The cloud that had rolled in yesterday was still hanging about this morning, and to make matters worse, it had rained during the night. We congregated at 9am again and stepped out of the hotel into a grey, misty Berlin. A taxi driver, waiting by the hotel entrance, warned us of black ice, and we discovered the paths were treacherously slippery. This meant we had to be careful with every step as Sophie slipped a couple of times.
We walked gingerly over to the U-Bahn station, bought more 24-hour tickets and took the U2 line to Theodor-Heuss-Platz, which was a long run of stops. Sophie had planned on having breakfast at the Literaturhaus café, but she suspected that it had moved to a different venue since our last visit, when it was near Kurfürstendamm.
We emerged into the frigid air and made our way very slowly, using Sophie's phone to navigate. We were all worried about falling, so the walk wasn't at all pleasant! At one point, after a small bickerfest, we almost turned back, as we hadn't a clue where we were going until we saw a sign pointing the way.
The Literaturhaus has been temporarily moved to the International Club Berlin, and, if anything, is set in more beautiful grounds than previously. It was like going into a private members' club! We were warmly greeted by a lovely young girl who showed us to a table by the window.
It was beautifully quiet with a piano playing in the background, and we sat and studied the extensive breakfast menu. Keith and I chose fried eggs with bacon atop a hash brown, while Sophie was delighted to see a platter of cold meats, cheeses and bread rolls on the menu. My immediate desire was for a strong cup of coffee as I hadn't had one yet!
We spent an exceedingly pleasant hour enjoying our breakfasts, chatting and relaxing. I had another coffee, and to be honest, we didn't want to leave! We could have stayed all day!
A new Christmas market
We paid the bill, used the immaculate facilities and reluctantly left. Outside, it had warmed up a degree or two, and the icy conditions weren't as bad. We decided to visit the Humboldt Forum, and rather than take the train, we caught a bus to Zoologischer Garten, where we could pick up the U2 line and then change.
It was an interesting bus ride, but there wasn't much to see in terms of famous sights, just a lot of shops and people going about their daily business. When we arrived at Zoologischer Garten, I realised why we avoided this area... it was on a par with my other least favourite station, Alexanderplatz, and had a horrible atmosphere. There was graffiti, litter, general ugliness and some dodgy people about. To make matters worse, we couldn't find the U2 line and were forced up and down stairs and into a lift. We trailed in Sophie's wake as she tried to find the right place to go, and we couldn't wait to get on the train and head towards Stadtmitte.
At Stadtmitte, we changed to the U6 line and took the underground to Unter den Linden, before changing once again onto the new U5 line to Museum Insel. This was a lovely station, but then it should be as it's so new!
We emerged from the station right outside the Humboldt Forum, which is free to enter. We all felt like something to eat and drink, so we made for the café first. This was a completely self-service experience, and Sophie and I each picked out a slice of cheesecake and a bottle of beer. Keith was still full from his breakfast, but the café had an extensive range of food and drink on offer and was busy and bustling.
I had to confess to Sophie and Keith that my little toe was hurting a lot today, and I suspected I had broken it, rather than just bruised it. Keith had noticed me limping, so he was concerned as well. We were feeling cold and weary, so we decided to head back to the hotel after visiting the Christmas Market in the courtyard of the building.
I bought some more decorations for our Scandinavian tree, and we had a look in the shop for a new hat for Keith. The weather hadn't improved, and it was bitingly cold.
Sophie suggested taking the bus to Fischer Insel, very near to our hotel, so we stood and waited. We couldn't even see the Television Tower today, it was so misty. It was a real, freezing Berlin day!
To the rescue!
Before heading back to the hotel, we popped into the useful Edeka supermarket for some milk and snacks. I picked out a small carton of milk, some salted pretzels, peanuts and a packet of biscuits. As we came out, Sophie gave a homeless man a handful of change. I couldn't imagine what it must be like to sit in the freezing cold and beg for a few coins with no warm shelter to retreat to.
