Berlin - The fifth day (around Unter der Linden and Tiergarten ) - the 25th of April 2011

As we walked out of Friedrichstrasse Bahnhof we  noticed a memorial sculpture on the deportation of Jews called "train of life and death" that we had not seen before and which was quite impressive. I have been told that at one moment in time this station was called the Tränenpalast (Palace of the tears), once it became the "good bye" area for the Berlin city dwellers.

On our way to the  Brandenburg Gate we happened to walk by the  1911 Admiralpalast whose exquisite façade draws the attention of anyone walking by (I am sure). I have since then read it was one of the first entertaining  theatres in the twenties. 

The Brandenburg gate was our next stop. It is hard to imagine it was built in 1791 and witnessed all the turmoil phases of Berlin, from parades to insurrections and  patriotic celebrations to anti-government gatherings. It may be justly called the symbol of Germany divided and reunited. Its neo-classical structure is based on the gateway to the Acropolis in Athens. On top of it a chariot drawn by four horses driven by Victory, the Roman Goddess of victory.

From the French Square where it stands we walked slightly further to visit the Holocaust memorial to the fallen Jews killed between 1933 and 1945, right in front of Tiergarten and which  does impress because of the numerous concrete blocks, covering an area of 19,000 square metres.

Just across it there is Tiergarten, said to be the largest park in Berlin with its 210 hectares. Along its pedestrian avenues one can see several notable sculptures, amongst which I chose to photograph  this one with a trio of composers. 

Because it was a public holiday the gardens were literally "packed" by city dwellers, many of which of Turkish origin. One could feel the smell of their spicy food ... part of it being cooked in the open air ...for moments I envied them and almost felt like asking one of those dozens of families to "take" us in ...
I am sure even the statues were "jealous" ... the mixed smells were just so tempting !!!

We moved on, though we felt too tired to go up to the Siegessäule rising 68 metrers above the ground and topped by the Roman Goddess of Victory, as we wanted to head towards the Haus der Kulturen ..., so we just took its picture from afar.