{"id":12707,"date":"2015-12-02T21:10:27","date_gmt":"2015-12-02T21:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=12707"},"modified":"2017-05-10T19:45:57","modified_gmt":"2017-05-10T19:45:57","slug":"adventures-british-architecture-reichstag-berlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/adventures-british-architecture-reichstag-berlin\/","title":{"rendered":"Adventures in British Architecture – The Reichstag Berlin"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"reichstag<\/a><\/p>\n

Ok, ok, so the title of this post might be slightly misleading – but I promise you we did admire a lot of the beautiful British Architecture on offer in the German Parliament building, and I took plenty of pictures of Norman Foster’s iconic dome too. \u00a0 The adventure part comes in the form of Mr R and his track record in unintentional lapses in international security…<\/p>\n

Some longer term readers may well remember back in the mists of time, me relaying a story\u00a0about Mr R on the day we left the UK (if you do, you can skip this next bit!) – an emotional day as you can well imagine. \u00a0 \u00a0Mr R had packed all of our important immigration paperwork into a briefcase that his ever hopeful granny had bestowed upon him during his university days, a briefcase that I had no idea that he possessed… \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>Suitcases pushed through X-ray machines, and with two tiny confused small people in tow, I turned to ask Mr R a question to find that he wasn’t there. \u00a0 He wasn’t there because he had quite understandably been hauled to one side by security staff interested to find out why he was trying to take a set of darts onboard. \u00a0 A set of darts from his university days that had long been forgotten. \u00a0 And, as I have also said before, we can at least laugh about it now. \u00a0 But dear reader, this is not a one-off. \u00a0 We can also look back and laugh (!) at the \u00a0incident of pointy meat thermometer packed for holiday barbecues on our way to Puglia a few years back, and quite worryingly Small boy seems to show the same tendencies after he packed a beyblade launcher (unbeknownst to me) that looked a little too much like a gun for a security guard’s liking (and had to be re-checked in!)… \u00a0 \u00a0So I shouldn’t have been surprised then at this, Mr R’s most recent incident.<\/span><\/p>\n

As you can imagine, the Reichstag is quite a secure building – one you must register for beforehand if you wish to visit the inside. \u00a0 \u00a0Sign up via the simple website, detail all your personal information; passport numbers etc. and select an appointment at a time that suits you, simply wait for that to be confirmed, then turn up. \u00a0 Be prepared to go through airport style security and have your bags searched for obvious reasons. \u00a0 \u00a0Do not, under any circumstances forget about small Swiss Army knives from a hiking expedition in the bottom of your bag. \u00a0 \u00a0 Small Boy and I, (now used to such forgotten things) moved along the queue and pretended that we weren’t together, whilst Small Girl stood happily next to Mr R (and much to his embarrassment) regaled the distinctly unamused security guard with her father’s past misdemeanour’s whilst laughing her head off. \u00a0 \u00a0 The offending article was temporarily confiscated for the duration of our visit, and the perpetrator had to pick it up from a glowering selection of individuals at the end of our visit – much to his embarrassment, and our amusement…<\/p>\n

\"reichstag\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Anyway, once through this ordeal, we were ushered up the steps of the original, and very grand building, and held between glass doors (where we were undoubtedly given the once over) whilst waiting for the lift to take us up to the iconic dome. \u00a0 \u00a0A dome featured on the building originally before being destroyed in 1933.<\/p>\n

\"reichstag<\/a><\/p>\n

\"reichstag<\/a><\/p>\n

Today’s iconic dome was designed to symbolise the reunification of Germany, and the marriage of old and new architecture works particularly well. \u00a0 As soon as the lift doors open, Norman Foster’s structure \u00a0is quite breathtaking.<\/p>\n

There are headsets available to learn more about the building, and you will spot lots of people fiddling with them and trying to get them to work (like us!). \u00a0 However, they do not work until you walk past particular points – just so you know!<\/p>\n

I am not going to lie and tell you a tall tale about how I walked all the way to the dome’s summit. \u00a0 We were in Berlin during a heat wave and heavily pregnant, I wasn’t about to attempt the spiral all the way to the top, panoramic view or no panoramic view. \u00a0 Thankfully the other members of my party obliged (which the kids adored) whilst I sat at the bottom and waited (with an ice cream, don’t tell them!). \u00a0 They also took plenty of pictures on my behalf so that I didn’t miss out, and neither did you.<\/p>\n

\"top<\/a><\/p>\n

\"reichstag<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"reichstag\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"reichstag\"<\/a><\/p>\n

If you fancy a visit during your stay in Berlin, do pop over to www.bundestag.de<\/a> and register. \u00a0There are guided tours available, and also fantastic experience days for children where they get to do a spot of parliamentary role play (although all in German I should imagine). \u00a0 It’s well worth a visit anyway, just check your husband’s bag beforehand…<\/p>\n

\"reichstag\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Share me:<\/h3>