07.43 Today is a divided day. It is the feast of the Annunciation, the beginning of Jesus life and it is Good Friday, the end of Jesus life. It is also the day when we are going to a former divided city, Berlin.

08.15 There is a thin layer of snow on the ground outside the train from Örnsköldsvik. The news from the world cover the terror explosions in Brussels and that new debris from the aircraft MH 370 has been found. Time for news on the local and personal level. This trip will be made by the usual three musketeers, globetrotters and a new talent.

08.47 Christer is right now on the platform at the railway station in Sundsvall, Roberth is still in bed at home and I'm in a tunnel on the way to Sundsvall. I don't know where the fourth man, Björn, is.

10.33 I changed to a new train in Sundsvall. On board here, tickets have been shown. We just got less pleasant news. The coffee machine in the bistro is malfunctioning. We have decided where to meet on Arlanda airport. Christer and Björn are on board another train and have gone farther than what I have. Roberth will fly from Östersund.

10.54 The train rolls into the centre of Hudiksvall. In the café, the bistro offers coffee in a thermos. I have just read yet another book by Ian Rankin, my regular travel companion. This time it was the short story " The travelling companion".

Björn is taking his first steps on this Easter trip.

Waiting outside Starbucks at Arlanda airport.

Ready to go!

12.57 There is no snow and cloudy north of Uppsala. The man behind me was craving for a shrimp sandwich and beer. He had to settle with a cheese sandwich and beer. In about an hour we will be united and perhaps even checked-in at the airport.

13.49 We are united. I have managed to walk past the others who stood and waited at the ticket control. The other three have eaten lunch at the classic restaurant Alfredo's. The check-in went fine. We are travelling from Terminal 2. There were two beeps for me at the security checkpoint. First because the cell phone in the shirt pocket, and then who knows what?

14.09. We treat ourselves a coffee stop at Starbucks. Björn has adapted to the next destination and called himself Fritz when the man behind the counter asked for the name.

14.49 The four of us and some more have boarded the Air Berlin plane that will take us to the airport Tegel in Berlin. I have never visited the city, Christer has been running around there on a hot day in year 2000 during a trip about the Holocaust. Roberth has visited it during a trip over twenty years ago but the one who knows the city best is probably Björn who has been there several times.

15.54 The passengers have been offered snacks. The young three chose Coca-Cola for their snacks. I went for coffee.

16.24 Now it is time to see yet another airport in yet another city. The landing gears were just folded out. We are about to land.

Peter and Björn has arrived in Germany.

It´s time to take a bus to the central parts of Berlin.

Björn checks the art in our room.

GERMANY

17.18 We have landed at Tegel Flughafen, a tired, cramped and worn-out airport. The main thing though is that everything works smoothly and it did. Rain has fallen here in Berlin and some of it still falls. We have purchased four day-cards for public transport here in the city. Bus number 109 just started to move. Christer films and I'm not writing any more right now. A small thought, are we in Easter Germany?

17.54 We stepped off the bus at the metro station Adenauerplatz. Things have gone smoothly today. Now, we are in room 15 at the Hotel Xantener Eck (http://www.hotel-xantenereck.de). The lady who checked us in was and is Russian. This is the 44th European and the 95th world capital that I write a travel journal in.

19.57 We have, after some walking, now sat down at a restaurant on the corner of the hotel. It even share name with the hotel, Xantener Eck (http://www.das-xantener-eck.de). It is a genuine German restaurant with beer and typical German food, just what we need.

21.43 We were served great food and beer. We have set a goal to never order the same kind of beer twice during this trip. So far it works just fine. After dinner we went to a 24-hour store. There sat a lady with a quilted jacket and smoked. In front of her, she had a mug with glühwein (hot mulled wine). In the shop we bought evening beers and evening snacks.

23.01 The Sandman has caught Björn and Roberth in his web. He also tries to attract Christer and me. We are now on spot. Tomorrow begins the journey for sure.

Hotel Xantener Eck.

Behind the beer glasses.

Peter and Christer are tasting proper German beer.

Saturday 26th of March

08.00 After a good night's sleep here at the Hotel Xantener Eck, the gang of four is now getting prepared for the first day in Berlin. In addition, it is Easter Saturday today.

09.27 The morning toilets and morning meals are laid behind us. Breakfast consisted of a buffet in a pleasant dining room. We have studied maps of the city and are thinking about what we´ll make of this day. Björn will soon head out on a solo tour to meet with an older lady he knows, a turner of music sheets. He and Roberth are going to a concert later in the afternoon and the lady is involved in this.

