DAY ONE:

Arrived to Berlin on Busabout Bus early afternoon with an introduction to the city...

Just 2 decades ago this was still a divided city- split between communist east and capitalist west. Today, building cranes dominate the skyline, and world class architectual icons emerge every few years

Recommend the 2.50 euro kebabs!!

Don't recommend hostel we stayed in...

DAY TWO:

Saturday = German Markets!! Great fun- music, stalls, sausages!!

- must try a German Sausage- mostly sold in stalls along sides of roads

Went on a boat tour- with headphones for a recorded guide... Don't particularly recommend it, aren;t too many sites you can see from the Spree River- included the 'Museum Island' (Museumsinsel) and certain parlimentary buildings, but was a beautiful day so fit in well

DAY THREE:

Did a bike tour around Berlin- 'Insider tours' Definately recommend it!!

Saw Checkpoint Charlie, The Berlin Wall, Hitlers Bunker, The Brandenburg Gate, The Reichstag Parliament, The Government Core of Nazi Berlin, the Jewish memorial sight, rode through Tiergarden Park (beautiful), The futuristic new government quarter and enjoyed a free Beer in the Biergarten. Also gained an in-depth review of the History of Berlin, including:

Brandenburg Gate- Finished in 1791- became an east- west crossing point after the wall was built in 1961. The crowning Quadringa statue (a winged goddess in a horse drawn chariot) was once kidnapped by Napoleon and briefly taken to Paris, but is back in place now.

Just west of the Gate stands the Reichstag Parliament (Reichstaggebaude). A fire here in 1933 allowed Hitler to blame the communists and grab power, while the Soviets raised their flag here in 1945 to signal Nazi Germanys defeat. A glass cupola was added to the Parliament in 1999 to symbolise todays freedom- and how nothing is done in secrecy.

To the south is the War Victims memorial (Scheidemannstrasse) commemmorating the 191 people who died crossing from East to West.

Further South is the Memorial for the Murdered Jews or Holocaust Memorial (Denkmal fur die ermordeten Jeden Europas)- a grid of 2711 'stelae' or differently shaped concrete columns set over 19000 sq meters of gently rolling ground. This create the eeriness of becoming 'lost' and 'alone', which is the atmosphere the architect was trying to create- symbolising how the Jews felt during this tragic time.

TV Tower- erected in 1969 and the citys tallest structure at 368cm.

Went out for dinner for a German Schnitzel for 6 euros- not too bad (around corner from hostel) then 1 euro icecream...

Had an early evening wander around 'Potsdamer Platz'- A postmodern temple erected in 2000 over the former death strip, symbolic of of capitalisms victory over socialism. Now sits the 'Sony Centre', and malls, restaurants, bars etc- revitalising what was once the busiest square in prewar Europe.