We're now in Berlin after an uneventful flight from Heathrow and a quick passage through immigration carried out at the landing gate as we arrived.
One of the things that strikes you here is the public transport system. We came out of the airport and got straight on to a bus that took us to the nearest train station. The ticket for the bus is the same as the ticket from that station to the one we were going to. The trains come every few minutes so if you're not sure which train you want, as was the case for us as newcomers, it doesn't matter if you stop to check where you're going. Another train will be along in no time.
We also noticed that at the station where we change trains to go into the city they're building several new platforms. It seems that public transport is highly valued in this country. In fact we met up with Paul's PhD supervisor, Klaus Ecker, for dinner and he told us he doesn't have a car because he doesn't need one. Almost everywhere he needs to go is easily accessible by train or bus.It's a pity our governments can't work out what a difference good public transport makes!
On our way to meet Klaus we went via the shops; in particular KaDeWe - Berlin's version of Harrods. Not surprisingly everything was beautiful and very expensive. I did see a beautiful pair of shoes in the menswear department but I decided that $600 was more than I needed to pay for shoes.
Just near KaDeWe is the Kaiser Wilhelm Church. It was bombed during the Secxond World War and the shell of its steeple and its ground floor have been preserved as a peace memorial. A new chapel has been added next door.

 

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church

 We had dinner at a place called the Gendarmenmarktn named after the Prussian soldiers (Gens d'armes) who were mostly Huguenot Protestants who fled to Germany from France in th late 17th century. The market square is unique in that it houses two very similar cathedrals, known as the French and German cathedrals. These are both
Protestant churches with central pulpits and communion tables in front of the pulpit, rather than an altar behind.The French was built first, for the Huguenot Christians and teh German Church came later for the German Calvinist Reformed Christians.

French Cathedral

German Cathedral