Sachsenhausen

Headed off on the Underground this morning to join a walking tour to Sachsenhausen - Berlins Concentration Camp.  We met the group and then took a 45 minute train trip to Oranienburg and a three kilometre walk to the Camp.  It was really hot today but there was plenty of shade along the way.  It's a beautiful little town with lots of old houses with flowers in window boxes.  The Camp was very confronting with things like torture instruments, ovens, gas chambers and a Pathology building which was the most confronting.
Before the tour we walked through the Tiergarten in Berlin which is a beautiful place and we wished we had bikes to ride because you can go for miles through beautiful gardens with many statues and memorials.  There is a lovely smell of blossom all through Berlin.  They have cleared all the barriers around the Brandenburg Gate so we got to walk under and around it.
In the stations are many huge pictures and stories about Berlin and all its growth over the centuries and they show pictures of the devastation of the place after the wars.   Berlin was 80% damaged after the 2nd World War so there are many areas which are new and modern - most development took place after the Wall came down in 1990. 
After the Camp tour we walked back into Orianenburg and caught the train  back to Berlin, then had a lovely meal and caught the underground back to our Hotel. 
It has been a fascinating few days here.
Now for a complete change of pace - Racing!!  We head off tomorrow to chemnitz where we will meet up with Steve again for the German GP.
In the words of Ellen - "be kind to one another"
Luv yas