It is an interesting building, with the lower floors a reconstruction after the war, and the top floor and dome, new additions. And the dome is very interesting. It is glass, with a spiral ramp to the top. Since it came with a free audio guide, we knew what we were seeing, or in some cases supposed to be seeing, since the low clouds and fog were a bit thick.
From the Reichstag we walked to the Brandenburg Gate, as we had yesterday. This time we actually noticed the US Embassy right next to the gate. It's a fairly austere looking building, with much built-in fortification. We did not go in.
We retraced our tour of Unter den Linden, stopping to do a bit of shopping. Lunch was at an Italian restaurant, where we had pizza. Berlin is a cosmopolitan city.
We next made a stop at Fassbender & Rausch again, for a chocolate snack. The second floor restaurant features many chocolate drinks and desserts. We also bought some chocolate to take home.
Then we headed to Checkpoint Charlie, the famous US border crossing between East & West Berlin. They have reconstructed the guardhouse, and put up an historic memorial wall. There are also actors playing US and Soviet soldiers for picture-taking purposes. Here there are also a few remnants of the Wall, but not in their original place. Only the paving stone line marking the wall in the pavement. This, too, was an interesting reminder of history in Berlin.
Back at the hotel was a brief rest time before heading out to dinner. We repeated a restaurant, returning to Dicke Wirte. We then caught the bus to the Philharmonie for a concert by the Berlin Philharmonic led by Herbert Blomstedt (whom I remember in San Francisco). They played the Beethoven Triple Concerto and Bruckner's 6th Symphony. Our tour of European concert halls may be over, now. The bus back to the hotel was crammed full of concert goers.
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