10.10 Four has now become three. Björn is now solo and heads towards the Berliner Philharmonic. The remaining three go by U-bahn from the Adenauerplatz metro station. Roberth is eating a newly purchased bretzel.

10.15 The bretzel is eaten and we'll change metro trains at Fehrbelliner Platz. The metro here in Berlin, U-bahn has 173 stations and has more than 140 kilometres track. It is especially smooth since you do not need to pass any gates. You just board the train and leave. Ticket inspections are made by inspectors that moves in the system.

10.24 We are heading towards new goals. A man with a hat is sitting with a beige dog in his lap.

10.30 We have changed track, platform and train at Spichernstraße. By the way, is it the right train?

This day started with a hotel breakfast.

Before leaving the hotel you can check the latest news.

Hotel Pension Xantener Eck.

Roberth is looking for a bretzel.

We are saying "see you later" to Björn who takes the U-bahn in another direction.

Being watched on the U-bahn.

10.34 It is the right train, it is unfortunately heading in the wrong direction. We have changed train at Berliner Straße.

11.11 We disembarked and went up from the underworld. We have been travelling to the station Kurfürstendamm at the street with the same name. It is actually the same street that passes the Adenauerplatz metro station where we began the day's journey but it's a long street. We have walked around a bit in the surrounding area, and sought, among other things, a hairdresser for Roberth who felt a need to have his hair cut. We have not found any hairdresser and have instead gone on board a tour bus from Berlin City Tour, a part of the classic City Sightseeing which we travelled with in the past.

11.20 The journey has started. We passed Wittenebrgplatz and learned that the station building is from 1912 and designed by the Swedish architect Alfred Grenander. He was active in Berlin and has designed a large number of U-bahn stations here.

11.30 We passed through the embassy quarter. The Japanese and Italian embassies were gifts to the emperor Hirohito and prime minister Mussolini from Hitler. We just passed the philharmonic concert hall, the Berliner Philharmonic (http://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de). Björn should be somewhere here in the vicinity.

11.34 The bus makes its third stop. We are at the Potsdamer Platz. Europe's first electric traffic light were here in the 1920s. The square was divided during the years when the Berlin wall went through the city.

11.39 The parliament and the remnants of the Berlin wall has been passed. Now we are in the neighbourhoods of Little Istanbul. This was the home of the Turkish foreign workers when they came to the city. It is a part of the city area Kreuzberg which still has a distinct Turkish character.

Kurfürstendamm and the broken Kaiser Wilhem Gedächtnis Kitche.

Currywurst, common streetfood in Berlin.

It´s time to see more of Berlin from a sightseeing bus.

We looked at one of the last remaining meters of the Berlin wall.

Here is where the wall used to be.

Marienkirche and the famous TV tower.

11.44 The time has come to leave the Checkpoint Charlie where the bus has been parked for a short while. It was once the border control between the part of the city which was controlled by the US and the part that was controlled by the Soviet union. Photos of an American and Soviet soldier are posted here.

11.47 We roll past the square Gendarmenmarkt with the German cathedral (Deutscher Dom) and the French church (Französischer Dom). The Belgian embassy flag at half mast in memory of the victims of the terrorist attack in Brussels on the 22nd of March. Here at the square is also the city's first public men's toilet.

11.58 East German architecture dominates at Alexanderplatz. We are now in the part of the city that was once East Berlin. We have made a stop by the city's 368-metre high television tower, the Fernsehturm. It has a rotating restaurant. Next to this is the Rotes Rathaus, the Red town hall. This is the home of Berlin's governing mayor and the senate.

12.17 It is time for the bus to visit the UNESCO-listed Museumsinsel (Museum island). It is an island in the river Spree where there are several museums.

12.27 We saw the Brandenburg Gate in a short distance away. Unfortunately, we turned before I could take any pictures. We travelled for a short time at the boulevard Unter den Linden.

12.33 We sneaked past the Russian, British and American embassies before we got to see the back of the Brandenburg Gate. No good chance for photos now either!

12.40 We have passed and looked at the city's classic parliament building, the Reichstag. The building is recognizable from photos taken during the Second world war, especially when Berlin had been completely bombed to pieces in 1945.

12.58 Now we have passed the Bellevue Palace with the flag in the top. It means that the federal president, Joachim Gauck is at home. The palace is his official residence. Then we passed the Siegessäule (victory column) before we now travel further through the large park, the Tiergarten.

