Big

Berlin is big. It has 3.5 million people living in an area, almost six times the size of Paris! This is because it is spread out, has lots of park land and more houses rather than apartments. A very extensive above ground rail, below ground rail, tram and bus system makes it seem much much smaller. Germany's 83 million people are also more evenly spread throughout over its 356,866 square kilometers (two thirds France).

Since Paul and I were last here in 1995 and 1993, much has changed. Lots of new buildings and sites. We visited the huge 28 million euro, "concrete block maze" Holocaust museum, opened in May 2005, just down the road from the Brandenburg Gate and ironically, next to the site of Hitler's lost bunker! It summarises every single Nazi death camp and Jewish memorial in WWII in all of Europe. Also new is the Berlin Guggenhaim (very disappointing - only one exhibit at a time in a small building).

Other older sites, not visited last time include: Oranienburger Strasse (Jewish Quarter, fall of cafes), Maassen Strasse and Nollendorf Platz (the Oxford Street and Taylor Square of Berlin with flashy Indian and Thai restaurants) and Gendarmenmarkt Platz (plaza with classic concert hall and music museum).

Rebuilt or cleaned sites since last time include: Reistag (Parliament), Brandenberg Gate (first photo), Potsdamer Platz (CBD with fabulous new Sony Centre) and Alexander Platz (new apartments, cleaned red town hall).

Classics include Kurfurstendamm (ritzy shopping boulevard with old and new bell towers at its end - second photo) and the fabulous Berliner Dom (protestant Cathedral, third photo). Overall, the Berliners were: very friendly, happy to speak in English, love having long breakfasts (they are much bigger and are available all day) and still have coffee and cake in the arvo!