Jule's Hikoi: Berlin II

One thing I didn't mention in the last post was how far we wandered - far too far for my new green boots and my little white shoes. I didn't learn from London and take my runners. Vanity is a fine thing, 10 plus kilometers each day will outweigh vanity next time. I have recovered, although apparently there were times my inner toddler came out, stamping my foot and demanding to stop, sit and have food and a beer or the flat 'no - it's not in that direction'. I was often wrong, blunt maps aye. See we'd turned off roaming on our phones so did it all without Google maps. I should know by now how hotel maps are not quite up to the task. Being misplaced did end up in more adventures of course.

The day after the walking tour, after a relaxing evening and a lovely meal at the local Spanish tapas place, we set off to revisit some of the best walking tour sites. A time to stay a bit longer and reflect on Campbell's commentary. Zig zagging along the wall route, the river and through the parks and stopping longer for photos. Brandenburg Gate, a big highlight, was so packed with people it was not quite the best time for photos.

Built between 1788 and 1791 by Prussian King Frederick William II, Brandenburg Gate was a key entry point into the city. It was also a symbol of the east west divide and reunification. It's an imposing structure. The sight of thousands of brown shirted stormtroopers and SS men marching through in a torchlight parade, cheered on by their notorious leaders, must have been terrifying. The history was laid out in photos at the Topography of Terror Museum. And the many marches and shows of strength were truly terrifying. The warm sun coxed us to a café for a spot of coffee, cake and people watching.

With the promise of a lighter walking day, we hit the underground and headed to Tempelhof. The Airport Tempelhof was built between 1936 and 1941and was the biggest monument of the Nazi era. It become a symbol of freedom because of the airlift of 1948/49 where allied planes flew in supplies to beleaguered Berliners. The airport is made up of an elliptical airfield and an enormous building complex. The airfield was used to test early flying machines too, including early gas balloons. The site has a rich and varied early history, beginning with occupation by the Templar Order in the 13th century. Airport Tempelhof is unique. There was no other building of this magnitude, at least within Europe, in the 1930s and it became a thriving airport postwar.

The building is imposing, and now it's deserted with the airfield used by the community for weekend outings and exercise. It's huge and took some wandering, so much for a lighter walking day. Sitting on the runway with a cold beer watching families enjoying the warm day was a treat. There was a melting pot of families, people of Middle Eastern heritage grilling food and having big family picnics; English, German, French, Arabic, Turkish languages in use; people greeting each other; friends meeting up to go for a ride; people on bikes and skates zooming past; kids flying kites; derelict planes and artifacts from earlier days; all with a distant concert providing the backing track. The area is huge and thriving. All this was watched on by a group of people in cabins, behind a high fence. Children playing together while a Ukrainian flag fluttered listlessly. Quite a contrast, and a topic of conversation for a group I could understand.

The wander back had toddler behaviour, turned out I was right to go left not right. All settled with a cold beer and cider at Murphy's once we found it. The wander back to the hotel was very slow and a bit of a bar crawl, the very best way to see sights and people watch as the evening closes in. I was sad to leave Berlin and hope to return soon. The next adventure is in the planning stage, as always!