Euro tour day 22
I was not too sure what I wanted to do today although I did
want to see if I could find more Cold War goodies. I looked up some observation
towers to do with the Berlin Wall and also the museum of natural history.
Things do not always go to plan as another plan was to walk around the gardens area
which is a short walk from where I am staying. This is said to rival Central
Park in New York. I was game, but wanted it to lighten up before I took off.
I took a wander towards Pottsdamer plaz to hunt for this so
called East German post. I found where the wall was supposed to be as they have
most of it marked. I was not 100% sure where it was. The internet info did way
it had to be moved for new shops to be built by around a metre. I wandered down
one random street and found something with scaffolding all around it. This was
what I think I was looking for. I couldn’t see anything else and the tower was
behind where the Dali exhibition is located. I have no idea who he is but he is
an artist. I wandered following where the wall took me as I thought why not
find another tower. I ended up closing in on some familiar buildings like the
Topographie Des Terror. I wanted to find the trobe cars again as I had only
taken one picture of them. I did have a cemetery in mind and wandered down the
street in line with the Topgraphie of Terror. The other way would have taken me
to Checkpoint Charlie. After 20 mins I lost my nerve as I did not want to get
lost in a strange area and turned around. I ended up at Charlie and was going
to wander around and wondered which way I should go for the museum, but my
Encounter guide did not tell me.
This time I walked back to Pottsdamer Plaz and went into the
Tiargarten on foot. The first thing I found was very unexpected. I had found
the Soviet Soldiers war memorial for WWII. This included a huge soldier statue,
several tanks and artillery guns. Seems in the last few days of fighting they
lost 22,000 soldiers in Berlin. They are buried somewhere near and the cemetery
was actually in the West side. British Soldiers guarded this as it was always
an issue with the Russians. I do not know where it is, if I did I would have
found it. On I walk finding some small statues. There was a big one that I
wanted to see at a roundabout, one very busy roundabout. I found a huge statue
called the Pillar of Victory, which was built around 1871. This monument had
not been damaged during the war. It had been said this was one of the luckiest
statues around. The walk under the road was cool and nice to jump up in the
middle next to the statue. I found a statue nearby of Bismark. I decided to go
back and see what I could find. I found several more interesting statues and a
film being made across the road at some theatre. I don’t know what it was as
they were speaking German. After that I wandered on. I did notice no speed
limit signs anywhere as well.
I eventually came to a map that told me the Riechstag was
nearby. I did not want to look at the Gate again, but this I wanted. I walked
in front of the building and found you could go on inside and look at the observation
deck. I was not that interested and wanted to try for the museum. Once I was
near the main train station, well within sight of it I had found I was walking
the wrong way and by this time it was around 2pm. I knew there would be another
trip and this would include a bus trip next time. I was happy to wander around
Berlin to see things on foot. Another wander across the bridge and I eventually
found some nice buildings, which included a university I think, but never went
inside the gates as I think this might have been the Occupy Berlin as there was
a lot of yahooing going on. I found more wall too, but done up in an artsy way.
They seem to be placing the wall with people’s memories of it too. I walked
back to the Tiargarten and found more statues. By this time I thought it was
getting late and I had to pack to leave for Paris the next morning.
On my way back to the hostel after I had been wandering aimlessly
through the park. The plan for me was to
shower and do my washing. It was then I had a really strange experience with an
Italian guy in a car. He stops and asks if I was German and I told him no and
he leans over and shakes my hand after telling him where I was from. He then
proceeds to tell me that when I come to Italy I come see him for a free gift. I
was going huh? He then pulls out two suits and shows them to me. They are in
dry cleaner bags and he says he works for a company and shows me a catalogue
with leather jackets. I thought he was going to give me a business card and he
actually shakes my hand again. He hands me the bag and then tells me he loses
6,000 Euro in the casino and has no money for fuel. He wants me to go with him
and buy fuel. His words were do not give me money just give me fuel. I told him
I do not have money and it is in the hostel. He wants me to then jump in and be
taken to the hostel where I can get my money. He even unlocked the car as I was
leaning in the window. I threw his stuff back into the car and took off at a
fast pace now fully awake and checking my pockets, I did wear gloves the entire
time. I wanted no part of this scam if it was and it might have not been
healthy for myself either. I never get fuel for people unless I know who they
are.
It had been an exciting day all round and now I am ready to
head off to the great big plane called easy jet and see how easy and scary they
actually are in person. I have a show on tomorrow night too another vampire one
this time a French musical on Dracula. This should be awesome too like the
other one. I have passes to pick up too as I have another museum pass for
Sunday and Monday. Another trip to the Louvre. One tip I do have is do not get
into a lift and keep pressing the same floor you are on and wonder why you are
moving. There is a reason the lift does not move.
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