Berlin and Stuff

hello this is our second BLOG and it will have some stuff on what you can do in Berlin and some things you cant do in Berlin, the aim is to maybe help you when you get here, if you decide to come here.

On you arrival in Berlin you will hear mainly German, but if you stop for a few moments you will hear many Languages from all over the World, this thanks to many left & freethinking People & the Fact that the Mayor (Burgermeister in German) is Gay, this has helped shake of the false Image that Berlin was hitlers favourite City, it was not, he saw it as a nest of Homosexuals (mainly Men) he thought as he could not see that Lesbians were real and that it Was just Women bonding and once they saw a BIG real german Man they would "Come Round", he oddly took Queen Victorias view ( Lesbians do not exist).
This does not mean that Lesbians were not Persecuted, they were and just like the men they sadly found that the nazis way of not fitting in with hitlers view was to be "piano Wired", we wont go in to the Hideous way piano wireing entails.
Berlin though has acknowledged that many Gay people were Murdered both M/F, this has been done by a Memorial opposite the Memorial to the Murdered Jews, both of these you will find on the Ebert Strasse, also on this Strasse is the World famous Brandenburg Gate (Tor in German), this was made Famous by the fact it was the Last bit of Berlin to be given back to United Germany from the Russian Gove.

If you put to your back the Brandenburg gate you will see what looks like a Golden Eagle or an Angel, it is in fact that it is the Siegessaule, its a Monument to the fall of Napoleon and Getting him out of Prussia which was the Old name for Germany befor the separate States were united under Friedrich the great, his Monument is on the World famous Unter Den Linden which is the other side of the Brandenburg Gate and at the far end where the Museum Island is, this you will find is where all the major Museums are, (you may like to know that you can go to the top of the Siegessaule, its 48m or 160ft, plus 285 steps to, Rock group U2 did a Video up there when thay came in 1990), all the trees you see when you are in this section of Berlin belong to the Tiergarten (German for hunting garden), do not try to do this in one day it is not possible, {200ha} as it makes up nearly a quarter of Berlin, if you want to see a large bit of it hire one of the Rickshaw that you will see around Berlin, all are Police and German registered, in the Tiergarten you will see many lakes, ponds, The English Garten very Beautiful, Sculptures and a very unusual rock garden that has very large boulders from around the World.

If you go back up the Unter Den Linden to where Friedrich the Greats Monument you will see some thing that can be seen all over Berlin and that is the Fernsehturm TV Tower, this is in an area known as Alexanderplats which will put you very firmly in the East part of Berlin, the Fernsehturm TV Tower is 365m high or 1.350ft, if you would like to have your food in the cloudes but with out flying, you can cuz they have a Restaurant that we fully endorse as we have Celebrated our 2 & half years together there, plus it revolves (goes around) and if you count from where the stairs are (you only have to go up about 15 to get to Restaurant) you will find that it takes 59mins to go around, the food is priced at not EXCESSIVE LEVEL, this upsets the ones on the Unter Den Linden as on a clear day you can see for 40Kilometers or 30 Miles from both the Vewing & the Restaurant, a lift is used to take you to the top, the price for adults is €12 what it is for young ones we dont know, but may be half or less.

When you come down from the Fernsehturm TV Tower, and are back in the Square you will see a very large Railway Station looking building, this Alexander Rail, S Bahn, U Bahn station it has on the inside shops, cafes, book-paper shops & Tobacconists, if you go through the station you will see very big shops these you will find are C&A, Galeria & DM which is a bit like Boots with out the pharmacy, ( if you do become ILL in Berlin or Germany as a Whole you will need a Apotek which are Visible by the Red A sign, if more SERIOUS then Berlin has many Hospitals, you will need a E HIC card that you can get from Brit Post Offices [we cant say for other Countrys ie USA, Asia or Africa], health care is private in Germany & Very CHAOTIC to get if thinking of liveing here).