Ahead of us, we saw a woman trying to transfer her shopping from the paper bag she'd been given in the supermarket to her handbag. Sophie had noticed her at the checkout as she was buying small tins of cat food. I suggested she give the woman one of her canvas bags to help (a vintage Levi's bag, no less!), as there didn't seem to be enough room for all of her purchases. She was very grateful!
Once at the hotel, we ordered drinks from the bar, which had reopened after Christmas. Keith had a large beer, Sophie had a Negroni Sbagliato, while I settled for a large glass of Chardonnay. We sat and relaxed, munching on the pretzels and relishing the warmth of the hotel bar.
We stayed in the bar for a couple of hours as none of us saw any sense in aimlessly wandering about in the cold, visiting places we'd already been to. Sophie and I are returning to Berlin at the end of May, and I suggested seeing a completely different side of the city. We are seeing Ben Howard and Zach Bryan at a venue near the Olympic Stadium, so I said we could explore Potsdam and the Sanssouci Palace, as May would be the perfect time for seeing the gorgeous grounds.
A worthy successor...
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| View from our room - you can just see last night's restaurant in the beautiful old building |
After relaxing in the bar, we returned to our rooms and packed, ready for the journey home tomorrow. Keith and I dozed and watched Sky News, and we both had hot showers ready for our meal out tonight. Sophie had booked a table at the Spreeblick restaurant, and we met up at 6.30pm to walk over to the Nikolai Quarter in search of a bar for a drink beforehand.
We had noticed a bar next to the restaurant called Zille-Destille, and we could see seats available at the bar. Inside, it was lovely and warm with a great atmosphere. We learned that the bar was part of the restaurant as well, so that was even better!
We sat at the bar and ordered drinks. Sophie had an Aperol Spritz, Keith had a beer (we chose the right one this time!), and I had a large glass of wine. I declared the bar a worthy successor to our beloved, but now closed, Otello bar. The barman spoke great English (I thought he was American at first) and was friendly and hospitable. There was lots of dark wood, cosy seating and rows and rows of bottles of Berliner Luft... more of that later! There was also an excellent soundtrack playing, mostly 80s music. Perfect!
Keith and Sophie had another drink, and my daughter decided to try a Persico Spritz this time. She said it was like Dr Pepper! We learned it was a cherry Schnapps and made a lovely long drink.
Just before 8pm, we walked next door and took our seats at a window table. Our waiter was great, very friendly and welcoming, and we had a good look at the menu. I ordered a bottle of Riesling to go with our meal and chose a potato and Frankfurter soup to start, followed by calves' liver and mash. Sophie went for the meatball, lard and pickles served with bread, and Keith decided on the goulash soup.
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| Sophie's starter |
Our soups were delicious, but plentiful, and when our main courses arrived, Keith and I looked a bit dismayed as they were so large. Like Sophie, Keith had chosen the schnitzel but opted for pork while Sophie enjoyed chicken.
The restaurant had emptied out by now, and we were the only people still eating. However, I could see the staff still carrying loaded plates next door to another of their restaurants!
As we were eating, a couple came in and sat to the right of us. The man was German, but the woman spoke English even though she wasn't from England. Sophie immediately suspected she was an escort, as she didn't drink and looked slightly uncomfortable when her companion kept lunging at her and kissing her. I hadn't thought anything of their relationship, but Sophie was convinced she was either Russian or Eastern European and was working, hence the no alcohol. Fascinating!
As we were so full from our main courses, we skipped dessert, and our waiter, who had been charming all night, brought us three shots of the Berliner Luft Schnapps. It was minty and delicious!
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| Not my photo! |
It was great to end the night with a couple of nightcaps, and I chose the cherry version next, which was delicious. Keith asked to buy two shot glasses so they will add to our collection in the kitchen!
We ambled back to the hotel, noticing that the sky had cleared and we could see the stars. It was going to be a cold night!
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