We had a busy schedule for this day in Berlin. Everything should work as planned if only our legs will hold out. Solved part of that problem by purchasing a 48 hour bus/S-Bahn/U-Bahn ticket that would allow us to use any of those three transportation devices to get around Berlin. Bus 100 was the best choice as we caught it just outside our hotel.

On the way we passed the Berliner Dom, (Dom means cathedral) the largest Protestant church in Berlin. It’s a pre-war relic that spent the post-war years as a non-entity due to Communism.

Directly across the street is the new symbol of East Berlin. Construction gantries are everywhere as the East slowly but steadily becomes part of the West. They almost appear to be the city bird of Berlin.

While waiting for the bus we noticed the unusual pedestrian traffic lights characters.

We learned that they are unique to the former East Germany and have been given the nickname, Ampelmännchen.   Both Google and Bing have translated it as “Ampelmännchen” so you’ll have to live with that.

There are even stores dedicated to the character, like the one next door to our hotel.  We resisted buying this one.

The first stop on our Berlin tour was The Holocaust Memorial. The title of this memorial doesn’t mince words. “The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe,” is the official name and is reinforced by a whole city block of cement slabs, reminding one of tombstones. The 2711 gravestone-like pillars were completed in 2005. We didn’t take the time to count them so we are taking Rick Steve’s word for it.

You are allowed to walk between the slabs and even sit on them…but don’t try to stand on one for a better photo shot. A little man pops up from nowhere shouting, “Nicht, Nein, No, Non,” in whatever language works. They all worked on me.

We headed for Potsdamer Platz, an attempt to build a new commercial center in Berlin. The Mall of Berlin is one example.  It has attracted some major firms but hasn’t really clicked with the shopping public. It was our first experience with the U-Bahn or subway in our language.

With some guidance from English speaking locals, we managed to surface near the famous Checkpoint Charlie. This was the entry point to Russian held territory, and at one time was a popular exit point for East Germans fleeing to the West.

The sign certainly reinforces the seriousness of passage to and from East/West.

Checkpoint Charlie is still very active with locals now posing as American MP’s appealing to the tourist largesse. My friend, Skip Lusk, was an MP in Germany during his service. I’m sure he would agree that none of these guys would pass inspection. Now McDonald’s stands guard as an example of American might and power.

The girl standing between the MP’s certainly would not have passed muster…especially with that Russian soldier’s hat on her head. But, a guy has to make a living.

Checkpoint Charlie attracts a lot of traffic including this Trabant automobile, a left-over from the East German days. It was underpowered by a two stroke engine that ran on gas mixed with oil…much like a lawnmower. The combustion was not terribly efficient resulting in the car being called, “Little Stinker.”

Could anyone have foreseen the day when the lowly Trabant would be converted into a sightseeing limousine. We saw several of these in Berlin.

We used our subway passes to take us to the Berlin Wall Memorial at the Nordhof subway station. We were a little disappointed in the scene as a memorial because it was largely overgrown by weeds. Couldn’t help but notice the wide swath that the East Germans cleared to put up the wall and the No Man’s Land that anyone had to cross to escape.

It turns out we didn’t quite reach the memorial and didn’t have the energy to search for it. We settled for the weeds. There’s an interesting story of the Nordhof subway station though. The Wall cut right through it, thus causing a possible exit point for East Germans. The station was closed and guards were stationed there to make sure no one got on or off the train. The twist was that the guards themselves were locked in to make sure they didn’t defect to the West as well.

Next on the agenda was a tour of the German Reichstag building. It has had a difficult history and was damaged by burning 1933. Adolph Hitler (some think he started the fire) blamed it on the Communists so he could have complete power. It sat largely idle during the Russian occupation and has come to life as the center of today’s democratic Germany.

To replace the irreparable dome, a new design was built that would serve many purposes. It consists of a bevy of 360 mirrors hung in the center of the glass dome that reflect light down into the Reichstag chamber to provide daylight to the lawmakers.

It also is a magnet to those wanting to take a good hike up to nowhere and then back down. There is something fascinating about walking in a complete circle over and over again.

Of course the view changes with every footstep. Needless to say, since this is the center of government, access is heavily guarded. The entry tickets are free (depending on how you value your time) after an hour-long wait for a passport check. Entry is through an airport TSA type of security check, different only in that you don’t have to remove your shoes.

A pictorial history of the Reichstag is at the base of the mirror stand and shows just how much this building has been through.

