making the best of it!

if you can't go home go see something!
we walked to checkpoint charlie yesterday afternoon. very touristy with a guy dressed as an american soldier on the checkpoint and lots of souvenir shops. i found it hard as i remembered all the painful newsreels of that time. all the kids happily buying stuff weren't even born! i keep forgetting how old i am!
then we walked down to the last bit of wall and the open air exhibition about the land behind that part of the wall and the horrible things that went on in the various buildings that have been on the site. more sadness.
then it was the trek back to the station and the long wait for our train to come up on the board...at 8.30pm...and that was the first indication we had that all was not well!
a fraught half hour while we tried to get another ticket back via cologne (couldn't) and finally swapped ours for one for tomorrow night, fingers crossed the strike is over or, at least, the train from here is running! then to the travel centre to book a hotel which is what we did and where we are...a hotel/hostel full of backpackers and a sprinkle of elderlies like us. a bar, good breakfast and cheap internet and a short walk from the centre of berlin so ok...for a couple of days...it could pall if for longer! :)
today we spoke to gav on the phone and went off to queue for the tv tower as he insisted! he was right. a long wait but worth it as the view is great, better than the shanghai tower that is so high it squashed everything into the mist and pollution. berlin looks lovely from up there and the food was good too. we revolved as we ate! :)
then a walk (poor lou, i have walked him everywhere) to a graffiti'd gallery/art space called tacheles. a fun exhibition about the end of relationships and what you have left. my favourite was the pair of garters with the label 'he gave me these, i never wore them, if i had maybe we'd be together now'! :)
back here to check out the strike on the internet (no news) and toasted baguettes in the bar.
and tomorrow?