F is for Fail-safe Trap, Right? Book Sat fly Tues as FF points Deval Belgium, Berlin & Stockholm

[CaptJCool]

A day of rest up

My right calf and shin splints. Yuk.

Tallied the kms to just over 100 kms in 7 days

Still crawled to U Bahn - off to Potsdamer Platz
To visit the last tower left standing.... tucked off down a side street, the once vast emptiness is filled with endless buildings of Western consumerism. There’s a now permanent exhibition of the Wall there but I’ll leave it to the wall thread (when I create it)











Museum Ephraim for OST Berlin exhibition



The home of the politburo. Was full of asbestos and Now demolished

Stopped off for real apple strudel



Not seen aspon like this before!
Nice to see a piano

And a final salute at the insolent decadence of the West



Short shuttle on the new U line

 

[CaptJCool]

I wondered if I’d see any working Trabants



In fact a procession ....

 

[Cossie]

I know this TR is about Berlin, but you can walk/cycle the whole of the old border between east and west Germany, a lot has been preserved and there are a few museums along the way.

A good book that I read is "Along the Wall and Watchtowers" by Oliver August, detailing his trip in the late nineties along the wall, anyway, sorry for hijacking your thread, which is a great read, by the way.

 

[CaptJCool]

I know this is about Berlin, but you can walk/cycle the whole of the old border between east and west, a lot has been preserved and there are a few museums along the way.

A good book that I read is "Along the Wall and Watchtowers" by Oliver August, detailing his trip in the late nineties along the wall, anyway, sorry for hijacking your thread, which is a great read, by the way.

Right on !

Tonight we’ll in the past few hours, I found this link

Berlin Wall Map

Where was the Berlin Wall? See where it was with this interactive mobile-friendly map

berlinwallmap.info

Would have been particularly useful earlier, but 2/3 of the way, still might be handy should I resume walking on Monday....

When I finally went off Track, so did the sign boards!!
I made it from Gedankstatte Berlin Mauer memorial counter clockwise to Drei Linden.... that’s arund 90-100 kms walking directly following the integrity of the actual Wall rather than the designated Mauerweg which by Wannsee (onsie) stops doing so as there’s a lake to cross. One can see the other side, so that’s fine from that degree....

from Steinstucken exclave onwards, that section is poorly mapped out and gives two options one which follows the Wall, amd one that doesn’t .....


I took the Canal route
And cut across private land....via the proposed extension...


Drei Linden being the well used border checkpoint

The West’s checkpoint remains ut the Easts long gown other than the one control checkpoint tower (but the lift well tower ...






Golden horse .....
And Golden Arches just down the way

From hereon, there’s 30kms of rural wall walk before the last remain8ng suburban sections linking back into East Side Gallery Upto Checkpoint Charlie, Potsdamer Platz, Brandenburger Tor and the starting point....

Alas 12 days wasn’t enough and I know now one would need a mountain bike to cycle the journey.

Seeing friends was also an Important part of this trip with half a dozen to catch-up with over the three weeks, Also, narrow time period given my younger son is finishing year 12 (at end of Term 3 4x Bs with a string of assignments still overdue, school holidays now to limit when I’m away)

one of the friends, I’ve not seen since 1995 who I see Sunday night. He was an Ost Berliner so I will be interested in his views of now and then.

Berlin has changed since those heady days of regime collapse, and what better way to see it than by a slow marching walk on the links the modernised west, on the rechts, the lovely Parklands and new foreststion and a brace of mew homes in the now modernised East. More of all that when I get to curate the Trail photos when I’m home in Australia.

 

[CaptJCool]

OMG way beyond my time horizons 800kms

Cycling tourism: Iron Curtain Trail - EuroVelo

Discover the 14 UNESCO sites along theIron Curtain Trail

en.eurovelo.com

And the book below.....

 

[CaptJCool]

Along the Wall and Watchtowers: A Journey Down Germany's Divide: Amazon.de: Oliver August: Fremdsprachige Bücher

Along the Wall and Watchtowers: A Journey Down Germany's Divide: Amazon.de: Oliver August: Fremdsprachige Bücher

www.amazon.de

 

[Major]

Don't forget Checkpoint Charlie.

 

[rginoz]

Great trip report, CaptJCool. I will continue to follow it with much interest.

The modern railway station in Liege is truly a wonderful creation. It was designed by the architect of the new transport interchange at the World Trade Centre site in New York City, and there are some design similarities between the two.