At the very top is an open vent that takes in fresh air and expels the hot air coming from the legislature.  Rain that falls in is distributed to the shrubs on the grounds.  After hiking all the way to the top and back down again, there was a coffee shop conveniently placed at the base of the dome. We stopped in for a coffee break. The shock came when we got the bill. We thought $22 was just a little high for two glasses of orange juice and two cups of ordinary coffee. We inspected the check closely and found the orange juice was hand-squeezed. At that price we can only assume the squeezing was done by Angela Merkle herself.

On the way back to our hotel, we decided on one last treat before leaving Berlin. An hour and one half ride on the River Spree seemed just the ticket.

The tour was very interesting and filled in some of the areas of Berlin that we had missed. Floating slowly down a river while drinking beer is just a great way to end a trip to one of the most interesting cities in the world. Best part is the boat docked right next to our hotel. We were ready for a long night.

Tomorrow we clean up a few details before our trip to Dresden.

Gute nacht from Berlin.

Louise and Ray

The Raddison Blu Hotel lobby was the rendezvous point for Karin Berning, Louise and myself. “How will you know us?” I asked during our previous evening phone call. “I’ve read your Blog,” she said. “I know you quite well.” And, she did spot us immediately.

Let me make this clear right now. You will not see any pictures of Karin during this Blog. It was a promise I made to her some time ago. However, let me try a description. She is attractive, of average height, dark hair pulled back and wears contemorary glasses. I would guess her in her fifties (based on quick math from conversations) and still wondering what life has in store for her. Not unusual for a Gemini. We retrieved our car from the bowels of the Raddison Blu and were on our way.

The first stop, not far from our hotel, was the world famous Brandenburg Gate. For so many years it was contained behind the Berlin Wall and the trace of that period is still preserved with a line of bricks that cross directly in front of the gate.

You may recall President Reagan’s challenge, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” It was delivered not far from where we’re standing.

Out in numbers were the Segway tourists, freewheeling and zooming all about the monuments. This touring device is popular here. Looks like fun but we didn’t bite.

Since we had earmarked other days for conventional tourism, Karin took us to the former site of the American military’s Berlin headquarters and residences. The American Sector was much larger than I imagined, and at one time contained 15,000 troops and their dependants.  All was commanded from these buildings. Today they’ve been returned to the German government for public use.

Our American soldiers and their families didn’t live out of pup tents for long. Apartments of this type were constructed for soldiers and their dependents. A PX was not far down the road giving them a little bit of America right smack in the middle of Russian occupied land.

Part of that “Little bit of America” included American radio provided by AFN Berlin from this building. It is said this property was once occupied by von Ribbentrop, a Nazi big wig, and was especially attractive to AFN because it already had a wall around it. AFN was always considered cushy duty on the part of other soldiers because the guys not only played records on the radio but were billeted here. That’s GI speak for where they lived.

The building has been converted to apartments but has not lost it’s place in history. Karin Berning had a part in influencing the erection of this standing plaque that tells the AFN story in Berlin. It is in German but they’re the ones who will most benefit from the memory.

AFN Berlin was the window on the West for most Germans. They not only heard American music but they learned American English. It was also a window for those trapped behind the Wall. They couldn’t get out but they could listen in.

I thought it was significant that a French car of that same period, the Citroen Deux Chevaux, was parked outside the former station.

Another remnant of the Cold War is this bridge leading to Russian occupied Potsdam. It is nicknamed, “the Spy Bridge” because it’s where the Russians and Americans exchanged their spies. You might remember the name Francis Gary Powers, former U2 pilot shot down over Russia. He was repatriated here only to die some years later in a helicopter crash while flying for a Los Angeles television station.

Our first day as Berlin tourists ended in Potsdam as Karin led us to Sanssouci, the summer house of King Frederick The Great. The French-sounding name means “Without a care,” and he had it built in 1745 as a place to get away from the rigors of his kingly duties. The small palace is but one of a number of buildings on huge acreage.

Another much larger palace was built for his relatives but was separated from Sanssouci by lots of land and water.

Louise was not up to the hike that Karin led around the grounds, so held court in this attractively shaped gazebo.

Before calling it a night, Karin suggested a restaurant, next to the Spy Bridge, that would appeal especially to me. Garage du Pont is a former gasoline service station converted to a very attractive restaurant. It honors its past with an automotive theme that features several full-size, antique cars on display.

As the name would imply, the cars are French (1944 Citroen roadster, 1930’s Simca racer and a Deux Chevaux) and the menu follows the theme with modernized French dishes. It was a great way to end our day. Nice cars, good food and a new friend. Thanks again to Karin Berning for a lovely day.

