Aluredian 17
O
n the first day of the Michaelmas
half-term, 15 academic scholars
in 61, with Mr Smith and Mrs
Cashmore, set off to Berlin, the site of so
much history, and home of so much art
and artefacts, technology and current
development.
The skyscrapers of Potsdamer Platz were
our welcome to the big city lights; then a
whistle-stop encounter with post-war art
in Mies van der Rohe's modern art gallery
allowed a provocative taste of the western
city's European past, but the savour of
bratwurst and sauerkraut awaiting in the
Lowenbrauhaus was already anticipated.
A late walk back via Unter den Linden
showed some of the restored architectural
beauty of the city.
Friday morning began with a visit to the
ancient world, the Greek and Roman
treasures of the Pergamon Museum, Mrs
Cashmore's holy grail and a delight for
the many classicists in the party among
others. After lunch and a stroll around
the former Jewish quarter, we returned to
ancient Egypt in the Neues Museum and
the stunning carved head of beauty queen
Nefertiti. After a lie-down needed after so
much to take in, the evening was the
occasion for a visit to the enthralling and
haunting Daniel Libeskind-designed
Jewish History museum, before we got on
a bus to the heart of the lively Kreuzberg
district for an excellent Italian meal.
Some of the group were caught
unprepared by the Central European
winter as Saturday was suddenly cold.
This gave our visit to the Berlin Wall
memorial site a suitable chill, though the
sense of the absurdity of the divide was
also strong for all. From here it was a Ubahn
ride to the tourist hub of Checkpoint
Charlie to thaw out in coffee houses,
before heading to the Gemalde Gallery,
repository of some of the finest 14th to
18th-century European art, ably
interpreted by Alia Hamaoui. The
contrast to the raw Eastern bloc
Alexanderplatz, our next stop, was stark.
After lunch, pupils headed off in small
groups to explore the engineering
achievements of the technology museum,
and the macabre medical archive of the
city hospital museum.
Late nights and full days were getting to
some, but after a Turkish meal on
Saturday evening, most were up early
again on Sunday, in many cases to go
with Mrs Cashmore to the concentration
camp preserved at Sachsenhausen, a
sombre and sobering experience for all.
Others walked round via the Reichstag,
exploring the Second World War heritage,
before heading off independently to
musical museums or markets, a final brief
chance for shopping before meeting up at
the hotel, now much more confident city
travellers.
Ultimately we all made it on the train for
the airport, for the Easy queues, and the
late flight home. An exhausting trip,
enjoyed by a buoyant, receptive group,
who were keen to get a lot out of the
experience, and now have a sense of how
much can be learnt in a short city break!
61 scholars' trip
by Toby Smith