I had a slightly better night's sleep and we were all up and out by 9.30am. I had a great cup of coffee (with fresh milk) and we snacked on biscuits for breakfast as we wanted to have lunch at one of the Christmas markets.
This morning we decided to visit the Russian memorial in Treptower Park as Mike had never been. As usual we had difficulty taking the right train to the station we needed but we found our way in the end.
(For future reference: Take the U5 line to Frankfurter Allee, then change to the S-Bahn for a line that stops at Treptower Park!)
By now the sun was shining and it looked to be a lovely, and still very mild, day. We emerged from the station and walked through the park where a lot of building work was going on. I do wonder what will happen when all the current works in Berlin finish...will they start all over again?
We crossed the road and made our way under the arch that heralds the start of the memorial. Mike and Keith went ahead to have a look and then Sophie joined them at the huge statue of a man carrying a child and trampling over the swastika.
As is always the case, the memorial was very quiet and we only saw a couple more tourists the whole time we were there. Mikey was impressed with the statues and took lots of photos on his iPod.
On the buses
We walked back to the station along the road and came across a bus stop. We've never really used the buses in Berlin but we decided to travel on the 165 route that took us right back to our hotel. We had to wait a few minutes but it was certainly easier than negotiating the hundreds of steps and different stations if we'd taken the train. The journey wasn't long but it was great to sit back and look out of the window and we saw the last remaining watchtower in Berlin, a site Keith and I had walked to from Treptower Park a few years ago.
Back at Markisches Museum we took the U2 to Potsdamer Platz and visited the Christmas market there. I treated the children to currywurst which was very good indeed. We had a brown roll and a tray of chopped up sausage covered with a mixture of curry sauce and ketchup. Yum! Keith bought himself a portion of french fries and then treated himself to some marzipan.
We wandered through the market and the kids bought some lovely little leather-bound journals from one of the cabins. Sophie saw a scarf she liked but it was 40 euros!
From Potsdamer Platz we strolled over to the Brandenburg Gate which was busy with tourists. We walked past the Reichstag and sat down on a bench nearby to have a rest. My feet were very weary by now but underground stations were few and far between. There is a huge amount of building work going on at the moment to extend the U-Bahn line between the Brandenburg Gate and Alexanderplatz and I will be mightily glad when it's finished as it means we could get a train straight back to our hotel without having to go via the main train station, the Hauptbahnhof.
While we were sitting in the gorgeous sunshine we fed a whole crowd of sparrows with Keith's marzipan and then some crows got in on the action!
Christmas shopping
Having enjoyed a little rest we went into the Brandenburger Tor to take the U55 line which only runs between three stations. However, work is now underway to link this up with the U5 line but I've just read it won't be finished until 2020! We got off the train at the mega busy Hauptbahnhof and saw that a lot of people were on the move for Christmas. We got a little confused here as we needed to get the S-Bahn to Alexanderplatz and we managed to race up and down different escalators in an attempt to catch the next train. One platform was for the Munich train so we were glad we didn't get on that one!
We finally got onto a crowded train bound for some unknown German town but which stopped at Alexanderplatz. It was hot and busy and my feet were killing me so once off the train we stopped for a drink at the small self-service restaurant where we sometimes have lunch. We sat with our beers and enjoyed a well-earned rest!
Our next stop was the Galeria Kaufhof where some serious Christmas shopping was taking place. The frenzy had caught up with us! Mike went off on his own to do some shopping, Keith went and found a quiet place to sit while Sophie and I went up to the fifth floor for some retail therapy. We found a lovely silver metal heart and a sweet decoration for the conservatory tree.
Back down on the ground floor we fought our way into the food and drink hall but it was so busy and so full of people that we gave up looking for anything. Keith kept appearing and had followed us from one of the upper floors. I'm glad he saw us as I was on the brink of buying him a bottle of beer for the astronomical price of 10 euros...and it was an English beer! He told me not to be so silly so we left this part of the shop empty-handed!
Sophie went to the Mac counter and while she was looking at lipsticks I had a wander over to the handbag section as I thought it would be nice to get a new bag. The first one I picked up was 1,250 euros so I rapidly put it back down again and returned to my daughter!
