6th August 2025 Berlin

 Big storm overnight, which I mostly slept through but thankfully it got rid of all those annoying clouds and drizzle that we had to endure yesterday afternoon.

Today is superb.

We start the day as always with the search for coffee and it seems not too many people want to get up too early. Most of the coffee shops don’t seem to open until 9 or 10 o’clock.  I did find Schiller Deli tho just near Potsdamer Platz  which suits our needs and opens early.

Yesterday, when I found the post about the Blue Man Project, I also found posts about a favourite green man who looks a lot like the traffic light man. Seriously intrigued I am and it’s seems this green man has a statue not far from us and his name is Ampelmännchen, apparently a city icon!

Why?? I cannot answer but we take a look on our way to Schillers Deli.

After breakfast we begin our own walking tour. We go by the Topography of Terror museum.

It sounds quite gruesome but it was a history of the third reich and SS and is said to be quite interesting but also closed. Although outside is 200m of the Berlin wall left untouched.

The walls position has now been replaced by 2 distinctive lines of stones so it is easy to see where it was throughout the city and also for us to follow as we would like to follow it as much as we can.

We arrive at Checkpoint Charlie, best known crossing point for the wall. Very touristy, which is ok I am a tourist too. But lots of selfies and I wonder to myself if they know why it’s there. As the day goes on I feel that a lot.

There is a large photo of a young soldier, possibly East German facing the checkpoint. On speaking with a local, she said it was purely symbolic to let the Americans know they were being watched.

We continue following the wall which brings us to the river and also the need for a sit down and a cool drink. It’s getting pretty warm now.

Once we are rejuvenated we head to the Eastside Gallery. This is a stretch of wall covered in graffiti. Artists from lots of countries came to paint after the fall of the wall. All making a statement one way or another but it has become a symbol of joy but thought provoking also.

Once we did the return walk along the river, we decided to be brave and sort out the public transport system. There are still a few things we would like to see today and our legs are growing a bit weary.

We catch a train to Bernaur Straße to the Berlin Wall Memorial. The significance of this street is the wall divided the street and thus the community. The memorial is really tastefully created and goes someways into letting us see how tough it was and the horrible decisions the community had to make.

Back on the train and out to Gesundbrunnen to make our way to a Flak tower which essentially is one of three towers that protected Berlin during the war.

Sadly tho, unlike all the other memorials we’ve seen this one was not looked after at all, considering it’s important role in the past. Covered in graffiti and broken bottles etc. Plus it was nearly 200 steps to get there. ( hahah)

We are pretty much done for now and head back to the station to catch the train back to Potsdamer Platz.

Quick coffee in the Berlin Mall next door before retreating back to our room to charge our phones and ourselves.

Dinner tonight also next door in the mall, enjoying another curry wurst coz I can.

Home and feet up, ready for a sound sleep.💤 

What a sensational day…..