We were all up early and by 9.30am we had checked out of the hotel but had left our luggage with them. We headed out for breakfast but a lot of cafes and restaurants were closed as it was Christmas Eve.
We kept on walking through the Nikolai quarter and over to Alexanderplatz. I suggested we have breakfast in the TV Tower but the queues to get in were very long so we headed for the Galeria Kaufhof instead. They have a restaurant on the fifth floor and were doing an "All you can eat" buffet breakfast for a very reasonable 10 euros.
There were loads of choices on offer, from cooked foods to cold meats, fruit and pastries. We loaded up our plates and I had a cup of delicious coffee. After we finished I spotted a lovely little Father Christmas and just had to have him! He was only five euros!
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| Herr Hair |
We called him Herr Hair because at the start of our trip Mike said he had a hair stuck in his throat and it was really bothering him. He kept making lots of gurgly throat noises and every so often we'd ask about the hair and whether he'd managed to cough it up. It turned into a bit of a joke and we asked him whether he had a passport for the hair and if we could stick it into Sophie's journal when he eventually got rid of it! Anyway, we now have Herr Hair and he can join the other Father Christmasses I have in the living room!
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| Alexanderplatz |
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| Rotes Rathaus and the building works for the new underground line |
The store was getting busy so we left and wandered back over to the Nikolaiviertal to have a look in the shops.
From there we went down to the river to look at how the Humboldt forum was getting on. We walked along a narrow path by the river where there was a display of National Geographic photos. Some nasty person had cut a lot of them out so there were gaps in the display.
Walking along the path was the only time I felt a bit wary in Berlin. Behind us were a group of men who were talking really loudly and I just had the feeling they were up to no good. As there was nowhere for us to go and nobody else on the walkway I felt a little twinge of fear. However, they went on their way and just ignored us so that was a relief!
Outside the Berliner Dom it was very busy and the little cafe that Sophie and I visited last year for macaroons and hot chocolate was closed. Several dodgy characters were setting up betting games so we gave them a wide berth and headed back across the river. The works going on here were extensive and were for the new underground line but they blighted this part of the Unter Den Linden which is very beautiful.
We eventually reached the hotel and ordered a taxi. We couldn't face the train stations so had decided to get a taxi as a treat. The driver arrived and we had a blissful journey to the airport in a beautifully quiet and clean car.
Homeward bound
We were very early so we found comfortable seats in a small cafe and whiled away the time by watching the comings and goings outside the airport and having a couple of drinks. Herr Hair enjoyed himself...
It was soon time to drop off our suitcase which was easy and straightforward and then we all went through to departures. I made a beeline for the Duty Free shop and bought some chocolates for Mum, a bottle of German red wine for my Dad and a bottle of Black Bush whisky as a treat for Keith.
We didn't have long before it was time to go to the gate and board. I had hoped that the flight would be quiet as the airport itself was not busy but it was not to be and there was the usual scrum to get on board despite EasyJet now allocating seats at check-in.
We had a great flight home and were soon on the bus to the Long Term parking, It only seemed like two minutes since we were here on Monday! After a minor glitch to get out (we were told we owed £84 even though we'd pre-paid) we were soon on the M1 and heading home.
We were hoping that the Chinese van was in the village but we were disappointed so we drove on to Kettering and ordered a take-away from the Wok In. It wasn't the best Chinese we've ever had but it did its job and we spent the rest of the evening relaxing and resting after our busy day!
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