Outside there was yet another Christmas market taking place and Mike went off to do some shopping. Sophie and I waited for him while Keith disappeared to use the facilities of Alexanderplatz station. As usual I was on high alert for weirdos as this area is not my favourite place to be and is usually full of beggars, homeless people and some very suspect characters. Near to us was an obviously drunk man falling asleep while eating a sausage in a roll...
I was very glad when the menfolk arrived back and we made our way down to the U-Bahn for the train home. On the way we stopped at a little station cafe and enjoyed a pretzel (Sophie), ice-cream (me), a chicken wrap (Mike) and a coffee (Keith).
Back at the hotel it was time for a hot bath and a nap!
Saved by the Italians
Tonight wasn't the most successful of evenings! One of the things that Keith likes doing is going for a quiet drink by himself while I finish getting ready. As the hotel bar was closed I suggested he go to the "pub" opposite our hotel which is located under a huge block of flats. On our first visit to Berlin back in 2006 this was a lovely little bar and restaurant but was closed last year. It looked like it had re-opened so he said he'd go and look while I finished dressing.
We all met up in the hotel lobby and Keith said he had a treat for us. Instead of turning right outside the hotel we went straight on down Wallstrasse to the Park Plaza hotel. He'd been in for a drink and was impressed with the bar so he decided to surprise us. He ordered a Grey Goose vodka and Fever Tree tonic for me, a Mojito for Sophie and a Jack Daniels for Mike (naughty). He also had a small beer for himself (I dread to think how much the bill was!).
There was no-one else in the bar which was situated right at the front of the hotel and looked out over the quiet street. The bar was long and lit with different coloured lights and was very pretty and relaxing. We sat on comfy chairs and our drinks were brought to us by the bartender.
My drink was OK, but the taste of the vodka (I'd never tried Grey Goose before) was overwhelmed by Elderflower tonic and not the Fever Tree that's my favourite. Sophie's Mojito was also OK, but I don't think she enjoyed it as much as the ones I make her at home. Mike certainly enjoyed his Jack Daniels, though!
We are thinking seriously of staying here on our next visit as the hotel looked lovely and was in the same price bracket as the Grosser Kurfurst. Along with our drinks we were served a bowl of crispy breads which were delicious.
Tonight we planned to eat at what we called the "booby" restaurant, so named because of the first floor windows that look like...boobs! It used to be a Chinese restaurant but had changed hands and the menu looked good and was now called Schwalbennest.
The restaurant was virtually deserted with only two other tables occupied. We sat down by the window and had a look at the dishes on offer while sipping on drinks. We decided to skip starters and I chose the chicken on skewers served with potatoes and salad while Keith, Mike and Sophie opted for the pork ribs. I don't think our waiter quite understood Keith when he ordered our main courses as he thought that we wanted one dish for all three! We made sure he understood and ordered a sharing platter to nibble on while we waited for our dinner.
Unfortunately the sharing platter never arrived but our main course food was good. My chicken was lovely and Keith said he really enjoyed his ribs. We looked forward to having a dessert but the waiter cleared away our plates and didn't ask about puddings. By now we were a little fed up with the service so we called for the bill and decided to go to the Christmas market for crepes.
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| Reinhard's restaurant |
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| Nikolaiviertal street scene |
However, on the way there I said I couldn't walk any more as my legs were really tired and achy. I'm such a wimp! We turned back and went to the open air cinema to get some crepes there, but they had sold out. The children weren't very happy with me but luckily Keith spotted desserts on the menu at an Italian restaurant called Salino and the proprietor, standing outside having a cigarette, was happy to accommodate us.
Inside it was lovely and cosy and warm. People were finishing their dinners (it was about 9pm by now) and we ordered profiteroles, panna cotta and tiramisu. Keith enjoyed a glass of Merlot while Sophie sipped on a glass of wine. Our desserts were delicious and the proprietor really friendly and welcoming. Keith and I had been here before when we popped in for a drink before flying home and I'm sure in the future we will be back to enjoy a meal.
Back at the hotel it was certainly time for bed. It's Christmas Eve tomorrow!
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