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So here's our crazy story from yesterday. We were riding the Hop On, Hop Off tour bus. Trying to get a feel for Berlin. It was awful. There were no back stories or details. So very dry. For example, "In an apartment in that building on the left, there was an assassination attempt on Hitler's life in 1944." Really? Wow. Tell me more. Interesting. Dead air. Nothing. And so on. I was falling asleep enjoying the sunshine on the roof of the bus. Nina was as usual telling us that she needs to eat. She has outgrown half of her clothes since we left Castle Rock and I think if we let her she could eat all day. As I type this she is eating cashews next to me in bed.
Anywho...the tour describes (briefly) a gourmet food shop and deli on the 6th floor of the department store at the next stop. We decide to check it out and were blown away! KaDeWe's 6th floor is indescribable. But I will try. There was a regular food market. Then there were specialty markets and counters to eat at for every type of food. The egg section had an emu egg that was as big as a cantelope. There was a bouillabaisse bar and a seafood bar and a sushi bar. Two Asain food bars, two Italian food bars, German, a Spanish tapas bar. Chocolates and candies, liquors and wines, salads, fruits, on and on. We were dumbfounded! Then...we ate crepes. Anthony and I had a side conversation about where we would eat if it was just the two of us. We voted for bouillabaise and champagne (me) and the fish grill (AG). I guess we would have met up after lunch! Ha!
After lunch we decided to forgo the boring bus and hit the streets walking. A friend of Anthony's had told him about a hotel that had a massive cylindrical fish tank in the lobby that the girls might like to see. We headed out in that direction. A few blocks into our walk a security guard wordlessly puts up his hand and stops us and a few other walkers. As we wait, we look in the building to our right, Deutsche Bank, and see about 15 cameramen. The door opens and out walks Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany. Just for the record, we were more dumbfounded than we were over the KaDeWe food market. She stood on the sidewalk talking to the people with her for a few seconds than got into an Audi* that didn't even have tinted windows. Her car and one just like it drove away. Anthony tried to get a picture, but only snapped it after she turned. So dispute if you want, but I was on the way to see a fish tank and saw, arguably the most powerful woman in the world. Super meaningful when you are with your young daughters.
Oh and by the way we did finally make it to the fish tank and it was quite impressive. Although Celeste, who's a seasoned aquarium-oligist did have a minor criticism. "It would be cooler if it had sharks".
Amy
*What the heck, Angela? Mercedes Benz rules this city. There are spinning MB symbols on rooftops and belltowers donated by MB that ring twice an hour, etc...and you are in an Audi?
- comments
George Herbst Your blog and photos remind me of our tour of Berlin last summer. It was a stop on our Baltic cruise. There is a lot of history that goes with that city. Hope you enjoy your time there. FYI, I talked with Elaine yesterday about her trip to Paris. We have not been there yet but plan to go sometime soon.