Berlin I - At the Victory Column

Today’s entry comes from Berlin, and we’ve spent a wonderful day strolling around the city taking in the sights. This afternoon, we left the teeming masses (and a jubilant wedding party) swarming around the Brandenburg Gate and made a pilgrimage to the Victory Column, which might be better known as the monument where Bruno Ganz and Otto Sander hang out in Wings of Desire, perched on the shoulder of Goldelse. The column sits on an island amid swirling traffic but is accessible by four tunnels. After paying the €3 entry fee, we made the trek to the top of the column which spans 285 steps, via a narrow winding staircase. The views from the top are spectacular but the climb is best recommended for folks who are physically fit. Still there are seats along the way to catch your breath so it’s entirely do-able at a leisurely pace. Incidentally the walk down to the Victory Column is rather splendid, the majestic wide tree-lined avenue takes about 20mins at a nice pace and I could imagine Kraftwerk’s side-long Autobahn would make a most satisfactory companion.

One quick note on this picture, which is a little self-consciously arty. I’m rather fond of photographing things with the sun behind them such is my love for Monique Froese’s photograph that adorns the cover of Tangerine Dream’s Ricochet album, so I couldn’t resist grabbing this one!