Berlin

Apparently there are 80,000 hotel rooms in Berlin and all are busy during the ITB tourism conference. Mine was given away as I failed to check into my room by a certain time (of which I was unaware). The next two days involved three Art'Otels (they focus more on the Art than the 'Otel!), cold showers, failing telephones and over €200 extra for getting access to a shoebox size room! I was however treated to some excellent food at Borchart and a walking tour of Berlin with my friend Jesper. The Norman Foster designed dome on the Reichstagg is stunning.












We visited the memorial to the Jewish dead of WWII. At the outskirts of this memorial you walk between what feels like tombstones. Walk on and you are dwarfed by monoliths of concrete in all directions. A very moving place.





Jesper is a Dane living with his Berliner wife Lena. Julie is just seven months old and is a charming, beautiful, contented baby. We travelled on the U-Bahn which announces the next stop with what sounds like a funeral bell.



This plaque is set in the line of cobbles that marks the route of the Berlin Wall and is set in the road just near Check-point Charlie.

















Moved about 30 feet from it's original situation this section of the wall will become part of a memorial.