Alexanderplatz when you walk around it you will find it look like a Major Shopping center, Berlin does not have one as such, {more on that later} you will see a Cubist looking Fountain, if you go past the Toilets {more on this later} you will see a The World clock this has times from New York,London, & every where, if you go under Train bridge you will see a big Red brick building with clock tower, this is the Mayoral Seat of Berlin across from there is the Neptune Fountain & a HUGE Fountain in front of the Fernsehturm TV Tower.

SHOPPING
Berlin has NO Single MAIN Shopping area, the nearest claim to this is Kurfurstendam (KU'DAMM) this is in the west part of Berlin, in this area is the World famous & in many ways World Leading Berlin Zoological Gardens where Knut the Polar Bear lives & many Animals from around the World in very Comfortable surroundings, so very nice for all.
The shops on the Ku Damm are as many as you can shake a BIG STICK AT, including Ka-De-We, its Germanys & Europes BIGGEST Department Store A bit like the Harrods in Quality but not in Price or Attitude, its sale area is 60.000 SQM, it was built in 1906 & thankfully survived hitlers stupidity.
Also at Ku-Damm is the Europa Center which houses a very unique Spa, it is a swimwear OPTIONAL, meaning NUDE which is the appropriate way to be or otherwise you will come across as someone above everyone else {in Germany it is not good to pretend or try to be above everyone else, you will just look like hitler} NUDITY is fully ACCEPTED every where in Germany & esp in Berlin, you may do so in any Parks but check Swimming pools first AS the MTV culture & A Merkel plus Christian right wing is trying to stop NUDITY in Germany which is back firing on them as Eating Disordes are on the rise due to this, {We did check with the Info Centre if Nudity was OK in Parks & was told witha BIG & VERY POSITIVE WAY "Yes Nudity is permitted every where and any WHERE.

TOILETS
As NUDITY is PERMITED it is not unusual to see Men taking Children to the Toilet ( ie young Girls in to the Toilet with them & the same with young boys in to the Ladies, this is done with a very much more positive attitude to breaking down the barriers betwen the Sexes and works).
It is very ESSENTIAL that both F/M WASH HANDS and DONT CALL TOILET "BATHROOMS" very bad to do that as it is considered RUDE.
Most Toilets in Berlin close at between 8pm or 12pm, if you or your Child needs to go to the Toilet and there are NONE around find some where discreetish and go, if there is no where the same applies, as Germans see it for what it is, a person doing a Bodily function and not a Sexual act like some other western Countrys, in fact the ones with the most HANG UPS to public Nudity & going to the Toilet are not the Germans, but the Brits & right wing Americans, (If you do make a fuss over some one going to the Toilet or being Nude in Berlin or Germany, it may be you getting arrested for makeing a Public disturbance).

CROSSING ROADS
There are many crossing some are Auto, some you must push a BUTTON this you will find UNDER THE YELLOW BOX WITH THREE BLACK DOTS ON, if you dont do this "YOU WILL HAVE A LONG WAIT" some of the BOXES arent and are OVAL these you MUST PUSH FACE ON and a RED light will come on, if it does not dont worry it will still work.
DO NOT CROSS ROAD IN ANY OTHER PLACE, the locals do IE US but even then only on a Sunday or very late at night or a quiet time, and that is because we have INSURANCE, if you cause a road accident and it is your fault you will be SUED even if DEAD by INSURANCE companys, so DONT DO IT even if you are an American.

BAD bit about Berlin and Germany
Tourists can be a Pain, please remember this is not your Country, German Folk do have a RIGHT to LIVE how they want to and BEHAVE as if it was your home and your Family.
Please have a lovely stay in Berlin & Germany and may this little GUIDE be of some help, all info is as Accurate as we could get it, if you are going to SUE we can only do a week of washing up as a PAYMENT on ACCOUNT of ME (Pink) being Disabled and Susan not haveing Much money & being a bit poorly as well.
THANK YOU
This has been a Pinktank1 Production
BIG THANKS TO Susan for all Spelling Corrections as me (Pink) is Dyslexic