Berlin Vs London: the view from above

There it is; the ubiquitous Fernsehturm (TV Tower). Visible from just about everywhere in Berlin, this gargantuan eye-on-a-stick no doubt encouraged residents of the former east to feel small and monitored. Nowadays this Big Brother has been usurped by its reality TV cousin, and boasts a wonderful viewing level and a revolving restaurant.

Here are some of the happy snaps I took when Andrew and I visited Der Himmel über Berlin:


Above: The main drag, Unter den Linden, with the Berliner Dom in the foreground and the barely visible Brandenberger Tor located just before the start of Tiergarten.


Above: Berliner Dom and some other building which I believe is a casino.


Above: Alexanderplatz, formerly the major Fußgängerzone (pedestrian square) of East Berlin, now home to constant construction works.


Above: Karl Marx Allee, bloody enormous boulevard which runs from Alexanderplatz through to the outer eastern boroughs. Previously the site of government displays of Communist power, but also of many anti-GDR rallies.


Above: A lovely sunset. Awwww.


Above: The city lights dazzle and amaze.


Above: Andrew, whose interests include maps, town planning and bright lights, was overwhelmed by the Fernsehturm experience.