We got taster of what was awaiting us on our German department sixth form trip to Berlin when our plane had to circle Schönefeld airport to allow for clearing the landing strips of freshly fallen snow. And indeed it was winter wonderland for the next five days with light and heavy snowfalls and pavements covered by a thick crust of ice, which made walking treacherous at times.
Nevertheless we quickly got under the skin of Berlin and its fascinating history and guided tours around the Reichstag, the former headquarters of East German state security, and the Holocaust Memorial near Brandenburg Gate provided us with a lot of insight into Berlin’s often troubled past. We also sampled the newly refurbished "Neues Museum", Berlin Zoo (where it was nice to see the polar bears, wolves and penguins enjoying the winter weather), the spectacular views of the Television Tower and lots of shopping and culinary delights.
