On the way to the Brandenburg Gate we passed a number of embassies and the landmark Reichstag with its glass dome. Alex, our tour guide did a wonderful job of narration and presented much information.
The Tor is still an impressive sight and one that causes one to be reflective of its place in history from its construction in 1791 to its opening to the West in 1989. The choir group included a number of people who had never been there and it was interesting to hear their reactions.
After a bit of time at the Tor, it was off to the Berliner Dom where the choir sang three songs. The Dom is a spectacular example of Neo-Baroque architecture and decoration. Although Protestant, it is reminiscent of a Catholic cathedral.
After the mini-concert it was time for lunch and libation. Love the idea that it's not out of the ordinary to have a brew at lunch.
Back across the Spree and the continuation to the city tour.
The afternoon's stop was the painted Berlin Wall. It was a place for everyone to take photos and ask questions about its presence in Berlin.
We had a few hours free time after the conclusion of the tour to explore the German History Museum - Deutsches Historisches Museum. It was a large museum and we barely covered a fourth of it. That was a result partly because of having to evacuate the building for about 15 minutes due to a "technical" difficulty. But I did see about 8 Cranach the Elder's paintings. This one is of Luther as an Augustinian Monk and the only one that didn't have extreme art glare.
Back to the hotel for a bit and then off to dinner at Kartoffel Cister where we had a delicious meal of salad, beets, Königsberger Klopse (meatballs in a white sauce with capers, smashed potatoes (from Idaho, no less), and a wonderful sundae with red currants, black currants, raspberries, and strawberries.
A very interesting water clock in the center of the mall. Can you tell what time we headed back to the hotel?
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