Meeting friends for lunch

Our day started out about 9 am when we caught the tram to Alexanderplatz to ride up to the top of the Berliner Fernsehturm for views of all of Berlin and miles beyond on this crystal clear day!  We had a ten minute wait for our turn to go up in the elevator; when we came down they were announcing a one hour wait for those just purchasing tickets so it was good that we went early.

We walked around the globe twice stopping every few feet to enjoy the views and snap photos.  It was about 11 am when we arrived downstairs and jumped back on the tram for the short ride over to Hackescher Markt.  There we walked to Museum Island and Jim headed back for another visit to the museums that we’d visited yesterday.  I headed for the nearby DDR Museum that is the story of Berlin during the Soviet years.  Very interesting and crowded but I enjoyed it.

I had a little time to enjoy the life along the river before it was time to meet Jim at Hackescher Markt Square.  There are canvas sling chairs everywhere I looked; Berlin’s answer to the Paris Beach I think.   We find that all the major cities in Europe do something special for their citizens that can’t take August vacations. 

 At 1 pm we met Tim and Lynne Martin who are living in Berlin for the month of August.   They are the couple that sold their home and possessions in Northern California and now live nine months of each year somewhere in the world other than the USA.  She has a website called www.homefreeadventures.com, and has a book coming out next spring about their experiences.   We  

have been communicating for several months on the Internet and set this lunch up several weeks ago.  So enjoyed getting to know them, they are both authors and it was fun sharing travel experiences.  Hated to say goodbye but the museums were calling.

Jim headed back to Museum Island and I was off to find The Kennedy Museum.  I didn’t have an actual address only the area.  I walked along the river to the area and stopped and asked a policeman about the location.  He looked it up on his cell phone and then another gentlemen who was with him offered to show me how to catch the Metro.  He walked me two blocks and then took me into the Metro and showed me where to catch the train and to go two stops.  That took me to Brandenburger Gates; something we’re going to see tomorrow.  There I finally discovered that yes,   Yes, back to where I started.  So back on the Metro and then following the instructions from a lovely young lady who gave me the new address I located the new location.  A very plain and nondescript building but once I got to the third floor where the Museum was located I found that it was a beautiful exhibit.  All about the family and his time in Berlin.  I really enjoyed it but was not allowed to take any photos inside. 

the Museum was there but it was recently moved.

By 4:30 pm I was back on the street and decided to walk back to Alexanderplatz to catch the tram to the hotel.  It took me awhile to find my way but enjoyed walking through the shopping district always keeping my eye on the tall tower that we’d gone up this morning.  The tram was due in five minutes when I arrived; suddenly I heard tapping on the window of the tram as it was coming to a stop.  I looked up and there was Jim in the first car.  I ran to get on the first car with him.  We’d agreed to meet back at the hotel by 6 pm.  Who’d have thought that we’d be on the same tram at 5 pm heading home!

Picked up our all day tram passes for tomorrow; then to the grocery store for the ATM and some food for dinner in our room.   It’s been a good day but we’re both ready for telephone calls and the Internet.

Below is the photo link for the slideshow: