Usually at this time of year my pal and I head off to Milan to do our winter wardrobe shopping which we have done for quite a number of years, but this year we decided to do something different given that brands and shops are global and the exchange rate unfavourable at the present time.
Seasonal shopping for me has also become less important. If I want something I go to my local boutique which stocks quirky independent brands or I shop online. Times have changed. Don't get me wrong - I love Milan and will continue to visit when I can.
We arrived in Berlin on a Friday morning and bought a €2.80 ticket for the bus into the city. We checked into our hotel Leonardo Berlin Mitte which was located centrally right by the River Spree and within walking distance of everything.
We had already booked a free tour by Sandemans so headed down to the Brandeburg Gate to meet our group. The tour covers a great deal (see below) so be prepared for a lot of walking in the 2.5-3 hours it takes. This is a great introduction to the city if you have never been before.
We had Martin as our guide - he's a native Berliner and was extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the history of his city. Although this tour was free, the guides do accept tips but this is by no means obligatory.The tour ended at the Humboldt University but the city is easy to navigate and when in doubt there's always Google maps!
My friend knew of a bar nearby where we could sit and enjoy a cocktail after our long walk. The bar was Newton, named after Helmut Newton a German/Australian fashion photographer, with a cool retro décor and a huge wall of his giant photographs of naked ladies in stilettos. Don't be put off as these women are not glamour models but strong supermodel types tastefully photographed, and the cocktails were great!
The next morning we mooched around some shops and booked ourselves on yet another tour - the Alternative City tour - which again was around 3 hours (cost €14) and not all walking. You need a day transit pass for this one (cost €7) as we hopped on an off the S- and U- Bahn trains to get to some of the locations. 
It was a fascinating insight into the lives of Berliners during the time behind the iron curtain right up until the fall of the Berlin wall and beyond. Our guide Susan, a bubbly Canadian now living in Berlin was also extremely knowledgeable, with a masters in Classical Archaeology and an interest in art and modern history. It was interesting seeing Berlin through her perspective. I highly recommend this tour and I suggest some good walking shoes for this one!
Clocking up near on 25kms of walking over the two days we really needed to put our feet up, relax and enjoy a beverage somewhere fabulous so we opted for the lobby lounge bar in the Adlon hotel right by the Brandenburg Gate. We stayed for dinner, unwilling to walk another step! A perfect way to end the day.
The stores aren't open on a Sunday but many of the museums and public buildings are so we took a walk along the River Spree towards Alexanderplatz to visit the DDR Museum which is located opposite the beautiful Berlin Cathedral. If you book online the cost is €5.50-€8.50 or drop in on the day €9.80. We didn't have to queue and you can do the whole interactive experience in around an hour or so. It was so interesting and poignant to see how people lived. The permanent exhibition of the DDR Museum introduces its visitors to the history of everyday life in the DDR and the realities of life under Socialism. Visitors are invited to extend their knowledge of a wide range of topics through engaging directly with historical sources. We do not hide all of our exhibits behind glass, but encourage our visitors to touch, hold and interact with a range of objects and installations.
After the exhibition, we stopped for lunch then made our way to the airport and our flight home. A great long weekend in an amazing city that I definitely plan to return to in the not too distant future.
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Next stop .. Paris and The Ryder Cup with the day job.
