On the buses

While in the Deutsche Historische Museum, I received a text message from M... to say the SMS I had sent that morning had finally come through, some 4 hours later. She had had an arrangement to meet someone else that night (Wednesday), but might be able to reschedule, as she agreed that Thursday morning's schedule might be tight. She would contact me after work.

Consequently, as it was already lunchtime, I thought it unwise to attempt a Potsdam trip, and, while I wondered what to do next, an open-topped tour bus drew up. I grabbed the requisite number of Euros from my wallet, and negotiated in hesitant German with an affable driver to join the tour.

This was both a good and a bad move. It was good because I got to see a good sample of the city, but bad because I don't exactly know what I was seeing in every instance.

I will number the photographs, and be glad of any identification/correction from my readers.

1.

2. I think it had something to do with the Humboldt Institute.

3.

4. Friedrich der Große often rode along this street; he is immortalised in bronze, 

doing much the same, though not at such a pace as formerly.

5. The famous Unter den Linden, originally a royal riding path, 

but turned into a boulevarde in the French style after Friedrich's visit to Paris.

6.

7. I took the photo mainly because I thought the building an interesting combination 

of modern-ish design with hints of the old Berlin

8. Jewish Holocaust memorial.

We should have a memorial for the Aborigines who died under white occupation.

9. People enjoying the open air. M... commented that I don't photograph many people. 

She is right, and it is partly because I don't want to post photos of people 

who may not want their image on the Internet.

10.

11. I was impressed by the number of parks and how comparatively densely wooded they are. 

Even our more tree-covered parks in Sydney are much more open.

12. All that glass!

13. A path through a park.

14. Berlin Hauptbahnhof. There is an effective above-ground city rail system, 

and also the underground light rail U-Bahn for quick suburb-suburb transport.

My local S-Bahn station was Alexanderplatz, 

while my U-Bahn station (somewhat closer) was Spittelmarkt.

15. Older-style buildings across the river from Berlin Hauptbahnhof.

16. Cruise boat on the Spree River. Where was it when I needed it?

17.

18.

19.

20. Information Ministry, from memory.

21. Another bridge over untroubled water.

22.

23. I think it was the Koreans' fault.

Like Woyzeck in Büchner's play, who blamed his delusions on Freemasons, 

we had Koreans to blame.

There was a State visit from the Korean President (or his wife), 

and many roads were blocked off. 

Police were everywhere, and we did see some of Berlin's features more than once. 

This is Berlin Hauptbahnhof, though from a different angle.

24. More water...

25.

26. I mainly took this because of the bright colours of the reconditioned block of flats.

27. Parl

28. Pond in a park

29.

Next: What I did in a break in the journey...