Berlin greeted us with a chilly embrace as we stepped off the bus just before lunch. Brr! Our first day was a whirlwind of iconic sights shown to us by a local guide. From Checkpoint Charlie to the majestic Brandenburg Gate, and even a peek at the historic Reichstag, we soaked up Berlin’s rich history at every turn. The Holocaust memorial left us with heavy hearts, a solemn reminder of the past etched into the city’s landscape.

We rallied a small crew for a trip to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp the next day. Armed with audio guides, we delved into the sobering history, but let’s just say, it was heavy stuff. Three hours was all we could muster before needing a breather. Needing to lift our spirits, we swung by the sleek Sony Centre for some architectural eye candy before indulging in a feast at KaDeWe, Europe’s largest department store with a gourmet food floor. It’s buffet style and you just fill up your plate and pay for the weight at the end.

On Saturday it was raining and even colder than the previous day. We went to the Berlin zoo (well-known for the polar bear Knut and it is also known to have the best species diversity). The advantage of going on a rainy day was that there were no crowds or queues. So there we were shivering, fighting over a small umbrella, and trying to find animals that were mostly indoors. Because of the rain, all the animals were restricted to their cages so the big cats were very restless and the primates were very bored. It was a really good zoo in general but we were too cold and wet to spend much time there. We got back to our hotel in the afternoon and I kept warm in the room while Mum went up a few streets to do the washing (I would have gone but all my jeans needed washing and I wasn’t particularly keen on braving the cold again). We were wearing 5 layers that day and still freezing! It’s the coldest I’ve ever felt.

We arrived in Amsterdam late this afternoon after a full day on the coach.