In Berlin

The DBahn sleeper to Berlin was lovely - air conditioned, private shower and toilet, and a bunk in the ceiling for Isla. No problems with bikes or stroppy guards - just polite and efficient German railway staff.


We arrive in Berlin 0835 in the new railway station which is very impressive on 4 levels. Andy´s dad wants photos (he´s an architect). Can´t upload photos at this computer but will do soon. Another bus tour to see the sights of Berlin - a city we visited in 2000 but which is now much changed as as a result of reconstruction. We spent most of the day in the new Jewish Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind.

The building houses a very moving exhibition which documents the history of Jews in Germany from the Medieval period to the present day. An interesting special exhibition looks at cliches of Jews (and other groups such as gypsies and Native Americans) and finishes with a quote from Hegel, "What is 'familiarly known' is not properly known, just for the reason that it is 'familiar'".

We finish here and get back to the station to catch the evening train to Rostock on the Baltic where we check in for the Helsinki Ferry and board at the unsociable hour of 0015 (0115 Finnish time and climb into our comfy beds for the sail in Superfast VII.