Autumn in Berlin....

Lessons Learnt In Berlin...

The Brandenburg Gate

I was in Berlin last week for a work conference.  Here's what I learnt....

While I did wonder if Berlin would Take My Breath Away....you know, like the 1980s group on the 'Top Gun' soundtrack? Get it? Oh well, never mind!.... I hadn't banked on getting a hotel room at andel's Hotel Berlin that stank so strongly of old, stale smoke that I was left gasping as soon as I walked in! For only the second time in my life, I demanded a new room - the first time was under similar circumstances in The Stratosphere, Las Vegas.

Unless you're fluent in German, it's probably best not to attempt to set your own wake-up call via the hotel phone of your Berlin hotel room. Wake-up calls a good hour before you need them are not endearing... especially when your body clock is already put out by the hour's time zone change!

Sitting though seminars, plenary lectures, workshops and networking sessions all day is exhausting! I think my brain reached its Information Overload threshold about halfway through the week.

Social dinners at a brewery, where the beers are served by the litre, are somewhat wasted on someone who is almost a teetotaller these days. I did get chance to admire the decor though....

Spicy hot chocolate is exactly what is says on the tin - hot chocolate that is spicy!

Best served with a slice of apple tarte!

My sense of direction and map reading skills do not improve with age. It seems the more places I travel to, the quicker I get myself lost. However, if I've learnt anything from being lost in quite a few strange cities, it's that the quickest and least stressful, albeit most expensive way to find your way back to your hotel is to hail a taxi cab!

It's one way to get around the city...

Although I recently passed my 4th kyu (3rd level) grading in Aikido, I was not yet confident of my abilities to fend off any would-be attackers, when my haphazard wanderings led me into a dark alley in a slightly dodgy part of Berlin! Luckily, my new-found fitness and litheness of body meant I could hot foot it out of there prompto!

The biggest tourist attraction in Berlin is something that doesn't actually exist any more! While there are panels of the Berlin Wall doted around the city, the Wall itself, thankfully, came down almost a quarter of a century ago. There are some other Walls in the world right now that could do with a topple...

More on Berlin soon.....

Baby, you're a firework!

Last night we donned thermals, hats, scarves and gloves and braved the elements... just so I could bring you all these slightly abstract shots of the Guy Fawkes' Night fireworks display at Moggerhanger Park.....

Do any of you celebrate Guy Fawkes' Night?