No need to panic

Sleep was a prized commodity after yesterday's hard day - and it came easily until the hotel fire alarm activated at 3.02am. It was loud and continuing, so all out down the fire escape (just 3 floors for us) to the safe assembly area. Most had dressed, but some were just in pj's and bare feet (read, us). We had police and 3 fire units arrive, but knew all was ok when just two firemen went in with their invoice book just to ensure the call out fee was signed for. It was, however, an excellent effort for an unrehearsed evacuation. Finally back to bed after 3.30am.

A bit later for breakfast than planned, and then off with an all day public transport ticket, great value. First to Eastside Gallery, the biggest remaining stretch of the Wall and now "the world's longest outdoor art gallery". Almost a mile long and covered with murals by artists from around the world. While the artists re-created their works in 2009, the 20th anniversay of the fall of the Wall, the years since have seen significant defacement and graffiti-a great shame. Parts of the gallery are also being removed for driveways into new buildings.

Across town then to the grand Kurfurstendamm boulevard for shopping centres (the newest of which has a panoramic window into the baboon enclosure in the adjoining zoo). Kurfurstendamm is full of all the designer shops (plenty of waiting time for me) and is a boulevard more than a mile long and similar to St Kilda Rd, very wide with a tree lined centre plantation.

A quick bite to eat and a beer then back on the SBahn and UBanh to Hackescher Markt (the station is atop a series of classic Neo Gothic brick archways) for the afternoon market and for a lap of Museum Island which contains many of Berlin's museums. Many of the museums are undergoing renovation or rebuild with the intention of the Island becoming one of the world's premiere museum precicnts - a project extending to 2025. Some of the buildings are quite spectacular, as is the nearby Berlin Cathedral which towers over Museum Island.

Another long day of many walked km's before a quick supermarket visit for dinner supplies, an excellent dinner, and a run for the washing machine - heaven for Pat!!!