These ornate lamps are a contrast to the modern buildings behind.
Are these little lions in training to become door knockers?
As you can see, the weather wasn't very nice as I wandered around Berlin. 
Still, I saw some nice, old buildings (the one on the right is being restored, hence the tarp. with a picture of the building on)...
...some buildings that were a mixture...
I couldn't make up my mind whether this was totally modern, or an older building with modern bits.
This IS modern though - although it's quite stark, it really worked in context.
I saw some small things...
...but mostly it was just nice to wander. Here is a chap putting up the Christmas lights, on one of the famous lime trees in Unter den Linden.
Like so many other 'old traditions', most of the traditional British Christmas was invented by the Victorians. Prince Albert brought over many German customs, including the Christmas Tree, which filtered down to the general population from the Royal Court.
German decorations are fab - especially the ones that twirl round and round, powered by the updraft from candles. Sadly...budget airline ticket = carry on bag = no room to buy any = :-(.
The symbol of Berlin is the bear. My Ma has a little silver bear pendant that my Dad brought back from a trip to Berlin before they were married. As a child it was symbolic of going out and parties, as she wore it a lot.
When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, I was in my first term at University - literally half my lifetime ago.
Our hotel, was about 100 yards into East Berlin, with Checkpoint Charlie at the end of the block. Neither of us could quite get over the fact we were wandering around East Berlin.
I guess it's enevitable that Checkpoint Charlie would become a tourist attraction - and for all I was a tourist, and I was there, I found the jolly t-shirts and posing with the 'soliders' slightly distastful. I was glad to see that there are church services where the dead are remembered.
Our last port of call was Ribe, a beautiful town on close to the German border back in Jutland.
I was so excited about getting to the shop, I left my camera in the car!
I hope these shots give you an idea of the place.
With it's beautiful old doors...
...from many periods.
I DO have a thing about door furniture.
So if you ever get the chance, do go to Denmark, it's a very interesting and welcoming country.
With excellent cakes (my parents' wedding cake was like this, only bigger)! 
Roskilde Cathedral is a lovely building. It's interesting to see so many older buildings in brick, rather than stone.
Sadly, we arrived about half an hour before 'closng time', and had to rush round under the disapproving eyes of the staff, who clearly wanted to go home.
Hence, very few decent shots, and none of the Royal Tombs, which I'm sure some of you ghouls would have liked.
This annunciation...
...and Holy Family on the back of the altar screen were rather nice.
And I loved this little bird.
Birgit and Mogens live near Roskilde where there is a shop museum - where you can BUY the contents.
That's my kind of museum.
Dad found a sharpening stone for his scythe - which he's been unable to find in the UK (BTW - he's not called Death).
It's a bit more modern in the office. Note the desk drawers which are made from cigar boxes (and the piggy finger puppet, which was STOLEN by someone in the French postal service).
Here's another cousin Birthe - my Grandmother, Gertie, had three siblings, and between them they produced ten children.
Birthe was Danish ladies golf champion at one point.
Birgit is singer and teacher.
And my Ma is just plain wonderful.
Mogens is Birgit's partner.
He plays piano and cello beautifully, has a summerhouse in Jutland and a wooden sailing boat. How could Birgit turn him down? 
I think Birgit has her eyes closed to enjoy the music. My Dad I'm not so sure about!
The forest is a lovely place to walk. Here Birgit and I are deciding how much wood to steal for her stove :-).
I hate the nights drawing in, but isn't Autumn colour wonderful?
This stump gives you some idea how old the forest is.
