In Berlin

Right, ready for Berlin! Great city. It's so interesting and I'm investigating out loads of places. The differences between the architecture of East and West are so pronounced and being in Alexander Platz this afternoon(East) really bought home the struggle the people went through to get that wall down. They have a free display of their fight to freedom. the East Germans were a strict lot and they fought against the collapse of the system for a long time.

Went to a great museum this morning too, the history of the DDR (East Germany). It was all hands on and I saw their school books,felt the coffee beans(Coffee had to bought with western currencies so they doctored coffee with wheat and maize), school books and Pioneer Uniforms, clothes of the East, of which everything was synthetic and ugly, causing eye chaffing from how ugly everyone was and nose chaffing, because of the excessive sweating. Cotton, like coffee was only available on the western markets! Socialist conditioning started from potty training when all the kids in the kindergarten got put on the potties all in a line and no child was allowed to move until everyone had been. So bizarre. I saw photos of a building in Alexander Platz which was painted in the 70s with tonnes of asbestos paint (This paint had been banned for 5 years) , thank god now it has now been destroyed. Other great facts...East Germans spent most of their free time gardenning...they had the highest percentage of allotments in the world and spent lots of time naked. taking your clothes of in parks and beaches was anti establishment as well as pro because it completely broke down all class barriers!

Well enough facts, roads are very wide here and boulavardy, shops are massive with huge doors I have to really push hard to open (Germans must have strong muscles). Everyone is friendly and the city has a really relaxed vibe. Infact I think it's the most laid back city I have ever been to. People do all seem to have excessive hair, and still like to wear dead ugly scarves and shoes. (I noticed this fact over 20 years ago when I first visited Germany) Sorry Germans, get yourself some decent SHOES it's the 21st century. Also shops sell loads of synthetic flowers...yuck, yuck,yuck. Reminds me of my Aunty Eileen's flat. Urghhhh.Infact I don't think I've seen a living breathing flower since I arrived, even the gardens here are just full of trees and grass. (Beautiful trees and grass I hasten to add.)

I had my first German meal on the evening I arrived. Glad I got that over with...it won't be repeated with all of the great international cusine available. Had sushi for lunch..it was so good and filling. Haven't ever had such good sushi in UK, I think this is coz Yo Sushi and Marks and Spencers have a mafia like hold over sushi production back home!

Tomorrow is the biggest gay Pride festival in Europe. Probably will go and check it out after I have been to the Saturday Market. Shopping here is a bit dissapointing coz German style and mine don't really get and anything interesting is so bloody expensive. Even postcards cost more than a pound each!

My Hotel is great. really friendly coule who run it. This morning we sat and talked about Michael Jackson. Bloody hell, is he really dead...or do you think there is a possibility he might rise again?
Time running out here. I'm off to get a jumper from my room, Berlin is colder than I imagined and then off to sample more beer. Yes, it's good, very very good. Especially the weis beer and berliner beer and warstein beer. back on the s bahn to the east I think. Got some good grungier bars over there. The West is a bit staid and dusty with all of their C and A shops and they still have Woolies...can you believe it?
I would add some pictures but I don't have time and I want to get back out into the city. If you have read this to the end, congratulations, I feel like I have been waffling on for ages!