The only thing I don't like about cold weather is that it makes my eyes water. So for the first part of the day I constantly appeared as if I was crying as I walked towards the city centre. When I got there I visited two monuments and this time I was crying for real. Quite an emotional morning. But I'll back track and start from the beginning. Today's plan was to head toward Potsdamer Platz and then later in the day visit the Reichstag. I walked a different way and it was nice to take in the shops along the way. All the time I was walking I was drying my eyes from the cold air which became quite annoying.

One place that Em may have been interested in was this museum of surreal industrial objects. Unfortunately it was closed at the time.

Nearby was some more street art. One of my purchases has been a book of Berlin street art as that's something that has really resonated with me.

I hadn't planned to visit today but I found myself at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. I've read about it and seen pictures but neither had prepared me. On approach it just appears like a sea of stone blocks.

What you don't realize is that once you start walking into it, the ground "sinks" and before you know you disappear beneath the tops of the blocks. You get a feeling of being overwhelmed and of drowning in this sea of humanity. I don't know if that was the intention but that was how I felt.

It was an extremely emotional experience to wander and meditate on the tragedy. I think it is a fitting memorial.

Nearby is a Memorial to the Homosexuals Persecuted Under the Nazi Regime. While not as striking in appearance this memorial and the stories behind it also moved me, for obvious reasons, and I have to admit it pushed me over the edge.

I needed some time to pull myself together before I wanted to be seen in public again.

After a little break I made my way to Potsdamer Platz. It's incredible to think that this area was more or less a wasteland divided by the wall just over 20 years ago. The Sony centre is amazing.

From there I decided to go walking in the outskirts of the city again. This time to the south west. On my way I stumbled across the Bauhaus Museum so I went in and had a look. There was an incredible porcelain exhibition, but we weren't allowed to take photos.

I needed to be back to the Reichstag by 3:00 for my booking to go up to the dome. Security was very tight but it was well worth the effort. A truly magnificent piece of architecture to top off such a historic building.

I caught the underground U2 back to the station nearest mine. I'm starting to get the hang of the lines and stations.

After being overcast and threatening all day blue sky finally poked through for the first time since I've been here.

I had some dinner to re-group before the opening of the festival of lights (coming in part 2).

Day 19 (part 1): Not a dry eye in the house