At varying heights

We didn't want too early a start today, having visited A-Trane (translate site), a Berlin jazz club last night. Performances at this small and comfortable little club don't start till 10pm, but when the duo finally took to the stage they were good. She, on vocals, sang only in English but punctuated by (apparently) humorous remarks in German between numbers. I think we'd have preferred it the other way around. He, playing the Steinway, showed you don't always need to use the keys to make music on the strings. Fun. We both thought afterwards, how is it we have spent a year in London and are yet to go to a jazz club here? Height at A-Trane: ground level.

So we headed to the Reichstag “first thing” today, arriving there about 10:45am. The Reichstag is the home of the reunified German Federal Government. Queued for a while due to airport-style security, before being able to take the lift to the roof and climb up inside the impressive glass dome. The dome sits directly above the debating chamber — it is said this is so you can keep an eye on the government. There is a hole out through the middle of the dome from the debating chamber also, to let out all the hot air from the politicians. An impressive building. View from the building marred by cloud and by the large park in front of the building being wintery black skeletons rather than spring's green forest. Height at roof: 32.2m.

On our tour yesterday we'd been told about a cafe, in the former princess' residence, that had 40 different types of cake. Feeling obligated to participate where we could in German culture, we decided to partake. I had the Wäldercremetorte (chocolate, cream, cherries and unfortunately more cream) while Bronwyn had the Brombeertorte (blackberries set in jelly, basically). We felt the tour guide had exaggerated a little, estimating while we ate that there'd been about 20 types of cake to choose from, but still a good selection. I counted them on the way out: 46. Height of cafe floor: estimated at 1.2m.

From there, we travelled over to the Museum für Naturkunde. Even from the street the grounds of this natural history museum suggested it was not the top funding priority of the city and federal administrators, and this impression was borne out inside. It is OK but dated. They do however have the largest saurian (read dinosaur kids) ever mounted in a natural history museum — a 22 meter long Brachiosaurus. It was not until I stepped into this room and saw this monster that I realised I had never seen a dinosaur skeleton in person before. (Funny the things TV does to you.) Dinosaurs must have been the most awesome animals in motion. When about to leave this museum we stumbled across the touring Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, on display at the museum. Outstanding photography. Makes me yearn to do more, to be better. Height of Brachiosaurus: 12 m.

Headed out to the supposedly historical medieval section of town, though it didn't strictly look very medieval. Supported local culture with German specialities for dinner at a local Kartofelhaus (Potato Restaurant). After dinner, paid to ascend the Berliner Fernsehturm (TV tower), built by Socialist Swedes for the East German government at the height of the cold war as a symbol of achievement. It looks like a disco ball on a (200m high) stick, and our tour guide earlier commented that this is surely what you'd have had to expect from the Swedes in the 60s. ABBA consulted on the project presumably. Height of viewing platform: 203.78m.