13.19 The tour with the bus ended where it started. The last thing we saw from the bus was an Easter bunny on a motorcycle. We got off the bus and walked towards the Kurfürstendamm for further transport with the metro. The bus journey was entertaining with a female guide that really knew her city. She mixed humour with harsh criticism of the ruling politicians in the city.

Reichstag, Berlin.

Schloß Bellevue, the home of the German president.

An Easter bunny in the traffic.

Christer is waiting for Roberth. He´s late from the hairdresser.

Prepared for the concert.

Christer is waiting for his lunch at Wienerwald.

13.47 The journey came to an end at home at the Adenauerplatz underground station. Robert then went to the hair salon Hairfair to get his haircut, a Haarschnitt. Christer and I are wandering around, searching a lunch spot. We were offered coffee by the haircutters but preferred a walk.

13.58 Time for a bench break in front of the café Einstein Kaffee. We await the one being cut. We passed a different hair salon on our hike. Outside it sat two dogs and waited for something. Perhaps they were expecting a free cut? We also passed the kindergarten Sahne-teufel , Cream-Devil, at Dahlmannstraße 9, no cute name s here. Or can a Cream-Devil be considered as cute?

14.33 No Roberth in sight. He shall soon unite with Björn for the concert. Before that, he should also have had a lunch and changed to better clothes.

14.50 Our friend appeared with his hair freshly washed and cut. The conversation during the cut was interpreted it all. The hairdresser Julia and Roberth did not have the same language skills. She thought, moreover, that he was in the city because of tonight's football game between Germany and England. Now we have gone up to the room. Roberth has eaten newly-bought pastries, changed clothes and left to meet Björn.

15.19 Christer had, before we went out for lunch, plans to charge the mobile. It was, before charging, in 60%. This rapidly fell to 50%, seem rather to lose strength. Wait, things have changed, now it is 55%.

15.44 Now shall the two that are not going to the concert eat lunch. It will be at the restaurant Wienerwald, a chain I seem to remember that we have eaten at in the past in Austria. We have got a buzz plate. It will buzz when the food is ready.

16.37 The meal filled the basic requirements and needs. Now we are heading for a minor subway adventure. We shall travel many stations away from the home station Adenauerplatz. Before we left our station we saw and heard a man with a metallic voice. He looked like Shoko Asahara, leader of Aum Shinrikyo sect that was behind a terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway in 1995. I wonder how travel comrades are doing at the concert?

17.15 The metro trip came to an end at the station Karl-Marx Straße. Now we have walked along the street with the same name. Here we have got Istanbul vibes. it is very Turkish here. I have traditionally been allowed to see a girl with a Kånken backpack, the backpack from the home area seem to pop up now and then on our travels. Just recently we learned that a litre of diesel fuel costs 99,9 cents, wow less than 1 euro. We must admit that we're completely wrong when we got here. We thought we would go to the Karl Marx Allee and see the typical East German environments, but managed to complicate things and went to the Karl-Marx Straße and got to see Turks smoking water pipe instead. Things sometimes go wrong. The city part we are in is called Neukölln.

17.50 We went from the station Hermannplatz to Alexanderplatz. Now we rest on a stone bench before we continue. Here at Alexanderplatz, we see a large carousel and a small windmill. Here is also a rotating world clock, World. A horizontal row of numbers 1-24 spins over tiles with cities in the world are enrolled. Thus, one can see the time in all of those cities.

Karl-Marx Straße in Neukölln.

The world clock on Alexanderplatz.

The concert with Argerich and Barenboim has finished.

A visit to Starbucks is never wrong.

Ola and David are joining us at tonight´s dinner.

Eisbein with sauerkraut, typical German food.

18.35 We hardly had sat down at Starbucks at Potsdamer Platz as the bus with players from the German national team in football passed by. In tow was a police car and cars with tinted windows. It is as previously mentioned a match between Germany and England. It is played at the classic Olympic stadium. We are sitting here at Starbucks to drink coffee but also to wait for the concert visitors.

18.57 The music lovers are about to connect. The plan is that we should meet them at the Potsdamer Platz.

19.15 We are, after a little trouble and misunderstanding, miscellaneous text message here and there, reunited. In addition are two friends of Björn, David and Ola with us. They have visited the same concert. During the concert with Martha Argerich and Daniel Barenboim one of the musicians had struck a note sheet turner that he thought did a bad job. Now we will move underground towards home quarter.

