Rainy days and Mondays

And what a cackling covern they were, still laughing raucously, well into the witching hour. And then one of them clip clops through the courtyard around 4:30 and begins knocking on a door and calling out to get in. Women left to themselves is a recipe for disaster!

Some joy comes in the discovery that we have a cafe at reception. And our spirits are lifted with nourishment and the knowledge that our noisy neighbours are departing.

We are greeted at reception by Sue and Sandy, Anne's sister-in-law and husband, who have arrived after holidaying in Scandinavia. We arrange to dine together that evening and then we set off to discover Berlin.

We discover that very few buildings offer shelter from the weather. Fortunately, there is only a fine misty rain falling, and once we purchase our umbrellas, it ceases. We get to the Dom and adjacent Lust Garten and spy our saviour in the form of a ticket seller for a hop-on hop-off city sights bus company.

If the economical health of a city can be determined by the number of construction cranes on its skyline, Berlin is booming. With the number of historical buildings (reconstructions?) present, it is hoped that these new buildings will be sympathetic.

Berlin has the population of Melbourne but takes up a third of the size, so I've been told. What is also surprising is the presence of numerous open spaces and parkland. 

The greatest discovery is that Zara has men's jeans on sale for €30 a pair so I grab a couple. We also discover a lovely pair of men's boots at €399 a pair; so I look longingly over my shoulder as I am led away. (In retrospect, I cannot even begin to imagine what Eva would have to purchase to play catch up.)

Eva and I wait 45 minutes, unsuccessfully, for our sightseeing bus before we decide to catch the U bahn (underground train) back home. Thirteen stops later, we have a 124.5 metre walk to our apartment.

Dinner is taken at La Cucina, seven doors from the apartment. A good night is capped off with a shot of grappa.