Well, Poshmum is returning to Berlin. First visit since pre Covid-19. We are staying very near to the Kurfürstendamm close to the enticing https://www.kadewe.de/ Berlin’s famous department store. Head for the 6th floor and part with your Euros at one of the deli counters or perhaps a champagne if its not your round! I love the Veuve Clicquot but I would be happy with any! Just thinking of all those heady aromas and yet here I am still at the airport with a somewhat poor Americano!
Berlin, to me, is somewhat an unsung European hero. It gloriously lacks the pretentiousness and expense of many capital cities. Easily reached from the UK. As visitors would expect, Berlin is steeped in history and has its fair share of buzzy art galleries and, of course, shops, festivals, and open spaces. But venture onto the S-Bahn and escape to the forest perhaps at Grunewald, or visit a lake such as Wansee. Sip champagne at a counter in the famous KaDeWe high-end department store or grab a tray of currywurst from a street hawker. The choice is endless.
So am staying right next door to the KaDeWe at Hotel Mercure Wittenberg
Amazing value at around 125 euro a night, remember we are in a capital city here!
Went to Alexanderplatz and walked back ‘unter den linden’ to Brandenburg gate and the tiergarten beyond. Many steps later Poshmum was refreshed with hefe weissen and a sausage in the Englischer garten. We treated ourselves to dinner later in the KaDeWe. Exquisite asparagus and truffle soup. Spargel is the word for asparagus here and late spring is the time to indulge in Spargel menus. We loved the baked fresh water fish and of course more Spargel. We ate here: https://www.artisandelatruffeparis.com/ and it was absolutely delicious.
Took the S Bahn to Potsdam. Very pretty city and so many Dutch style houses I thought we were in Utrecht for a moment.
We then take the S Bahn to Lake Wansee. We took the TGV ferry over to the far side of the lake. Your travel card means this lovely jaunt is free of charge. There is a very solemn museum here, the Wansee Conference House. This is where nazi Germany planned a solution to what it perceived was a Jewish problem.
We took the bus from Wansee to Spandau. Thanks to Google Maps, we refound a marvellous Nepalese fusion restaurant that we last visited at least 5 years ago. Solti Nepalese fusion is a real Poshmum hidden gem, yet only a few streets away from the railway station. Delicious food and friendly, helpful staff. We would always make a detour to return here and purse friendly, too.
https://technikmuseum.berlin/ worth a visit. Water, ground, and air transportation . See the remains of a Lancaster bomber destroyed in WW2. Go to #Coningsby in the UK and see one of only 2 intact ones in the world. Moved on to https://www.kulturbrauerei.de/ which, as the name suggests, used to house a massive brewery. Now an arts, culture, and leisure centre. Also houses the Everyday Life in the GDR exhibition complete with a Trabant! Visit on Sundays for a street food market in the courtyard.
We dined at the Hofbrauhaus at Alexander platz. OK, particularly if meat floats your boat but go for the atmosphere rather than the food. Huge beers and live traditional music. Popular with tour groups. See more here: Hofbrauhaus Berlin
Went to the Bunker Berlin story museum. Dispels commonly held conspiracy theories that somehow Hitler escaped from his bunker – now demolished. He absolutely did not. Nor indeed did any of Magda Goebbel’s children whom she murdered rather than they face life without a national socialist (Nazi) future. How could anyone deemed a mother be so abominable?
Poshmum was ready for Victoria Park waterfalls at Kreuzberg. Beautiful and less well known than other leisure spaces in Berlin. We were really ready for refreshments and stopped at TOMASA VILLA restaurant and ended up ordering dinner. A delectable concoction of the coveted Spargel with salmon and an amazing salad. Good value at around 30 euro each including delicious beverages.
Alas, it’s too late for the KaDeWe we have one last delicious beer at a kiosk right in front of our hotel. Until next time, Berlin, Poshmum will absolutely be back!
Poshmum came unstuck, unfortunately. We left for the airport in good time, but the S9 trains to the airport were cancelled. We sought an alternative as quickly as we could, but wonderful British Airways closed the gate early and refused to help us in any way. We purchased a flight to Manchester via Munich with Lufthansa. Our lovely daughter picked us up as she was in Preston. I have complained to British Airways. A stressful end to our lovely time in Berlin, but we are safe and well, which is the main thing. In over 40 years of travelling internationally, this only happened once before. I was flying from Trinidad to London with a touchdown in St Lucia. The plane burst a tyre and it was no kwikfit job! It took 4 hours. So we missed our London connection and had to travel back by train. That was also British Airways!
Posh Mum's Journeys 