Woohoo! We went into the city centre today! My favourite hobby - shopping.
Well, it didn't quite work out that way (does it ever?). By the time Rhiannon's sleepover / playdate mate went home, it was 3pm before we caught the bus. Anyway, it gave me an insight into how to use the bus and what's on the main shopping street of Kurfürstendamm, aka Ku'damm. It's a bit like an elongated version of Oxford Street and Bond street all in one. Designer boutiques at one end, random stuff in the middle and at the other end, the famous store, KaDeWe.
KaDeWe stands for Kaufhaus des Westens, which means the 'Department Store of the West' and is comparable to Harvey Nichols. Seven floors of goodies. It was gorgeous! I can see it becoming a favourite haunt of mine.
With Tim and Rhiannon with me, I had no chance at all of browsing properly, but we did have a good look around the incredible food hall. Oh, the cakes! And the bread... carbohydrate heaven.
The kitchenware floor looked interesting and there was an art and design bit downstairs. Apparently there is also a hobby store, but we couldn't find it.
It was all so busy. Heaving crowds disconcerted Rhiannon a little; "everyone is so BIG!" she exclaimed, "and so bad mannered, too". Yes, we are well used to crowds from living in Tokyo, but as a people, they are shorter and slighter in build and by nature, very respectful of others. Poor Rhiannon got buffeted a lot by some very large people with no apology. Buses are a free for all, so I taught her how to barge through - no queuing here.
Anyway, we also visited a mobile phone shop and now I finally have a SIM card so I can get some business cards printed for when (if!) I actually meet people.
As for the rest of Ku'damm - well, Tokyo it is not. Lots of beggars with and without dogs, pot-bellied men in shorts, dirty pavements. It was a lot like London really. Without the mountains of rubbish on the pavements. Or was it just like the when I last went to London in 2009?
I shall go back during the week one day for some luxury and a chance to remind myself there's more to Berlin than unpacking, gardening and dog walking.