 

[CaptJCool]

So a brief catch-up for Sunday & Monday ....


Several friends catch-ups



A Schloss or one


Charlottenburg



Belvedere in the grounds

Rhubarb


A slew of S-bahn rides



Some stunning stations




Next time I think I’ll do the “walk the wall” interspersed every second day with a subway station crawl

 

[CaptJCool]

Trains....

 

[CaptJCool]

Monday Dinner and cheap beers

 

[CaptJCool]

Tuesday was Wall related in The city so I’ll leave to the other thread when I create it

Later in the day after 4pm. Food at a Korean BBQ with friends
This placeclike many tucked in off the Main Street with no obvious signs of life. In fact, it’s right next door to a Fitness Centre!



What remains of
Picckled cucumber
Best marinated bean sprouts - I usually never eat them
Roast potato cold
Kimchi



Calamari and pork belly


Pork with tofu


Tasted more like Naan bread ...

 

[CaptJCool]

Couldn’t resist this photo opportunity



And I borrowed their wifi.
Have not had one fast food. Instead Doner kebabs are divine

 

[CaptJCool]

Window shopping

Love the kiddies version bottom RHS



Emirates first class luxury.... haha


We are wondering about all the fuss on the Ku’. Damm

 

[CaptJCool]

Don't forget Checkpoint Charlie.

View attachment 191499

Tuesday



ICONICICONIC
ICONIC
IRONIC
IRONIC

 

[CaptJCool]

Tomorrow evening Wednesday, I fly to Stockholm so as a prep for it, I found this thread.... by @Mattg

TR: A quick trip to Stockholm on Norwegian Air Shuttle (+ a jumbo stay)

Well, it's almost time for another mini trip-report, this time about my journey to Sweden. This brief report will include two flights on Norwegian Air Shuttle and a very interesting overnight stay at Arlanda Airport. But for those of you who have been following my travels so far, I will firstly...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

I am staying in Dumbo jumbostay in a engine Room. So this will be a point of difference to his TR report.

The dumbo quesfion
Should I arrange chauffeur service from there to the door of Terminal 5? Flying Saturday pm....
Also, I note in Melbourne because my layover is 7 hours I can chauffeur to/from the city FOC as well as get a FOC limo in Adelaide to my fav coffee shop.....
THE LUXURIES of First....

 

[CaptJCool]

Wednesday and last day this time in Berlin.

So I did a lil cruise around Wilmersdorf....
It’s definitely a classy district. Exuding wealthy styles and stores


It surprised me this is a fountain, but it was a work of art!



Stunning clothing design!




Antiques at the auction house!

Ornate and literature





And a lil bit of Tommy... I like there cotton cashmere which we don’t seem to be able to get in Australia


Talking of distinguished Aussies...

 

[CaptJCool]

Couldn’t resist trying out Norwegian Airs basic wifi.

Before we get to that ....

Some dude said he was running late for a 1955 flight and hurried security. They opened his bag and found a disassembled kiddies tricycle in his carry on luggage.... the mind boggles.... I do think all luggage ought be checked - no bags allowed. I don’t believe this guy is on my plane.

They said it’s slow,... it is
Downloading all the pictures on this page 6,,,,,, took about 1/3 of the flight


Here’s the big red school bus


Well, after landing since I ran into the cookie monster



Aside from that a good flight !
That kiddie trike guy wasn’t on my flight!

Easy departure ahead of schedule
2 of us in 3 seats in row 7.... he slept

Landed, bag arrived (there’s a snow globe replacement In checked luggage. Very few PAX with checked, but flight was light load anyway..

Free ALPHA bus and I’m at the hostel!

Thanks Norwegian!

 

[CaptJCool]

What can I say!

Markisches Museum lunchtime Wed

The history of Berlin


No wonder Berlin has a strange sub underground culture
This is a plague doctors uniform. Kept the fleas at bay



Self anointed crowning ...


Loved the tax!!!
Lucky HMV wasn’t around back in the day or otherwise those dogs could have been taxed


Dog tax stamp



Berlin used to have over 1,000 kms of trams !


No dog tax on this one

HMV

 

[CaptJCool]

A friends cafe some distance down Revaler Strasse off Warschauer strasse





It’s a mandarin cake!


Love the lil Red Flyer!


Yes Virginia there is a Unicorn!





It’s definitely a rough diamond in a grungy neighbourhood