Your normal correspondent has gone AWOL, you will have to put up with the back-up. Miriam has been struggling with a viral infection for a few days now which has restricted her normal enthusiastic travel manner. I think it started on the long flight from Sydney via Hong Kong and Frankfurt. We arrived in Berlin on a warm sunny Thursday afternoon by train from Frankfurt airport. Then we had 3 hours to fill before we could get into the apartment. We walked with our suitcases from the massive Hbf railway station, skirting the 400 acre Tiergarten park, through the Brandenburg gates, past the famous Adlon Hotel where Michael Jackson dangled his baby out of the window to our very conveniently located apartment in Mohrensrasse. We rang the bell in hope but with no joy. We walked across the road th the massive Mall of Berlin and established ourself in a coffee shop and waited. Young Boris our student landlord turned up on time at 4pm. Our apartment is great in most respects. It has a large living area, 2 bedrooms and a small bathroom. It is not well supplied, no coffee, no spare rubbish bags, the shower is small and awkward to use but all of this is compensated for by its closeness o all the sights. We have a metro station right outside our door and a supermarket there as well.

On the first night, we walked to the Gendarmenmarkt a large open area. This historic square is bounded by twin identical churches and the Berlin symphony concert hall. It is also an area for outdoor eating. We found a place for a quick meal. Then to bed though David had to get up about 11.30 to let in our friend Mary and Frans from Holand who are joining us for the weekend.

Miriam and David went for a short walk before breakfast, found the nearby Potsdamer Plaza where there are remnant of the dividing wall. However it was a bit chilly to stay out long without warm clothes. Mary and Frans had booked a walking tour for our first morning, always a great way to get to know a new city. We took a U-Bahn and then a S-Bahn to the meeting spot at Hackescher Markt. Our guide Mike from Wellington New Zealand was loud and very knowledgable. Unfortunately about an hour into the walk Miriam felt very faint and we had to pull out and get a taxi back to the apartment. Mary and Frans returned very footsore later in the afternoon. Mary was still up to cooking up chicken soup and fried chicken for our dinner
Miriam was feeling better on Saturday but still with a very nasty cough. We did some walking in a fascinating apartment area Hackescher Hofe. Here wonderfully restored courtyards lad off each other with cafes and up market shops at ground level and 4 or 5 levels of apartments above. We had coffee and then took a boat ride on the Spree River which dissects Berlin. It was good to see the buildings from a different angle. We found a very nice cafe for lunch and then it was back to the apartment for a rest.

More soon