19.43 We changed metro train at the Bismarckplatz. On the train from there and home, we had the company of some reddish English football supporters going to the match at the Olympic Stadium. Björn had to hear the comment, "that German guy think I am a silly cunt". No I am not, said Björn.

19.51 We are back to eat where we ate yesterday, namely at the restaurant Xantener Eck. Now we are going to eat another delicious dinner here. Ola and David has joined us.

22.12 All six of us were satisfied and happy with the food and drinks. Yet one evening with delicious beer and typical German food. Björn's friends went home and we strolled around in the home quarter for a while.

22.26 Several things are happening now. Roberth calls home, Christer charges his mobile, Björn is viewing pictures from the day and I have just found out that Modo from my home town lost the promotion icehockey game against Leksand. It is now 2-2 in matches in the match series for a spot in the SHL, the Swedish Hockey League. When it comes to football, England turned the score around and won against the Germans with 3-2.

23.12 Soon it is time to follow Björn's wise example and sleep. In the night we lose an hour. It is time to move over to summer time

Sunday 27th of March

07.49 Now everyone in the room is awake again. We have during the night entered summer time. It is Easter Sunday and we'll explore the great city of Berlin. Today, there will be a lot of wandering.

10.07 We are almost ready to continue to see more in Berlin. We have talked a little bit but now enough is enough with that.

10.54 A short ride away from Adenauerplatz metro station took us to the station Bismarckstraße. Here, we have changed platform and train towards bold new goals.

11.24 We went up in the sunshine at Potsdamer Platz. From there we walked along Eberstraße and have seen where the Berlin wall went when it was here and now we are at the Holocaust Denkmal, the memorial park for the victims of the Holocaust. It is around one meter high, 2-3 meter long stone blocks laid out symmetrically on a surface of 19 000 m². It was erected in 2005.

11.46 We have come to the nearby Brandenburg Gate. The boulevard Unter den Linden stretches out eastwards to our right.

Three travelers heading for new adventures.

A map showing where the Berlin wall used to be.

The memorial for the victims of the holocaust is in the heart of Berlin.

Brandenburger Tor.

In Berlin you can drive around in the old East German cars, Trabant.

12.09 We have walked east along Unter den Linden. We have seen a swarm of old East German Trabant cars go past. Here is also a small exhibition and shop on the theme of the Ampelmann, East Germany's "Green Man", a man with a hat and arms stretched forward.

12.25 We continued down the Unter den Linden boulevard, turned right, and went on to the beautiful Gendarmenmarkt Square. We listen to a duo that plays classical music. I'm sitting on the steps of Berlin's concert house. Here in the square, one sees a French church in one direction and a German on the other. The poet Friedrich Schiller is also here as a statue. We are in the part of the city called Stadtmitte.

12.34 The duo played the Radetzky march by Johann Strauss Sr. When they were done with it they packed up the violin and cello, placed them on the ground and walked away.

12.49 We have now been at a historic ground. All four have been on the city's first public restroom. Here was a homeless man and shaved himself. The man was friendly but effectively blocked the entrance to the restroom.

12.56 We now find ourselves on a bridge over the river Spree. We have once again seen a cow statue. It is becoming a tradition to meet a cow on our travels. We have searched for an appropriate place to have a sausage as a snack but as yet have not found any.

13.09 An interesting meeting has just taken place. Björn, his name is the Swedish word for bear, has met a larger number of teddy bears. In addition the bear is the symbol of the city. We have walked through the Museumsinsel (Museum island) and are now in the urban part Nikolaiviertel and have seen the beautiful church Nikolaikirche which was built in the 1200's.

13.28 Now it will be lunch at Bei Bolte (http://www.beibolte.de). It has been ordered slightly different dishes. The time has become so much that it became lunch instead of a snack.

Konzerthaus Berlin.

Live music on Gendarmenmarkt.

Französischer Dom.

The oldest public toilet in Berlin.

Some people prefer seeing Berlin from the water.

14.24 We did as one should do at a restaurant, eat the food and then pay what you owe, plus a little tip. Now, I am sitting on a modern bike rack. In front of me is the church Nikolaikirche from 13th century and the Fernsehturm (TV tower) from 1969. We are located in the old East Berlin, in the area around Alexanderplatz. In the distance, we hear lonely, sad bagpipes. It smells good from Björn's pipe.

14.33 In front of me are statues of Marx and Engels. They remain here despite the fact that the socialist GDR/DDR, is consigned to the history books. Behind us is the Berliner dom. I recently met two young, well-dressed ladies. One of the two shook a jar and indicated that she wanted money. I pushed away the idea to take a few coins, say Danke and leave.

