Day 37 ( oops we forgot to post this) A concert to set the place ablaze

Our last full day in Berlin saw us again using our Eurorail pass to head out of Berlin to visit Potsdam (described as Berlin’s Versailles). Sure enough we received our fill of completely over the top summer palaces and enormous parks and gardens. Though incredibly impressive for a couple of died in the wool republicans it was starting to look like our blog this day would not have that much to say.

We raced back to Berlin to visit the famous Berlin Philharmonic. We had been advised by friends the Buckley’s that we could not go to Berlin without hearing proper music. We discovered that a string quartet was playing a free lunchtime concert (fitting neatly within our budget constraints). About 300 people packed the foyer to enjoy this wonderful performance. We are not experts but it was obvious that we were listening to a hot performance. We did not really know at the time just how hot?

After the concert we moved to the gift shop to buy a couple of post cards. As we were about to pay a man in a suit rushed into the shop with a loud animated announcement in German. We stared! He then repeated the message in English; “ We have a small technical difficulty; you must immediately leave the building”. Wendy asked if she could just pay for the cards but was ordered “no” – “ Schnell Schnell” (which we remembered from Hogan’s Heroes) “Quick Quick!”

Once outside the building we realised why we had to leave as the building was now completely evacuated and was on fire. Elegant patrons, evacuated from the dining room and now standing on the pavement, were trying to finish their classy white plate lunch and glass of wine while we looked for a vantage point to take pictures. A fire was burning in the roof and soon dozens of sirens sounded as police, fire brigades and various emergency services arrived. In the street we also saw many bemused musicians clutching instruments gazing up and pointing at the burning building.

We read on the net that the fire lasted 5 hours and caused quite a deal of damage. Burning buildings have been too regular a feature in Berlin's past but fortunately this is a very rare event in this now thriving, diverse and rejuvenated city.