Tomorrow we tackle some sights on our own.

“Chus” from Berlin.

Louise and Ray

This trip to Berlin is one long delayed. In 1958, shortly after Louise and I were married in Orleans, France, I suggested we see Berlin before shipping back to the States. She wasn’t very keen on the idea of traveling the 100 miles through Russian occupied territory to reach the American Sector in Berlin so it went on the back burner. Louise had a valid concern. At the time no one knew what the Russians were up to and the memory of the 1948/49 blockade was still fresh. Later years produced the Berlin wall. To cut this short, we never made it to Berlin.

Now, some 57 years later, we were cruising the Prussian countryside in complete comfort and free of concern and on our way to fill in that hole of our early dream.

The Berlin Blockade, the Wall and Russian occupation were distant memories as we skirted the walls of retired Tempelhof Airport on the way to our hotel, situated in what was once East Berlin. The Raddison Blu Hotel practically sits in the shadow of one imposing hangover from the days of the occupation. A TV tower, once used to broadcast propaganda to the West, still stands tall as a reminder of those dark days. Today, because it is visible from a good part of the city, tourists use it as a directional landmark.

The Communist government built the tower right next to a church, as if to rub it in the noses of the Christian, and other faiths, that belief in their system trumped any of those that believed in a God.  The tower now broadcasts all the messages that Communism once scorned…including those of the many faiths that now occupy Berlin.

There is a joke, not discovered until the tower was unveiled, that must have been played on the Communists by God himself. On sunny days, on the curvature of the silver observation ball, there is formed the distinct shape of a cross. It has been there since Day One and no one in the world of Communism could figure out how to stop it. Now no one wants to…or has to.

I would like to say the tower was our view from the Raddison Blu Hotel but I can’t. It’s located near the beginning of Unter Den Linden, the once famous Berlin street that leads to the Brandenburg Gate. It is a new, modern building because most everything in East Berlin is newly built or modernized. This hotel is not a recommendation of Rick Steve but that of one of his readers. Based on the amount of buses at the curb, It must be popular with tourists. Old world, charming and unique it is not, but that worked to our advantage.

The lobby was designed to impress and it does.  Five glassed-in elevators zoom up and down visible to all.  The lobby//lounge/bar area has an atrium ceiling that soars to the top floor.

We were startled to see a huge water tank, at least three stories tall, in the center of the lobby…and it was full of fish. The immediate reaction of any Californian is, “If we have an earthquake I’ll drown before I’m crushed to death.” Must not be a problem in Berlin.

It was here I was subjected to the major hotelier’s strategy of “Bump ’em up.” The desk clerk said, “I see you are here on one of our special offers. We would like to offer you an upgrade with a gorgeous view, gym privileges and spa discounts if you will take our breakfast package as well.” She quoted a figure that was well over our budget. I figured how bad could things be in a modern hotel so we declined.

“Just give us something comfortable with a nice view and we’ll be happy,” I said. “I’ll try,” was her reply. She substituted the gym package with a room that was completely on the other side of the building from the elevators. 1 minute and 30 seconds was the trek time, and that was dragging luggage. Our special view was that of busy office workers across an atrium. 8 AM was their call time and their desks were vacated at 5 PM. We had only one or two friendly waves.

We did have a balcony that gave us a view of a church steeple and a construction gantry. It was a stretch but there WAS a view.

The downward view was better. It overlooked row upon row of outside tables of the different restaurants below us. The benefit was, we could see when the crowd thinned and which restaurant could seat us without too long a wait. Now, that’s a positive, isn’t it?

We chose a small restaurant featuring German and Berlin food specialties. We ate outdoors but under the cover of a huge, glassed in atrium that kept the rain off but we were not completely weatherproofed.

A lovely fountain was cursing up and down to music and was idyllic until a wind came up, forcing us to hide under the blankets provided by the restaurant. A waiter sprinted to the shutoff valve and all was good again.

I chose the Curry Wurst (Berliners love this) while Louise went with the Wienerschnitzel. Best of all, we were seated so closely together that you couldn’t help overhearing neighboring conversations and soon becoming a part of them. Over several evenings we met travelers from Oregon, Scotland, Australia, and believe it or not, Bavaria.

We returned to the room and settled in. Very nice and comfortable with all conveniences. Surprisingly, the hotel didn’t offer CNN, just like in Leipzig. Had to make do with France Channel 24 in English. Same news though.

