We stayed on a tram line to the north of the city and enjoyed the cheap efficient public transport system while the Grey Ghost rested in the hotel garage. The fine warm weather made it a pleasure to explore this city on foot. It is a very beautiful city still undergoing extensive reconstruction. Its major squares, buildings and streets are all on a grand scale leaving you dwarfed as you walk around and take it all in. Cross the River Elbe to the north bank and enjoy more intimate spaces where the locals circulate by bicycle and foot in relaxed style. The city also suffered from a major flood in 2002 which inundated a lot of the 'Old City' so there are parallels with Brisbane in the rebuilding that has been undertaken.
From Dresden we moved further north to Berlin along the motorway on a hot day. There are no real alternative routes as we are now in the more densely populated areas so we just had to treat this as a transit stage. We chose accommodation at Spandau to the city's west about a 20 minute commute by electric rail to the city. Again the transport system is cheap and reliable (although some locals did dispute this last point) so the best way to travel. Berlin's reputation is dominated by its recent history as a city divided by the infamous 'wall' which stood from 1961 to 1989. There are ample reminders of this period throughout the city and they are all major tourist drawcards. There are also many reminders of the damage wrought on the city towards the end of WW2. Particularly poignant for us was the shrapnel damage on the brass plaques at the Victory Column where fallen soldiers from WW1 battles had limbs torn off or gaping holes in their torso from the real life WW2 battle for the city.
The city is undergoing major reconstruction work which makes it difficult to get around. The buildings are also on a grand scale as are the squares and boulevards so it is not an intimate city and lacks the 'warmth' of other popular European cities we had visited. We could not comprehend however why this major capital city in the economic powerhouse of the European Union had a total disregard for its appearance. The parks and gardens are totally neglected and weeds are left grown untended even at the most popular tourist sites. Graffiti is also an untended blight on the landscape but nowhere near the extent of Prague. Perhaps it is just a sign of the tough economic times that the world is facing and basic 'housekeeping' has dropped down the priority list.
Most Architectural reminders of the Stalinist period are austere and lacking in any empathy to neighboring historical sites with the exception of the Nikolaiviertel. This historical centre of Berlin was almost completely destroyed in 1945 and residential reconstruction has included restoration as well as the use of pre-fabricated concrete panels - it is an interesting mix. The Brandenburg Gate, Victory Column, Reichstag and Holocaust memorial are some of the many 'must visit' sites. After a couple of days we left Berlin better informed but with still many questions unanswered. We were content that we had visited sites that until now had just been names to us and we were leaving with a much better understanding of the city's history. The next 20 years may be as difficult as the past 20 for this complex city.
