DAY 33 - BERLIN

SACHSENHAUSEN

I spent my last day in Berlin at Sachsenhausen, located an hour or so out of the city in a little town called Oranienburg. Typical that this was the best day of weather I had seen the whole two weeks or so I had been in Berlin. Loved going through everything at my own pace, and spent most of the day pouring through the archives, exhibitions, museums, remaining buildings and grounds. Having visited Bergen-Belsen last time I was in Germany, I found this a starkly different experience. Particularly disturbing were the Pathological buildings were medical and racially based experimentation was carried out on the prisoners and the dead, and >Station Z<, which contained the gas-chambers, crematoriums and other rooms and devices designed for mass extermination.

AUF WIEDERSEHEN

Walked home via the East Side Gallery, which is only about two kms from Will and Magi's apartment. Would kill to live like this!! Went to Province for the last time with Will, Magi, Gene and Philippe. They were holding a limerick bingo night, which we joined in over dinner. You chose any 16 words from a list and put them in a grid, whilst limericks were read out, containing the key words. After announcing that I wanted to win, and employing a typical Sophie game-winning tactic, I wrote the same word down 16 times. Spinat/Spinach. BINGO! I was paraded before the hoards of 30 and 40something German's, cheering and clapping whilst I did a forced victory lap around the room, to claim my prize. Which was disappointing to say the least. However, my second dinner which I treated myself to afterwards for being so utterly brilliant and clever, was not. A lovely way to spend the last night. Leaving Berlin is not going to be fun. At all.