Did want to mention, this is the first hotel that offered washcloths and bar soap in the bathroom. One of the advantages of staying with a name brand hotel.

Before retiring I made a call that would set us up for the next several days. Karin Berning, a German citizen, was once an audio technician for AFN Frankfurt and still stays in touch with the group via the AFN Chat Group. She moved to Berlin some 30 years ago and volunteered to show us about her adopted city including the former facilities of AFN Berlin…and offer we couldn’t pass up.

Please join us for ONCE AROUND BERLIN on the next Blog.

Louise and Ray wish you Gute Nacht from Berlin.

Thanks to the GPS, leaving Nidda was no problem. She got us to the closest autobahn and before we knew it, we were comfortably cruising at 110 MPH again. We recalled some of the problems we’d encountered with our GPS lady during our 2011 European trip. She had to recalculate so many times we named her, “Mademoiselle Recalculaire.” We felt this GPS needed a name as well and since we are in Germany we are calling her “Schatzi.” Any GI who served time in Europe in the late 20th Century might remember that word was loosely associated with any friendly German girl. However, our friend Alex Rudolph says it is derived from the word “Schatz” meaning “Treasure” and that certainly better fits our relationship.

It reminds me of an incident some 10 years ago when we were driving with Alex on the autobahn. The GPS voice was that of a male and I told him a woman’s voice was commonly used in the U.S. “That would never work in Germany,” he stated firmly. “No German man would ever take orders from a woman.” Apparently Women’s Lib had not yet gotten a foothold in Deutschland. When riding with Alex the other day I noticed his GPS voice was that of a woman. I commented on the change. “There is a good reason for that,” he said, “And it is not due to the election of Angela Merkle.” By now Louise was listening intently. “It has been proven that a woman’s voice, due to the sharpness of her tone, is more easily heard over the road noises of the automobile.” To make sure I clearly understood that he had not caved in, he said, “So, you see, it is a typical, well thought out, German solution to a practical problem.” I don’t think he has gone so far as to name his GPS though.

Schatzi got us to the Mercure Art hotel with no problem. Even engineered a parking spot right in front of the door. Mercure is a chain of hotels that have chosen a very modern design as one of their hallmarks.

Their interest in design is evident in the lobby with a mix of ultra-modern and overstuffed. Another statement is made with artwork and graphics throughout, including the rooms.

Room 225 was less than commodious but solved the problem in a clever way. The traditional closet, chest of drawers and headboard were replaced by a wall unit that covered all the bases. Note the absence of door pulls or knobs. They’re replaced by big curves in the doors that act as handles. Besides room artwork, there was a quote by Aristotle directly over the bed…unfortunately in German.

One of our main interests was a museum dedicated to the Stasi, the East German Republic secret police. We asked the desk clerk and she whipped out one of those city maps hotels give out so easily. “It’s just here,” she pointed. “Only a few minutes by foot or you can catch a streetcar for $2.50 each.” We are always easily fooled by distances on these maps, and chose a chance to save the $5 by hoofing it.

Forty-five steamy minutes later we stumbled upon the Stasi Museum building.  It was called “The Round Corner Building” because of the curved exterior. The interior was left in the exact condition of the day when the Stasi was disbanded in 1989. That means the Latrine Green, nicotine stained walls remain as was. Same for the floor tiles with discolored wax build-up along the baseboards where feet hardly ever walked.

Wiping the sweat from our foreheads we picked up the audio guided tour devices. It takes you from room to dreary room, mostly used for administration purposes. They now contain showcases of uniforms and paperwork.

One wall shows the location of every house, office, store and bar that was bugged or under surveillance in the Liepzig area.

The black dots look almost like a spreading mold.

Other cases displayed the various tools used by the Stasi for their dirty work. Each agent was given a makeup and wig kit, complete with dark sunglasses for immediate physical change.

Most of the equipment displayed is hopelessly out of date but state of the art in 1989, some 26 years ago. This camera was built into a suitcase or attache case. The lens is covered by a logo on the case and the shutter was tripped in the handle. Technicians developed a camera with a silent shutter for the agents.

Those unlucky enough to be detained in this building were kept in cells like this one. No outside contact was allowed so relatives had no idea what happened to their loved ones.

The suspects were allowed a few solitary minutes a day in an exercise court with no windows so they had no idea where in the building they were.

