Berlin Part II

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Today’s wanderings had a bit more of an historical bent. But before that, a quick story about the driving differences between Auckland and Berlin.

Bumpers and horns

In Auckland, car bumpers are largely decorative and horns are for emergencies – not so in Berlin. Here the horn means one of: My car is bigger/faster/more expensive than yours, so get out of the way; get that cycle off the road; I’m about to hit you; I have hit you; Hello or just I like to sound the horn. As for bumpers, very useful for moving other cars if the parking space is too small and generally getting cars out of the way. I took an Uber ride this morning in a big taxi style Mercedes. A small Smart car, with someone driving, was blocking the lane. The Uber driver literally pushed the Smart car onto the footpath with the front bumper of the Mercedes. He turned and said – “They annoy me when they block traffic” – No kidding.

Very much looking forward to joining up with the rest of the family tomorrow! Extremely fortunate to have a wife who supports my mad excursions like this one.

First stop was the Brandenburg gate. This was followed up by brunch of traditional Berlin Currywurst. Currywurst is steamed and fried pork sausages cut into small pieces. And this bit is especially for the rest of my family – then there is the sweet curry ketchup and a sprinkle of curry spice for that special flavor and appeal. 

There’s that TV tower again!

Reichstag Building – Home of the German Parliament
European parks always have that eerie feel in winter!
The faint line marks where Berlin was divided by the wall from 1961 – 1989. Very surreal to be reminded of how arbitrary the dividing of the city was. Surely nobody would think it’s a good idea to build a wall these days??

 

This Post Has One Comment

  1. Ma & Pa June 2, 2020 Reply

    I can see you’re deprived of curry at home!

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