After a bit of a stop at this Memorial it is now onward to the Victory Column. Needless to say we arrive exhausted and our little footsies have steam coming from them.  There are not many people around – obviously they are all still waiting for the bus and didn’t walk like us.  To get to the column there is an underground walkway from one side of the street to the little island on which it stands.  This is also major intersection so the walkway really is a godsend unless you feel like being lucky! Well, do ya?  Nope – we don’t.

HISTORY LESSON : The Victory Column (Siegessäule) was designed by Heinrich Strack after 1864 to commemorate the Prussian victory in the Danish-Prussian War, but by the time it was inaugurated on 2 September 1873, Prussia had also defeated Austria in the Austro-Prussian War (1866) and France in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71), giving the statue a new purpose.

Different from the original plans, these later victories in the so-called unification wars inspired the addition of the bronze sculpture of Victoria, 8.3 metres high and weighing 35 tonnes, designed by Friedrich Drake. Berliners, with their fondness for giving nicknames to buildings, call the statue Goldelse, meaning something like “Golden Lizzy”.

In 1938 Hitler moved it from its place in front of the Reichstag to the centre of Tiergarten where it stands today.  The column stands 61.5m high and provides excellent views of Berlin from the center of Tiergarten. The statue of the victory goddess Viktoria that stands on top of the Victory Column was created by F Drake and weighs an impressive 35 tonnes. 

At this stage K&T have collapsed in the shade of the Column while I continue to take many, many Kodak moments.  I go inside only to discover that you have to pay to climb to the top.  If there was an elevator I would have considered it but to pay for torturous moments is not part of my plan.

After we have recovered it is time to put the next part of our plan into action – back to Museum Island which is back at the other end of this street.  Whilst waiting for the bus I discover some more statues. I just love history and the first statue is that of Bismarck.  Do you remember the movie and song ‘Sink the Bismarck?’ Well this is the said Bismarck after whom the battleship was named.

HISTORY LESSON : The Bismarck Memorial is a prominent memorial dedicated to Prince Otto von Bismarck, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Prussia and the first Chancellor of the German Empire. The massive memorial portrays Bismarck in his ceremonial garb as Chancellor standing above statues of: Atlas – showing Germany’s world power status at the end of the 19th century; Siegfried – forging a sword to show Germany’s strong industrial and military might; Germania – pinning underfoot a panther, symbolizing the suppression of discord and rebellion; a sibyl reclining on a sphinx and reading the book of history. The statue, along with the famous Berlin victory column, was moved in 1938 by Hitler.

After this I can sense that K&T just want to get on the bus and head back to Museum Island.  So over to the bus stop where we wait and wait and wait some more.  Finally arriving at the end of the road – it is nearly lunchtime but we decide to have a late lunch and do the museums now.

Of course getting off the bus we have to walk a bit more but then we get to see this impressive statue of Frederick The Great.  Did I ever mention that all of our trips so far have a certain amount of some construction/restoration work component?  What is it – is everything falling down around our ears?  Nevermind – the statue is still able to be seen in its glory so that is good.

HISTORY LESSON : Frederick the Great reigned as king of Prussia from 1740 until 1786. The 13.5 metre high bronze statue sits between The State Library and Humboldt University. It spent several years at the Sanssouci Palace before being returned to Berlin in 1980.  Frederick dressed in his formal uniform – coronation robes, tri-cornered hat, top boots and carries a long stick.  He sits atop Conde, his favorite horse. 

The pedestal is three-tiered. The lower part includes 4 tablets emblazoned with the names of 60 men proclaimed to be leading figures in Germany at the time of construction. Just above the tablets are life-sized statues of 4 cavalry commanders, stationed at each corner. They are Prince Henry of Prussia, Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick and Generals Friedrich Wilhelm von Seydlitz and Hans Joachim von Ziethen.  

On the same level are 21 statues that depict the most outstanding generals of Frederick’s army as well as additional statues of other leading figures in politics, art, and science. Closer to Frederick’s feet, visitors will find bas-reliefs of scenes from Frederick’s life and other figures, such as female allegories representing the virtues of a ruler.  

More about Frederick on a later date as we plan on visiting Sanssouci.

We wander around here for a while and then go to Bebelplatz for a quick visit.

HISTORY LESSON : Bebelplatz is known as the site of the infamous Nazi book burning ceremony held on the evening of May 10, 1933 by members of the SA (brownshirts), SS, Nazi students and Hitler Youth groups on the instigation of Propaganda Minister Moseph Goebbels.

The Nazis under the leadership of Adolf Hitler burned around 20,000 books.  Some days earlier, on May 6, the students had also dragged the contents library of the Institut für Sexualwissenschaft into the square, burning them on May 10.  Today a memorial consisting of a glass plate set into the cobbles, giving a view of empty bookcases, commemorates the book burning.  Students at Humboldt University hold a book sale in the square every year to mark the anniversary.

