Wet and miserable, so did a few jobs, including washing, and then set off for the city. Walk then bus then train, arrived at the "Zoo" station. Looked at the ruin of the Memorial Church (WW2 bombs destroyed the spire and it has not been restored).

First we had to try Berliner Currywurst . Hot dog sausage, sliced onto a paper plate, covered in curry sauce and sprinkled with curry powder, eaten with a dry bread roll. Interesting!

Then took a open top bus tour in the rain! Hopped off at Check Point Charlie. Odd mixture of old signage, a check point sentry box, new expo type buildings and hoardings explaining really well the building of The Wall, and the heartache associated with the attempts to escape the east between 1961 and 1990. Mixed in were numerous tacky food and post card stalls and actors portraying the US guards at the checkpoint, who charged for their photos!

We then went to look at a long segment of The Wall, complete with gaps through to the other side and heart wrenching "graffiti". Then into the Topographie Des Terrors. This is a new exhibition, built on the waste ground where once stood the Gestapo headquarters, SS central command and the Reich Security Main Office. All most hated places . The exhibition documents the brutal institutions that wielded power from this site, both in Germany and all over Europe in WW2, focussing on the treatment of the Jews, of course, but also Romas and other itinerant folk, as well as the unemployed and mentally ill. Thousands of photos and excellent commentary, but as usual, one needed a day to do it justice. They are currently uncovering basement cellars, soon to be part of the exhibition.

Everywhere in Berlin are hoardings explaining the"local" events, making everything much clearer. Noted parallel cobblestone of the road where The Wall had been (in fact, two almost parallel walls with no man's land between.)

Back on the bus and completed the tour, with excellent commentary, in pouring rain but noting where to return to tomorrow.

So wet, took taxi from the train to the camp rather then bus and walking.

Good use of our awning again tonight.