Berlin; Thursday, 19 February, 2004

After a very short journey from the airport, navigated totally in German (to my own amazement) I arrived at hotel more by chance than plan in so much as I looked out of the window just before the bus stop and spotted it sliding into view!

After unpacking and getting settled in I set out for an evening in the German capital. First stop was the Brandenburg gate, probably the most famous site in the whole of the city if not one of the most recognisable sights in Europe.

The gate itself is mammoth. Until you see it in person it is very difficult to get a full idea of quite how large it actually is. It puts most other structures to shame and certainly eclipses both Marble Arch in London and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

The gate is made all the more impressive by its recent restoration and looks as though it could have been installed only a few weeks ago not a couple of hundred years!

After the gate I walked the short distance to the Reichstag. Left destroyed after someone burnt it to the ground in 1933 which allowed the Nazis to seize power in German (let your own ideas in here as to who was responsible but I know where my money lies) the former seat of German power was repaired after the war but didn't serve as the parliament of Germany until a couple of years ago after Berlin was once again declared capital and the Reichstag was completely refurbished and rebuilt. The original dome has been replaced with a new glass structure that allows you to see over large parts of the city as well as down into the debating chamber.

After the Reichstag I decided to call it an evening and went for dinner. One thing that is noticeable in major international cities is how difficult it is to find local restaurants. It is very difficult to eat Spanish in Barcelona, it is hard to find Hungarian in Budapest and its almost impossible to find German in Berlin. After much hunting I had to have an Itallian-German cross of a Three Wurst Pizza!