Berlin! Probably my favorite city

Berlin is awesome - I was there for the 2017 Marathon (not running, but everyone else I was with did run).

Amazing place - we stayed at the Raddison with the monster fish tank (that burst a few months ago). Given I was chief roving Marathon support, I saw a vast amount of the city on foot as well as all the touristy bits on the other days.

Did you go to the Ritter Sport shop ? - Oh my christ, I don't how I got out of there without 50 kilos of Rittery goodness.

I visited Berlin back in 2013 (I think) and thoroughly enjoyed it. One of those places where I would probably want to visit again.

I love Berlin and have taken a few thousand photos there over the past 3 visits. I'm already booked to go again in October for the Festival of Lights

In 2020 I met up with one of my cousins who is living there. He was in the British Army when the Wall came down. He'd trained as a driver for the Western Inspection Teams that were allowed to go into East Berlin to check on what the East Germans and Russians were up to, and before he could perform his first tour as driver for the observation team, the wall  came down !  End of mission, wasted training etc etc.  He's now retired ona Major's pension and decided to setttle in Berlin, just before asll the covid restrictions came into force. Apparently a few weeks later and he wouldn't have been allowed there






Not forgetting Potsdam, haf an hour away by S-bahn, and the Bridge of Spies:


Roll on October !

From previous years:

Same here. Never been but would really like to at some point.

As long as the Radisson doesn't have a big fish tank in it, you'll be fine - enjoy!

This caught my eye on my latest visit:

At first glance it looks like someone is going to try to drive the Peugeot into the back of the van, however the ramps were for loading trolleys from an exhibition hall just out of shot
and I finaly got fairly close to "Molecular Man"

... and the vandalism done to the Brandenburg Gate by the Orange Paint Mob:

This
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67647472
may explain why I couldn't get anywhere near the Gate on Thursday. The entire area of Paritser Platz had been cordoned off from early in the morning with road closures all around and police presence by the dozen, or maybe hundreds. When I've had time to go through my photos I'll post what it looks like there as Christmas approaches. In my 6 days there the highest temperature was +1 degrees C. I think I'm just about thawed out now, but the Germans certainly know how to do Christmas Markets

We're having a bit of a "year from hell" in our family so when the opportunity arose and I was able to visit Berlin on the cheap, I took advantage; last Wednesday to this Tuesday.
The paint has been cleared off the Brandenburger Tor:

and someone definitely hasn't beeen forgotten:


Interestingly (?) the UK-issued TK Maxx "Treasure" loyalty card works out there !
Oh - and I made it to the top of the Victory Column this time too, and the Tempelhof Airport control tower