the main prison used by the East German Stasi during the GDR. It was here thousands of East German citizens, many guilty of no crimes other than to be less than enthusiastic about life behind the iron curtain, were tortured and imprisoned. Tours are still run by people who were former inmates of the prison. Pretty sobering stuff.