The fire station in Hay street( which can be seen from my work)  is being torn down. The work started before I went away , it looks quite different now...the jackhammers on the roof are enormous and very loud., it is quite a spectacular site.

 

Monday morning coffee with Nat and Cathy...

 

Home Sweet Home....all my roses are blooming.

 

Home...first glimpse...Rotto on a very clear and fine day. So great to see Jeremy and Tash .

 

We arrived in London yesterday evening and spent the night at an airport hotel. This was a first for us and quite a good experience, excellent meal, nice wine and a good sleep. We flew out of Healthrow early next morning on this very new UAE 380 airbus. 

Thursday 18 September

Our last day in Berlin....we visited the Nikolaiviertel,  Berlin's oldest quarter....in the centre of which is Berlin's oldest church , Nikolaikirche...recently renovated , it was beautiful.

Also in the area is the Berliner Rathaus, town hall...it was built in 1861.... I rather liked this stained glass window in the front of the building.

The Ephraim-Palais..a baroque palace in the area...just love the little windows at the top.

A nice photo of Pete looking at the Spree River and enjoying the sunshine...what a fabulous day it was.

On our walk from Nikolaiviertel to Museumsinsel I noticed these sculptures...so cool...especially with the two guys sitting next to them!

Our last stop...the Alte Nationalgalerie...which has also been beautifully restored....housed paintings by some of Pete's and my favourite painters. There is this very pretty fountain outside ....

Goodbye Berlin xx

Wednesday 17 September

Inside the Reichstag....we were the first group allowed in this morning....awesome place...such history.

Just down the road is the Holocaust memorial....underneath the memorial is the information centre....both were rewarding experiences. 

Still in the same area of Berlin is the Tiergarten and as the weather was just perfect , we hired a couple of bikes and spent a couple of hours riding around the park.  Again the trees were so impressive....

From the Tiergarten we walked up Unter  Den Linden to Museumsinsel...as we did yesterday....but today it was earlier and the sky was a much brighter blue. I thought the Dom looked completely different in the bright sunshine. We decided to go inside, thought we were just paying to see the inside of the church but we were allowed to climb to the top (base of the Dome). the views were amazing.

The view in one direction from the top of Berliner Dom...the River Spree and   left is the Alte Nationalgalerie.

Ample men...the East German pedestrian traffic light symbol....so Berlin!

Our final night in Berlin....we walked up the road and had dinner at a delightful French restaurant opposite the above church. It was warm enough to sit outside ....there were lots of people still out and about...the food was delicious....a lovely evening.