Day 30, Tuesday, Berlin

Just back in Berlin from Dresden, via Leipzig. It was going to rain in Dresden today. It didn’t, but the weather was very Berlin-like all day, at least not too cold. I had my assault on the museums planned out. First, since nothing opened before 10am, a leisurely breakfast at my favourite cafe. Everyone here is older than me! I think the median age in Dresden overall, including visitors, must be about 45, at least in the centre.

What are all these police doing, with Martin Luther watching?

It looks as if the GDR-like building will be concealed from Neumarkt by a more sympathetic new building.

In the Transportation Museum is a model of Cugnot’s steam powered vehicle, first to move under its own power. It went at 4km/h, almost walking pace. The original is in the Musee des Arts et Metiers in Paris.

Replica of the first Benz motorwagen, 1886.

This early electric locomotive drove the wheels directly via a crank, from a giant motor.

After nearly 2 hours here, off to Theaterplatz to reserve a place in the 2:45pm tour of the Operopa in English. That left 2.5 hours to look at the 3 museums in the Zwinger. This is a panorama of the courtyard.

Just one or two photos from each museum.

Miraculous still life: Willem Claesz. Heda, Breakfast Table with Blackberry Pie, 1631

The porcelain museum: Covered Jar, China, Kangxi era (1662-1722)

Science Museum: measuring instruments, amazing astronomical clock.

I had 40 minutes before 2:45 to walk back to the Frauenkirche and climb up to the top of the dome.

Then to the Opera House.

There was time before the 6pm closing time for one, but not both of, the Albertinum gallery, or the Deutsches Hygiene Museum. I’d seen enough paintings for one day, so headed for the Hygiene Museum, which took a bit of finding. It’s a couple of km out, and occupies just part of a large building. I followed these signs and microscope logos along the floor.

They ended at this locked door. It wasn’t even 5pm.

It was time to head for the railway station. I just missed the direct train to Berlin at 5pm, but there was another train at 5:20 which went to Hanover via Leipzig. According to my DB (Deutsches Bahn) app, I could change at Leipzig for a Berlin bound train with a wait of 50 minutes. It meant a longer train journey but less waiting on a platform overall than the next direct train. I ran up the steps to gleis 3, climbed aboard, and within 30 seconds the train pulled out. I hoped it was the right train. It was. Later, the ticket inspector scanned the code on my phone and informed me the flexible ticket I had paid extra for allowed me to delay my return by one day, but not to use an indirect route, €25 please. Leipzig wasn’t very far out of the way, the trains weren’t full, and the start, end of the trip are the same, what does it matter? Actually, I originally booked the ticket for a 9pm return, which cost only €19. Even the direct trip would have cost about €45 at 5pm. The flexible ticket would have covered that, but I’d have had to pay €25 more if I had originally booked a 5pm return, so it wasn’t so bad.

Then the DB app showed me that the connecting train to Berlin was going to be 35 minutes late leaving Leipzig. I confirmed that at the station. That left plenty of time for a decent meal.

And the Spaghetti Carbonara at ciao bella was pretty good too. It’s a real restaurant, not just takeaway.

I ended up arriving home at about the same time as I would have waiting for the next direct train at 6:56pm. At least I saw some different East German countryside on the way to Leipzig before darkness set in. Two days after the full moon, so it was pitch black on the way to Berlin 2 hours after sunset, before the moon rose.