When the impending demise of the German Democratic Republic could no longer be ignored, the Stasi began destroying their incriminating paperwork in this type of machine. The papers were dumped in the top, shredded and mixed with a slurry that turned into lumps of cement. You can see them in the left corner. This method was too slow, so at the end, papers were torn in two, splashed with bleach or burned in the courtyard. Fortunately they couldn’t beat their clock so  the remaining papers are in the museum for all to see.

It was good to be back outside in the real world and to see the rebuilding progress of Leipzig.  A good example is the City Hall or Rat Haus on market day.

To get the taste out of our mouths we followed Evi and Michael Stadler’s recommendation and searched out the Auerbach Keller under a shopping area in Old Town.

The cellar was about to be filled in by the city when students asked for a chance to save it. Elbow grease and hard work have paid off and the room was almost filled on the Monday night we were there. Pot roast and beer. What a meal.

The next morning we got an example of what a Mercure Art $17 breakfast looks like. I must admit, there were plenty of food choices including fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, sausages, etc. Still, the price was kind of stiff.

We couldn’t leave Leipzig without visiting the home church of Johann Sebastian Bach. It was easy to find. Just follow the tour buses.

I know, I know. You’ve almost had enough of church interiors but this one is different.

Buried in the middle of the path to the altar is J.S. Bach himself…or so they think. He was not in great appreciation when he died and was buried in a common graveyard. When his music was rediscovered, his parts (they think) were exhumed and he was reburied in this place of high honor. That might not be true either. Leipzig was mostly destroyed in WWII so the altar is from another church and the rest pieced together. I’m sure Bach doesn’t give a damn.

With the mystery still unresolved, we took our place at the base of his statue outside the church for the obligatory photo. We tried to hum a Bach tune or two but couldn’t remember a single one.

We’re on our way to Berlin. Stay with us.

Louise and Ray

It has been four years since we last saw 9A Zepplinstrasse in Nidda, Germany. It was the same day we said goodbye to our 1954 MG-TF sports car…one we had owned for 53 years. We left it in the care of Evi and Michael Stadler who promised to take care of it, possibly even better than we had.

That was more than possible since it spent the bulk of our years under a car cover in our carport. Here it lives under a hard roof in climate conditioned comfort. It even has a roommate. In this case it’s a 1929 BMW Dixie that Michael restored with his own hands.

At our last visit we were impressed by the quality of Michael’s car collection, most of it contemporary and brand new. Since then he has added another Mercedes, a SL 63 AMG.  It is a bit unusual as they covered the surface with a carbonic patterned film.  It’s companion is a Mercedes SLR McLaren.

Another part of the equipe is a Mercedes SLR McClaren and the Aston Martin DBS he purchased in 2011.  In fact, we met Michael and Evi in the Aston Martin parking lot when they were visiting the factory. Not pictured is a Mercedes SLS and a Jaguar XK8.

His most recent purchase is this McClaren 650S that blows the socks off almost anything else in the garage. Since 2011 Michael has made a change in his career direction He was hugely successful in his business career and has now decided to follow his muse by hiring staff and establishing a business to restore “old timer” automobiles…both for clients and for sale.

When he broke the news I had some concern about the MG but he said, “I am in the business to sell restored automobiles, but the MG will never be one of those.” I better understood his promise when we noticed this huge backdrop of our former baby. Evi and Michael visit historical car events and set up a booth to advertise their business. After all those years sitting under an MG Mitten, the MG has been put back to work. Not only that, she is a STAR.

Once again, I was able to join in on the Sunday night tradition of Michael’s buddies getting together to talk about cars, argue politics, eat food and drink beer.

Usually it’s a pitch-in, but Michael, ever the businessman, managed to corral the leftovers from Evi’s party so we were eating and drinking well.

The cap to each Sunday evening gathering is when he pours the schnapps into small glasses.

They sit on a custom board that Michael passes around the table. After saying,”Prosit,” the custom is to toss the schnapps down the hatch. Frankly it’s a good thing since sipping firewater is never a good idea.

As a favor, I asked Michael to bring the MG out for a final goodbye.

We stood proudly between our newest and oldest automobiles. There seemed to be no rancor or bruised feelings on the part of the MG, however we’re sure the new Audi Q5 was thinking, “What in hell kind of car is that?” We’ll see what it has to say after 53 years.

We left Evi and Michael standing in the same spot as four years ago. The difference is now they’re off on a new business venture with the MG as a working partner. Who could ever believe that?

We’re off the Liepzig, our first peek behind the former Iron Curtain.

Gute nacht from Louise and Ray