Berlin 2025 #2

Well believe it or not I have been here for 8 nights. Tonight is my last, the train for Weimar leaves tomorrow at 10:05 am. It is scheduled to arrive in Efurt at 12:15 pm and I should be in my apartment long before 1pm. The weather hasn't been too good the last 2 days. Yesterday I went through the Greek/Roman museum. It has been a while but with museums every time you go you spend time on something new. After I walked over to the Schloss and had a coffee in the cafe. Then I walked up to the edge of the Nicholia Viertal and had a doner and fries in Azem Bistro. I had passed it a few times this trip and wanted to go. It was my first doner of the season. Yesterday I went to Hackershor Markt and had 2 dunkles beers at Weihenstephan and then walked over to Erdinger for an Urweiss. Today I went to the Egyptian Museum and had lunch in the Pergamon Cafe. The Pergamon Museum is closed again! The Deutsches Museem is still closed as well but the special exhibit building is open and I saw a special exhibit there. So actually I only used my 3 day pass twice. The pass was 32euro and each museum was 14 euro. Oh well. I had dinner Thursday night at Brecht's, still good, and went back to Lungomare for a pizza last night. This 9 night stay in Berlin has been a success and I will do it again. Once I am in Weimar I will go to ReWe for some supplies and then see how I am feeling. I will probably eat at Pomodoro. It may sound dumb to say, but it will be nice to not have to do anything. I have not decided yet if I want to go to Dresden for a few nights but I will soon. (probably)

Berlin 2025 - Monday 28 July

This is day 6 in Berlin! I arrived early Wednesday morning. The weather has not been much to speak of, but not so bad. All day on Wednesday it rained. However it was not cold and we were able to eat outside under umbrellas. I met my friend's daughter, who is traveling, and we walked all the way to the East Side Gallery. I had never been there. It is a portion of the old Berlin Wall that various artists have painted. Interesting and worth a walk. I had to return to my room at about 5:30 was soon asleep. On Thursday I walked up to the Stadt Schloss and had a coffee and then went through the basement excavations and up to see the permenant exhibit. Still good! I saw it for the first time in '22. That night I ate at Blockhouse. Normally I eat there on the 1st night but with Jess here I went the 2nd. Always good food and good service. Friday I walked to the Gemalde Gallerie. There are renovations going in the center hall/exhibition space so it was a little confusing walking around. However, most of the collection is still displayed and I was there for @2 hours. That night I had a reservation a Entrecote, one of my favorite restaurants. Escagots, or Schnecken auf Deutsch, Lamb chops with potato gratin and green beans wrapped in bacon and of course, Profiteroles for dessert. I have also been to a special exhibit at the Deutsches Museem. The main building and collection is still closed. There was an exhibit on "Die Bronzen von San Casciano dei Bagni". I had never heard of it either. Apparently somewhere in Tuscany they found a temple that had been hit by lightning and they believed that the lightning had to be "buried". So they collected everything in the temple, including all the offerings and buried them in a concrete lined hole and then covered it. Over the centuries many things were built on top but only recently did they find the buried works. Very interesting. That night I ate at Lungomare. Asparagus soup and a taglitelle dish. Very good. Yesterday I just walked around and then ate at Tex-Mex Cantina. I love that place. The food is good, the Margaritas are good and the service is friendly. Today I walked up to Galerie and bought some underwear. The weather was not good so I returned at about noon and spent the afternoon in my room listening to an audio book and napping. Tonight I have a reservation at Amon. The Berlin Hilton is undergoing renovation. So the breakfast restaurant is closed and the executive lounge is closed. Breakfast is served in the lobby restaurant and the executive lounge is on the rotunda on the 1st floor overlooking the lobby. It is ok but I think I could have been specifically told this when I booked. There may have been some disclaimer somewhere but I did not read it. I have only had 1 drink in the hotel bar because the Erdinger outdoor bar in Gendarmarkt is back and it is so much nicer, not to mention cheaper, to have an after dinner drink there. I am here through Friday. I have bought my ticket to Weimar. So over the next 3 days if it is nice and sunny I want to go to Kurfurstendamm. Maybe another museum or 2. Christopher Street Day, German gay pride was Friday. It was rainy and not nice so I just walked up and watched a little of the march. I was hoping to go to the street fair again but could not find any info. All-in-all Europa '25 is off to a good start. Oh! The reporting in papers etc., about trump has been great. they all think he is an ass and report it as such! Reporters in the US could learn a thing or two from people who have already been down the Facist road.

Europe 2025

I leave for Europe on 22 July! It is starting to get exciting. I will fly to Berlin and will stay there for 9 nights this year. Have never stayed there that long. On 1 August I will take the train down to Weimar for 6 weeks. Then, as usual, down to Munchen where I will stay for 9 nights. On 21 Sept. I go to Salzburg for 5 nights and then Vienna for 9 nights. I know I have done all this before, but I am still excitied to do it again. Staying in Berlin, Munchen and Vienna for 9 nights at hotels I love and know, will be great. I have not been to Salzburg in a few years and will be staying at the Hotel Bristol which looks and sounds great. In Berlin, my friend's daughter will be there for 3 nights and my first night will be her last, so we will be able to spend 1 day together. My nephew is going on a short trip to Rothburg. Nuermberg and Munchen and his 1st day in Munchen will be my last. I look forward to seeing them and showing them around, even if it is only one day. Everything is booked and ready to go. This year I paid the rent on the apartment with a wire transfer so I don't even have to worry about collecting the money for that.