Berlin

Berlin.

Packed our bags the night before so we had them downstairs by 7 when we went for breakfast. We thought it very civilized that the hotel offered champagne with breakfast. By 7.45 we were walking to the station for our 8.30 train back to Magdeburg and then on to Berlin.

Note the double decker train we arrived in

Berlin Hauptbhnhof (main station)

Our hotel, Meininger, is right at the station but checkin was only after 3, so we left our bags in the locker room and went walking. The Bundestag is very close, a beautiful building we hope to visit tomorrow. Past that, walking along the edge of the Spree river, we reached museum island where first we admired the cathedral before choosing to view the Pergamon museum.

Berlin cathedral

From the museum we stumbled onto a Christmas  Market with an awful band playing. It was quite festive and I got to stroke the lovely dogs who do rescue searches and were on display. We needed cash, so walked down Frederick strategy for one. Lastly we went for dinner at the market recommended by our hotel receptionist. It had an entrance fee of 1€ and was really crowded. We had raclett on potatoe, a wors and beer. Walking back to our hotel past the Brandenburg gate, we came across lots of TV cameras outside a hotel. The man just released from prison by Putin (which is all over the news I'm watching right now, including the hotel where I stood) was inside the hotel and they were waiting for his mother to arrive.