Travel Day, Berlin - London - Prague

Wednesday, June 20, 2007. Berlin, 26C. London, 20C. Prague, 25C.
Its time to pack the suitcase and carry bag again, clean socks, but since leaving the States, we have not had to take our shoes off. But still every now and then he still sets off the metal detectors.

Well thank heavens he did put the clean socks on red ones at that, as he had to take the boots off in Heathrow. They didnt come off in Berlin, but at the transit section we all had to go through another screening, and the boots had to come off.

Our flight to Prague was delayed a little but we eventually got here around 5.30pm local time. As usual there were the nice inexpensive mini buses that take you direct to your accomodation, and we had a nice new one all to ourselves.

Settled in and started the plans for the next 6 days.

Berlin, Day 5

Tuesday, June 19, 2007. Sunny 25c.
Great morning, breakfast with a couple of other Aussies from Sydney. The hostel we are staying at has a kitchen open from 6 - 12noon, so you can help yourselves, to what you need. Today is a 'list day', things or places that we needed to do before going. Yesterday we got distracted from one of our original plans, so today it's on the list.
First up Checkpoint Charlie, then around the corner to part of 'The Wall'.
Next up on the train out to Ostbalnhof where there is another long section of ´The Wall` still standing. Some of the original art work has survived, in sections new work has been done.
Of course I had my photo taken at Checkpoint Charlie and at 'The Wall', hope my owner has time to resize them and add them soon.
Back on the train into Friedrickstr. and on to the 100 bus out and along the Tiergarten to The Siegessaule (Victory Column). Got a little surprise, but only a little, when walking through the Tiergaten. (Naked sunbathers) I wanted to have a photo taken with them, but my owner said I should not disturb them.
From there we made it down to the Berlin Guggenheim, and then onto Museum of Photography and Helmut Newton Foundation. That then took care of `the list'.
Tonight being our last night in Berlin, it's going to be out on the town, as the t-shirt says ´Good boys go to heaven, bad boys go to Berlin`. Wonder if Bad Boys Bail Bonds has an office here? I had better not say too much here, or I might get left behind at the hotel, like last time.

Berlin, Day 4

Monday, June 18, 2007
Well as you can see by the images one of our stops today was the Dome on top of the Reichstag Building. After going thru all the security to get into the building, you can get a good view from inside the dome of the city.
One of the other places visited today was The Holocaust Memorial, a monumental field of stelae, a labyrinth for the visitor to walk through, consisting of 2711 grey concrete stelae of varying height. The memorial commemorated the 6 million European Jews that were victims of the Holocaust. Underneath it all there is a information centre, where you can search the names of those who the memorial has been built.
Around lunchtime, we started to walk down to Checkpoint Charlie, but we didnt get there, we found ourselves eventually around the Museum Island, and also some interesting galleries of art photography. So you can guess that our little side trip became slightly longer than anticipated. Also of note there were not too many other tourists around taking snaps in front of "must see' objects and places.

Berlin, Day 3

Sunday June 17, 2007 Sunny 24c
Well today has been a bit of a catch up with cousins and family, firstly at the Zoo, Panda Bear from China, European Bear and Knut, the polar bear cub. Later at the street festival we also met some people that said they were 'leather bears', so Berlin certainly has a range of the Bear family here.
Knut is a very popular bear here. He only makes 2 one hour appearence each day, and the people queue up for a 15 min chance to see him. When my owner got to see him he was swimming with his keepers, and then a bit of exercise in his enclosure. I was off having a chat to Panda, who is a bit put out now that Knut has taken top billing in the zoo.

Berlin, Day 2

Saturday, June 16, 2007.
With the thunder, lightning and rain during the night, a little sleep in was called for, so we didnt get oursleves started until about noon. Today end up a mixed bag of different things, started out heading to the Zoo, but didnt manage to get there.
On our journey we passed by a big street festival happening and so we stopped and enjoyed.
Our evening, was arranged, dinner with Dominik and Lutz, two friends of my owner's school friend Geoff. (Pic of Geoff and me can be found on a much earlier entry)
What an very enjoyable night was had, two very nice travel writers, who had prepared a fabulous dinner. Enjoyable conversation, relaxing and great company. I managed to talk them into being photographed with me, to add to my growing collection. So when my owner gets around to resizing it, it should appear here. I think my owner is getting a bit put out about the number of photographs that I am appearing in, he might be jealous.
I think that Dominik and Lutz should adopt me, after my owner and I return home, as they travel a lot more, and I would get a chance to be photographed at lots of other interesting places. When we get home, I will most likely spend a lot of time travelling to work and home with my owner. Dominik you should start to prepare the adoption papers, I will get my owner to sign them somehow.

Berlin, Day 1

Friday June 15, 2007. Sunny 24c
Well we started the day of in the usual in a new place, getting info and travel ticket. 7 days on the buses, trains etc. 25 euro. We managed to get a ticket from the machines, with the help of a Spanish speaker, translating the German directions, as the English option was not working properly. Lucky we had a valid ticket as the inspectors got on at the next stop.

He managed to find our way downtown, did a little shopping for essentials and then headed towards a few of the must see sights. Past the fortified US Embassy, the less fortified UK Embassy and then the Russian one.

As you can see I have joined the ranks of all those visitors that must have their photograph taken in front of the sights. I hope you are making a list of those that you think are the top 20 that you must be photographed infront off or with, before you die. (I mentioned it in previous message, I can still hear the complaints from the Venus women, with all those flashes going off all the time, and no hands to shade her eyes and face. Email your list to me agoodmonk@yahoo.com.au)

Travel Day, London - Berlin

Thursday, June 14, 2007 London, cloudy, 18c. Berlin, 25c
Well I have managed to find a good internet cafe next to our lodgings. So I have got my owner to resize some of his photographs for you to see. So if you go back thru the entries you will find some have been updated with images.
Well there was a bit of a panic and frantic search this morning, I had been left in charge of the wedding ring, and now he could not find it. I do not like it when my owner places responsibities on me, and then blames me when he cannot find things. But it is all ok now, eventually found the ring at the bottom of my new back pack that I get carried in. It´s a slightly smaller and lighter weight one, and a nice shade of red.
Breakfast, packed and out the door to Russell Square Station, on the Piccadilly Line, which takes us direct to Terminal 1 at Heathrow. Arrived in plenty of time to check in and then my owner could do a little duty free shopping.

My owner purchased a portable drive unit to backup his images, as his databank is getting full. I hope now that he will be able to give me a few more images to add to my diary.

Arrived in Berlin, and met up with another one of my cousins, Berlin Bear, we Bear´s are spread around the world. I have managed to get my owner to resize a few images to add here, so you should see me in our room in Berlin, very comfortable and affordable.