Since it rained a lot during our first visit to Checkpoint Charlie, Marc suggested we visit the place once more and explore it in more detail. Unfortunately, it drizzled on and off again during our second visit.  Marc took this picture in between the slight rain that morning.

The picture of an American soldier to show travelers back during the cold war traveling to and fro the divided Berlin where they were headed.  I assume this picture was meant to signify people leaving East Berlin that they were entering the American sector of the city.

This picture, on the other hand, meant travelers were leaving the American sector and heading towards the Soviet dominated East Germany.

Like what I wrote in previous entries, I have seen pieces of the Berlin Wall in different countries around the world.  Surprisingly, despite its history, I have seen it displayed more not in museums but in commercial centers.  This particular picture above is tucked in a corner of a building next to a souvenir store in Checkpoint Charlie.

We likewise visited the Mauer Museum behind it.  Honestly though, I don't understand why our travel guide book recommended a visit to Mauer.  The museum charged quite a lot to enter, 12.50 euros per person, and it didn't impress me one bit.  Sure there were a few, and I mean few exhibits (I cannot recall seeing more than 10) used by former East Berliners to escape to the West.  The rest of the exhibits were posters or stories of the Berlin Wall, politicians, etc. splattered on the walls literally from floor to ceiling.  It was information overload.  After the first few minutes inside the museum, I stopped reading them.  It was simply impossible.  I felt that I could have read all that info on the internet and spent the time we spent inside here somewhere else.  Visitors weren't even allowed to take pictures inside.

At Checkpoint Charlie.  The building behind me is one of the oldest buildings in the area.  It is located in West Berlin right opposite the real checkpoint and wall.

From here we walked around Mitte once more.  We passed by a branch of the famous French Department Store, Galeries Lafayette.  Unlike the Galeries Lafayette all over Paris, the one in Berlin was housed in a very modern building.

I did like the street on which the department store was located.  Franzosische Strasse was so chic and upscale.  I actually liked it more than the Ku'Damm area of Berlin.

This is how the Galeries Lafayette looked inside.

I can't exactly recall where inside the store I took this picture.  Based on the shot, it looks like I took it from a higher floor.  After all, right below the glass is a lower floor where merchandise was sold.  That reminds me.  We spent very little time inside here.  Kind of surprising given I like to shop and window shop.  I assume I had had enough of window shopping at the time of the visit given we were pressed for time and we still had to see the other sights to see in the city.

This is one area of Berlin close to Checkpoint Charlie.  This is where we saw a lot of development in terms of new buildings, shops, condos, etc.  This is also where we found the twin churches.  Here is one of them.

The French Church at Gendarmarket

A side view of the French Church

Humboldt University

The facade of Humboldt University

I didn't notice the inscription at the base of this monument was written in Spanish until I uploaded this picture on this entry.  Translated into English, it would read as follows:  To the Second Discoverer of Cuba, The University of Havana 1939

From here we went to the Museum Mile.