Berlin and the Brandenburg Gate

It is quite cold and wet here in Deutschland and I am wondering where is summer? I had a very damp trip to Berlin yesterday and got a bit grumpy. I went to Museum Island to see the famous Pergammon altar removed in its entirety from Turkey and reconstructed here along with the Market Gate of Miletus and the Ishtar Gate from Babylon. The Ishtar gate was particularly awesome with its bright blue tiles and strange dragon-like animals. I am not sure how I feel about this removal of entire ancient buildings thing - I think really they should be returned to their country of origin.

I had to queue for a half an hour to get in and the museum was terribly crowded so I didn't enjoy it as much as it deserved. Then I went to the Egyptian museum to see the famous head of Nefertiti which is so delicate and beautiful. There were two rooms full of ancient jewellery which was amazing and a collection of ancient Greek and Roman silver which I have not seen so much of before. They are in the process of up-grading these museums and no doubt it will be even more magnificent then.

But it kept on raining and I resigned myself to a wet walk to the Brandenburg gate - luckily it stopped raining for a bit so I could get the photo I needed. But I do not think I saw Berlin at its best. I only felt better after a hot bath and some wine back in Leipzig. I bought Faust - in English which is cheating I know- so I can start to understand Goethe and to continue the cultural theme we are going to hear a reproduction of an 1843 concert that Mendelssohn staged to pay tribute to Bach tonight in the the St Thomas Church (if the weather is clement).

Hugh is loving Germany and the order and punctuality. He is off birdwatching this morning with some colleagues and hopes to see many rare birds. I am thinking of seeing Mendelssohn's house this afternoon as it is just around the corner. We are flying to Sweden tomorrow so this is my last Auf Wiedersehen!