Saturday, 3 October - Water

Today, we have decided to take a boat tour on the Spree River.  The dock is just a few meters away from our hotel, and so we walk over in the morning and get on board.  The first time I came to Berlin, I couldn't believe how much water there was here: rivers, canals, lakes, streams, ponds, harbors - you name it.  This, then, was a real treat.  We left from near Hansaplatz, and took the Spree in a clockwise fashion.  It was a bit cold out, so sitting in the underdeck and drinking Schoko was wonderful.

It was Unification Day - so crowds were out and rejoicing as we rounded the bend by the goverment buildings that surround the Reichstag.  It was wonderful to see and hear people rejoicing so much in their country.  Huge puppets were used, and one was emerging out the Spreewasser to the delight of the crowd.

We continued on past Museum Insel, and the Nikolai Vierteil, moving into the east where there were lots of commerical buildings being put to new use, or ones that had been abandoned.  You can see the revitalization of the east end from the river.  Turning the corner into the Landwertskanal we say example after example of Secessionist homes - utterly beautiful.  This was a great way to become acquainted with Berlin differently.

After our boat trip, we went to KuDam,  and had lunch in Wittenberger Platz - nothing unusual, but I was able to show Arthur the hotel I stayed at in 2004.  We walked to Nollendorferplatz and got on the UBahn to Potsdammerplatz where we emerged to look at Sony Center, and then wandered up toward the Brandenburg Gate only to bump into an exhibition of all things Nazi in this part of Berlin.  It was a very interesting discussion of the bunkers, the archeology of the Second World War, and the complicity of industry and the Berlin Municipal Government.  Fascinating.

We then wandered about and around Unter dem Linden, having a coffee and cake at the Westin, looking at the buildings in Gendarmenmarkt, and finally walking through the memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe on our way to Potsdammerplatz, where we have a very mediocre meal.  

The skies are dancing with searchlights celebrating German Unity.