Berlin, Stadt

German society is still smoking. Is it because there is always a cold bier near?
Now that this incredible subway system that rivals or may surpass London’s tube has been tamed I decided to tackle the museums. The principle ones located on an island in the middle of the Spree River.
A mid morning start found the streets quiet. I boarded the U2 train to Hausvogteiplatz walking the remainder to the island. But decided to cross the Spree to enter the Radisson the hotel my wife and I stayed on our first visit. It was shutdown for renovation. The hotel’s outstanding feature was the AquaDom in the lobby over the bar. Impressive at 82 feet tall, 36 feet across with 264,000 gallons. Quite the fish tank. Magical. Maggie and I would have an evening glass of wine before retiring for the night.
Last December 16 the tank blew sending fish out the lobby doors into the street. No one perished but a lot of fish died. Local authorities called it a maritime disaster. Hah!
I first visited the Cathedral beautiful ornate building with Prussian Kings and Queen latex to rest inside. Germans are a tall people but these sarcophagi were half the length of a school bus. What were they buried with? After absorbing the beauty of this church I decided to climb the 282 steps to the dome top. Great views of the city and one can walk completely around the dome circumference.
Climbing down to street level I headed to the Alte Museum home to classical period masterpieces. It took about 1 1/2 hours to see the collection without the audio phone tour. Housed here are the distinguished German artist plus Monet, Rodin, Cézanne, Manet and others.
Next the Neue Museum which I skipped due to a queue and headed to the Pergamon Museum filled antiquities predating Christ from Syria, Iraq and Babylon. Remember learning in elementary school about Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon? Well tule remnants of his palace are here. Plus Roman structures from the period. A truly remarkable museum. Among the artifacts is a fully assemble dining room floor from a wealthy Roman villa.
And of course a visitor dropped her phone onto it. Prohibited to walk on it the gallery erupted in applause when one of the docents was able to retrieve it with a “handy” grasping claw.
Tonight wanting Turkish food I went for Thai not wanting to ride the subway again. My favorite Larb Gai.
It’s been raining and cold most of the day but to plan to venture out around midnight to walk the city streets while listening to Bowie’s album Heroes. I’m too far from the Wall or Hansa Studios where it was recorded but the local streets near Wittenberg Platz will provide the necessary accompaniment.Read more