massive thunderstorm - break in clouds - treptower park - more rain - Frankfurter Allee - hackescher markt for pizza in hanging chairs with my wee big 6 year old baby


The Soviet Memorial in Treptower Park is pretty difficult to put into words. The scale is quite sublime and the photograph (with Rudy and Alice) does not in any way 'explain' the overwhelming nature of the monument or the surrounding architectural space. We were fortunate (daft enough? desperate enough?) to take a mid-storm visit which meant we were the only visitors - quite eery and at the same time liberating. Alice took her socks off and ran free, Rudy sensing the ernest nature of his surroundings, became quiet and focused. He took himself off for a solitary walk up the memorial and then we spoke to him a bit about war. Such a senseless concept that when filtered through the brain of a very bright six year old becomes even more irrational and inexplicable.