The Zoo And The Rest

Despite our late night, the girls were raring to go Monday morning. We bestirred ourselves early, enjoyed delicious German pastries at a shop near the hotel and headed for the bombed out remains of the Church of the Remembrance, now a ruin of a once-glorious church in the fashionable Kurfursterdamm, built by Kaiser Wilhelm I to glorify his family, dynasty and reign. Only a small portion of the building covered with with rich mosaic tiled remains as a memorial to the victims of war and a warning to the dangers of overweening dictatorship. After sightseeing on our own, our hosts picked us up for a visit to Berlin's world-famous zoo--a well run, attractive and spacious place which contrasts sharply with the run-down London Zoo at Regent's Park. The girls squealed with delight at each new discovery, including the newborn elephant and the playful apes and monkeys. When we could stand the wet and cold no more, we adjourned to lunch at KaDeWe--a department store like London's Harrod's but without snooty attitude and excessive people. Laura enjoyed perusing the German wine section, while Scott's quickly nosed out the amazing cheese counter neearby. Afterwards it was back to the flat for more conversation and a late farewell dinner before the family dropped us at our airport hotel , where we caught a few winks before catching our early morning trip back to London.