Over the Schlossebrucke Bridge and past the Berliner Dom where we get some more Kodak moments.

HISTORY LESSON : Throughout the centuries, many churches have stood on the location of the current Berliner Dom. The first one was erected in 1465 for the Royal reigning family, the Hohenzollern, and was not more than a chapel at that time.

In 1747, it was replaced by a Baroque cathedral designed and once again remodeled in 1822. The actual Dom was built between 1894 and 1905 under King Wilhem II’s reign.

Almost completely destroyed in the Second World War, the Berliner Dom remained a ruin until restoration work finally began in 1973.   Among the masterpieces of the Dom. the mosaics covering the cupola, the crypt, the altar and the altar windows are of particular interest.  The Dom also houses the graves of over 80 members of the Hohenzollern family.

Now the highlight of the day – or so we think – the Museums.  We are all looking forward to seeing the many treasurers hidden within especially the famous bust of Nefertiti, who was the Great Royal Wife of the heretic Pharaoh Ankhenaten.

There is a constant battle between the Egyptian authorities and the Berlin Museum on the rightful ownership of the lady. But I digress – Museum Island is, yep, full of construction work. So what else is new?

After walking around for ages trying to find the place where we can buy our tickets we discover a little portable building with the word ‘tickets’ written in white on the top of the window.

Seems like a ‘Dodgy Brothers Enterprise’ if you ask me but we go to the window and yep this is the right place.

We purchase our tickets and follow the signs saying Entrance which after walking back and forward we finally ask an attendant if this is the right door.  He snarls back ‘yes if you have tickets’. This is a sign of things to come.  We show him our tickets and proceed.

Passing by many attendants we head to the counter to get our free audio guide and then Kylie is tapped on the shoulder and told she must leave her bag and cameras etc at the Security Desk.  Now let me say that her tiny backpack would be less the normal size of a ladies shoulder bag.   There are many people with bigger backpacks, bags, cameras and crap all strolling through but no – Mr Brown, sorry Blue Shirt has to pick on us.

Kylie tells him that her bag has her passport, money etc and will only leave it if he can guarantee that everything will be returned.  This he cannot do even though the area is marked ‘Security Desk’ and then he tells me the same thing.  No way am I leaving all my beloved camera gear with these power hungry morons.

I’ve had enough of this nonsense and point out that there are many other people whose bags are bigger than ours being allowed to stroll on in.  This doesn’t impress him and he remains firm on our bags.  Bottom line is that we storm back out of the museum and head off to the Dodgy Brothers Office to get a refund.  We explain the situation but the attendant is adamant that refunds are not possible, nein, we will not get a refund.  She really shouldn’t have thrown that at us – Kylie explodes.

What with some jackbooting person in the Museum and now this – it is all too much.  The queue behind us is getting longer and we are getting louder and more persistent and in the end she gives us our refund – a very wise move – great customer service.  We also let them know that they should have some signs up telling people about their bag policy but on further investigation later we discover it is only a select few who are chosen by the Museum attendants.  Maybe they should even have it on the website so that people can be prepared.

We exit the complex and hope that Egypt wins their battle to have Nefertiti and everything else Egyptian returned.

We decide to head back toward Bebelplatz for an indepth walk around and then have some lunch.

After looking at a few restaurants we decide on the Altberliner Restaurant.  It has seating both outside or inside.  We chose inside as it also has air-conditioning.

I need wine to help me recover.  We are seated by the most gracious of waiters and he asks us about drinks.  Of course – I will have a glass of Rhine wine – hey when in Germany and both K&T have beer.  I think this is the first time in our trips that I have seen Tyler drink alcohol – he must be stressed but we all need medicinal alcohol after what we went through.

Time to order – I have Veal Schnitzel with pan fried potatoes.  The meal arrives and the potatoes have bacon and shallots through them – oh my Lord yummy!!!  Kylie also has the Schnitzel and Tyler has Goulash.

We sit in the cool and enjoy our meal, breaking every now and again to let the last mouthful wash down.  We have stuffed ourselves to the gills – and then our waiter asks if we would like dessert.  Both Kylie and I graciously decline but Tyler decides that he will have a Banana Boat.  I  have another glass of wine!

This meal has certainly made up for the unfavourable experience at the Museums and we are ready to face the world.

Over our lunch in cool comfort we decide to visit the Benderblock but when we exit the restaurant the temperature has risen to hell heat and that together with the fact that we have put away a rather substantial lunch, we decide to waddle our way back to the Hostel and have a bit of a sleep.  The plan being that we will do some night photography.

I am happy to get back to my room and immediately collapse onto the bed.  A few hours later there is a knock on the door – it is Kylie telling me it is time to do some night photography.

I tell them I will stay here thanks – I am dead beat and the wine this afternoon has put me into a rather euphoric state.  I have to be fully recovered for our trip to Sanssouci tomorrow.

Highlight of the day – that fabulous lunch