14.46 We have walked across a bridge, Liebknechtbrücke, with padlocks with names in the girt bridge, once again, a place with locked love signs. We went out on the museum island. Here we have seen a car with newlyweds. In the park in front of the cathedral stands a man who claims that he is burning. He is performing Bruce Springsteen's, I'm on fire. Now he switched to Elvis Presley and Suspicious minds.

15.43 We made a visit to the DDR museum (http://www.ddr-museum.de). There we got to see what it was like to live in communist East Germany. It was a very different world. Limited, organized and controlled down to the smallest detail. Now we have a short bench break and are thinking about what we do with the rest of the day. On the banks of the river Spree below us pass the boat Adele. Inside the museum there were lots of artifacts from the old DDR. There was even a Volvo 264 TE, a limousine. This model was popular in the East German party top.

16.37 After more strolling and photos, we have now sat down at the Meyerbeer Cafe for some coffee and snacks. We are in the vicinity of the Friedrichstraße railway and metro station.

17.02 Now, we are out on the streets again. We will continue soon as Björn's pipe is ready to lit.

Walking through Nikolaiviertel.

Björn is taking photos of some bears.

Lunch at Bei Bolte.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels are still around.

Berliner Dom, the Lutheran cathedral in the city.

17.13 It has become time to leave the Friedrichstraße shopping street and tunnel us away a few stations to the south.

17.25 Our travel has taken us to the station Kochstraße and Checkpoint Charlie, the beginning/end of the American zone back then Berlin was divided into American, British, French and Soviet zones after the second world war. Checkpoint Charlie was the most famous of these border controls. It was close to a conflict broke out during the cold war.

17.42 We looked at an exhibit with photos and a remnant of the Berlin Wall, here at Checkpoint Charlie. Then we crossed the Bethlehemkirchplatz with a strange, great work of art. We then went down under the soil at the station Stadtmitte. Now we go on, possibly in the wrong direction. We'll see.

17.46 Of course, we chose wrong. It is just to change direction again here at the Französischestraße.

17.56. We are, after a change at Mehringdamm, on our way home. One of the other passengers drank, despite the ban, beer. Another man carry a knife, fork and a plate.

18.28 We came home to the Adenauerplatz station and went to the 24-hour market. The Glühwein lady was replaced by a Glühwein man. The gentleman who stood before Björn in the queue bought three bottles of white wine and two condoms. He is the neighbourhood's answer to Don Juan?

19.23 We Google and look for a suitable restaurant for dinner. It feels a little strange to once again go to the corner restaurant. That is why we're looking for something new.

20.06 We are lurking, loading, counting down to the clock to turn half past eight. It is then the journey towards the dinner start.

The DDR museum, a very interesting place to visit.

Limited choices for your holiday with car.

Facts about the East German car Trabant.

A short break after the museum visit.

The border crossing Checkpoint Charlie is now a tourist attraction.

Houseball at Bethlehemskirchplatz, a piece of art.

20.37 Now it's off again. Out on the streets of Berlin.

21.06 We walked along the Kurfürstendamm street there expensive designer clothes were for sale and there were restaurants where these clothes carrier's eat. Now, we are standing by an odd statue along the Uhlandstraße. It is a woman who rides a fish. The hunger tare in our bodies and we cannot find a suitable restaurant around here.

21.17 We have slipped down in the U-bahn at the Hohenzollernplatz underground station and hope for better luck in the another quarter.

21.40 We disembarked and went up on the Wittenbergplatz. The station building is according to the internet designed in 1912 by the Swede Alfred Grenander. We were looking without success for a suitable restaurant in the square. After that, we walked back track towards the way the round tour bus drove. On a side street, we found the restaurant Ribs and more (http://www.ribsandmore.de). Here, we have ordered burgers and bier. Perhaps not so German or can one say that about something called hamburgers?

22.56 We walked homeward. Along the way Björn was discreetly invited to a strip club. Then he quietly turned it down, the young lady raised her voice and wondered if stripping men might fit us better? Almost home we remembered that home is where you lay your hat. This got Robert to wonder where Björn's hat was. The answer was obvious, at home. It is time to tie up the day but not at all Berlin stay. There is more to see.

23.35 The time has come to freshen up the 32 white and then go to sleep.

This character visited Berlin a few days.

Thev U-bahn station at Wittenbergplatz.

Finally food! Burger dinner at Ribs & More.