Sunday at the Dome and sore feet

Although it was cool the sun was out, and it was dry. We had breakfast in a neighborhood Cafe which we like. Along with coffee milk I had a lentil and couscous and vegetable salad, and Karin had a Spiegelei and muesli. This is a great way to begin the day. The food and environment, and company were perfect.

We walked to the Senenfelder U Bahn station to Alexanderplatz, and we had difficulty locating the bus stop for bus #100 to bring us to the Dom for the 10 AM service.  Road work as well as construction continues in this city.  After asking directions and few times we found the correct stop and bus and made it to the Dom on time. We stated we were international visitors and were ushered a special seating area slightly above the congregation where we were given headphones and an audio device to receive live translation.  The choir was the Swiss chorus which we heard last evening. Throughout the service they sang the Bach Lutheran mass which we enjoyed last evening. It was the Kyrie and Gloria which made up this Bach Mass. Several hymns were sung, and the Swiss Munster minister preached from the ornate pulpit set above the congregation. The organ postlude was my most favorite Widor piece. We took communion from a lay person. We picked up a cup which contained a wafer. After I removed the wafer the lay person poured some white wine into the small cup. After consuming the wafer and wine we placed our cups in a basket. After the postlude we chatted with our interpreter. She was born and raised in New York.  She now lives with her husband in Berlin. I was glad to worship here with Karin, and we were able to participate.

Walking through the Lust Garten in front of the Dom we came upon an art show and visited booths with paintings, jewelry,  clothing, leather items, and home decorating items. We continued walking down Unter den Linden. The Russian airline Aeroflot and embassy had metal barriers and police around the buildings. Nearby, on the wide center divider was a memorial with flowers and messages regarding the devastation in the Ukraine. I wonder if anyone from the Russian embassy has visited it.  We people watched from a bench on the center divider. 

We walked a couple blocks to the Reichstag to show our tickets for the appointed visit time, went through security and were ushered into a large elevator with about 45 other persons. We rose several floors and exited at the base of the dome.  A pictorial brochure helped us identify buildings and parks, the river Spree and government buildings and embassies. We walked up the incline, stopping often to wonder at the scenery as well as the construction of the dome. It is symbolic for their legislators,  indicating that the people are watching them. People may also visit legislative sessions. At the base of the dome is a pictorial and written brief history of the Reichstag and German political history. This was all amazing and fascinating and stimulating. Our time at the Reichstag passed quickly, and our feet distance and legs began complaining. 

We returned through the Brandenburg Gate through which we had come earlier and made our way to the place on the plaza in front of Humboldt University where Hitler had ordered books to be burned.  Around 20,000 books of philosophy and science were burned one night in 1933. Goebels was in attendance as students burned their books.

We also visited the Volkswagen Forum, a showroom with an historic bug and some buses as well as the fancy and expensive Porsche and others.

We took the UBahn back to our neighborhood and finally found a vegetarian Asian restaurant. The food was delicious. We bought ice cream bars to take to the hotel room. And that was our day - over 17000 steps today and over 15000 steps the previous two days.

If is now 1145PM, and although the feet are rested the body needs rest So. GUTE NACHT, Susan 


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