Pre-Christmas in Berlin 21-24 December

First things first...breakfast!

I never sleep well when I'm away from home and last night was no exception. I missed my pillows, although the bed itself was very comfortable. Keith woke me at 7.45am and we spent a good half hour watching Berliners going to work and witnessing a furious row between a motorist and a cyclist!

I had a cup of coffee but there was only one tiny carton of milk left so I could see us making a trip to a nearby supermarket today to buy some more! Once we were all ready we took the U2 to Alexanderplatz in search of breakfast. Sophie and I suggested going to the Hackescher Hof cafe where we enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate last year and luckily we found it straight away as I could hear grumblings from Keith about having to walk so far!

Sophie, Mike and I had the full English while Keith settled for two croissants and jam which was good as he was given Mike's two eggs. The service was very friendly and polite and it was a great way to start the day. The coffee was beautifully hot and strong, so perfect!

A bit of sightseeing

After breakfast we explored the courtyards and tried to find the weird bar we saw a few visits back. Sophie managed to avoid the Mac shop, saying it was tradition to buy the make-up at the Galeria department store.

We took a leisurely stroll back to Alexanderplatz and then walked back to the hotel through the Nikolai quarter. Sophie and I went into a beautiful Christmas shop and bought a new carved wooden decoration for our living room tree. There were some gorgeous decorations in there, with prices to match!

We went into a supermarket and bought some biscuits and milk and a roll of sellotape for Sophie as she was keeping a journal. Back at the hotel we stowed everything in the fridge and Keith and I shared a Berliner Pilsner!

Ruined church

We decided to go and visit the ruined church called Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtnis Kirche which was destroyed by bombs in 1943. We took the U2 line to the Zoologischer gardens and as we emerged from the station the church was right in front of us.

After the war most of the ruins were removed leaving only the front tower. You can go inside and have a look at the Coventry Crucifix which was made from nails found in the ashes of Coventry Cathedral after it also was bombed during World War II.

The Coventry Crucifix

We also saw an Orthodox Cross given by Russia in memory of the victims of Nazism.

It was very warm inside the church and quite crowded with people so we had a quick look, lit some candles and went outside to wander through the Christmas market. Keith bought a new Biergarten sign which we'll put up in the conservatory and Sophie and I had a look in a large cabin selling Christmas decorations, but didn't see anything we liked.

Yummy beer and food!

From the church we headed back to Alexanderplatz and visited the lovely Christmas market by the Rotes Rathaus. It was the same as last year, with a skating rink and a huge ferris wheel. By now we were a little peckish so I encouraged Sophie to try a large Yorkshire pudding type thing from one of the stalls. She chose it with chocolate sauce but there were savoury versions as well...

We're still not quite sure what it was but it tasted good! We had a good look around and Mike bought his girlfriend, Heather, a necklace and a ring for Christmas. Sophie also treated herself to a ring but from a different stall this year. 

Feeling a bit weary we bought some beers and sat and enjoyed the view.

The skating rink was more water than ice as the weather was so mild! We stayed for quite a time at the market and as it was getting dark the stalls looked really pretty and festive with all the fairy lights. 

Lovely woodsmoke brazier to keep people warm

We took a slow walk back to the hotel through the Nikolai quarter again and saw some lovely little tea shops that were just what I would love to own. Everything was so pretty. The Germans certainly know how to do Christmas!

Back at the hotel it was time for hot baths to soak our weary limbs and a short nap before going out to dinner.

Otello and Reinhard's

Unfortunately the bar in the hotel was closed again which was extremely annoying, as we were told yesterday that it would be open and we love sitting there and having a drink before going out. There was a sign on the counter that said the bar would be closed until the 4 January which we thought was terrible.

We decided to head for Otello and hoped that it would be open. Luckily it was and we were the only ones in there all evening. I really love this cosy bar and it was perfect to sit with a chilled glass of Riesling and have a chat.

The bar was full of old accordions, poinsettias and magnums of Champagne and the waiter came in and lit all the candles, adding to the beauty of the place.

We had a few drinks in the bar then made our way next door to Reinhard's. The restaurant was very quiet indeed with only a few people occupying the tables. Our waiter who had served us in Otello, waited on us at dinner and we had a lovely meal. Mike and I chose a tomato soup served with a skewer of prawns while Sophie enjoyed her favourite - potato and sausage soup. Keith skipped a starter and enjoyed lamb chops for a main course along with Mikey. Sophie chose the Wiener Schnitzel and I opted for Hermann Tietz's favourite dish which was medallions of pork, beef and turkey in a pepper and herb sauce served with fried potatoes and mushrooms. It was delicious!

Sophie certainly enjoyed her soup!

Our waiter was excellent and we had a lot of banter with him. We laughingly said we were off to a club and he recommended somewhere called Watergate. Sophie was almost asleep over her dinner so I don't think we were in any state to take him up on his recommendation!

It had been a lovely evening and the bill came to an almighty 174 euros! However, it was worth it and it is Christmas!