In Berlin

I’ve spent half term mainly with Perran, but Carenza has had a momentous school trip to Berlin, investigating the Nazis and WW II.  I was lucky enough to visit Berlin with Nigel just before Christmas.  I remember shivering in my coat and scrutinising the snow-grey sky –

“This would be grim without all the Christmas lights.” 

When Carenza went, there were no Christmas lights. 

It was grim. 

As a boring, stereotypical mother I had worried that she did not possess enough warm clothes.  However, she achieved miracles through layering – apparently even lace has thermal properties if you wear enough of it. Nothing, however, could keep out the chill of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp – a work camp later converted for extermination.  The soil there still contains alarming amounts of human ash. 

“But apart from that, did you have fun?”

“Well, we did visit the Topography of Terror exhibition; and the Olympic stadium that Hitler built – very fascist; and the Holocaust Memorial – it was huge…”

From the expression on Carenza’s face I can see that these “attractions” may have caused any high jinks to be rather muted.

“…oh, and we lost Beth.  Three times.  And a pigeon crapped on Brent.”

“Oh well, I’m glad you had some fun, dear.”