My German Lover : Part 13, chapter 2

They drove through the Brandenburg Gate, and parked the car not too far from Pariser Platz, so they could walk back to admire the Gate...

"It's beatiful...", Paul said, looking at the Gate... "And I love those horses on top of it..."

"Napoléon loved them too, so he stole them and had them sent to Paris... But after Waterloo, they were returned to Berlin...", Lutz said, laughing...

"You're kidding...", Paul exclaimed!

"No no... I swear...", Lutz answered...

"And you see the beatiful building over there?", Will asked Paul... "That's Hotel Adlon... It's one of the finest hotel in Berlin..."

Paul looked at the very beatiful building, then turned and looked down on the large tree-lined Unter den Linden Avenue, which remainded him of the Champs-Élysées in Paris...

"It's so beatiful...", he said.

"Let's have a walking tour... We're in no hurry, are we?", Lutz asked, smiling...

They started walking and turned on WilhelmStrasse... and when they reached a large building, Will said to Paul:

"That's the Foreign Affairs building... That's where Von Ribbentrop works... and you see that large building over there, on the oder side of the street?"

"...Yes..."

"Well, that's the Propaganda Ministry... That's where the rat works!"

"Who?", Paul asked, laughing...

"Dr. Goebbels..."

"Oh... The charming guy you told me about?", Paul answered, grinning...

"Yeah! The despicable little rat! I suppose you don't want to pay him a visit, do you?", Will asked, laughing...

"...Not really", Paul answered, still laughing...

They continued walking down on WilhelmStrasse then reached a nice palace and, looking at the palace, Will explained to Paul:

"That's the Reichs Chancellors Palace. That's where Bismarck used to live... and now, that's where the Führer lives..."

"It's a nice palace... not too big... I'm surprised!", Paul answered.

"Yeah...", Will answered. "Let's walk a bit further down the Avenue. Now... this building here is part of the Neue Reichskanzlei (New Chancellery): You see that balcony over there?"

"...Yes..."

"Well, that's where Hitler stands to review the troops or salute the crowds...", Will explained.

"... I'm glad he's not standing there right now...", Paul answered, grinning...

"...That's only because he is not aware you're in town...", Will answered, laughing... "And you see those two big gates there? They lead to the open Court of honour located inside the Chancellery building... We'll drive through one of those gates tomorrow, when I'll drive you to your Christmas party..."

"...How nice! I get sick, just thinking about it...", Paul answered.

They continued walking, then turned on VossStrasse, where Will showed Paul the very long and impressive building standing there, covered in Sea shell lime. They walked down on VossStrasse for a while, and reached the building Western grand Portico, with its tall columns, an armed guard wearing a black uniform and white gloves standing at the foot of each column...

"That's it Paul! That's the New Chancellery building!", Will said.

"WOW!, Paul exclaimed. (...) "It's quite different from what I had imagined... I was sure the New Chancellery was a grey, austere building... like Hitler is... But this building is not... Are you sure Hitler builted it?"

"... Well, yes... But it's Albert Speer, the well known architect, who created the building, not Hitler. The Führer only approved the plans...", Lutz said, grinning...

"...You see those guards over there? They're from the "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler", Hitler's bodyguard regiment... Don't even try to talk to them... They are not very friendly, if you see what I mean... I've never seen one of them smile...", Lutz said.

"I don't think they even know how to smile...", Will added, laughing...

"Hey guys... Let's walk a bit further down... Do you see that big truck over there?", Lutz asked...

"Yes...", Will and Paul answered...

"If it's what I think, we'll see something very surprising...

"What?", Paul asked...

"Let's watch for a few minutes...", Lutz answered...

The three friends watched the truck for a while... and suddenly, they saw it disappear into the ground...

"What's going on?", Paul asked, stunned...

Lutz bursted laughing, and answered:

"Yup! There's an hydraulic lift to the Führer bunker there... and it's concealed from view by the pavement in the street... I've been told it's one of the most modern supply acceses of all of Europe...

"Let's walk over there and have a look...", Will said...

They walked to where the truck had parked, and saw nothing. Indeed, the truck had disappeared... and when they inspected the pavement, they saw nothing that would show there was a lift somewhere over there...

"I've also been told that somewhere around here, there are five secret entrances to the Führer bunker, all concealed from view by the pavement around here... and that they can only be opened or closed from within the New Chancellery building...", Lutz further said...

"I don't see them..." Paul said, looking at the pavement...

"No... As you can see, they are very well concealed...", Lutz answered, grinning...

"Where's the bunker? Under the New Chancellery?", Paul asked...

"No no... There's a big garden on the other side of the building... and it's located deep under that garden...", Will explained.

"Oh!", Paul said... He then looked down on VossStrasse and very far in the distance, he saw another Grand Portico, identical to the one near them. At the very far end of the building, he saw another large Avenue...

"What about that Avenue over there?", he asked.

"Ah... but that's the big swine Strasse... I mean... the Herman-Göring Strasse", Will answered, laughing...

Paul laughed, then turned to look back at the New Reichs Chancellery and said:

"... So... That's where I'm invited, huh?"

"Yup!", Will answered, grinning. "Let's walk back to WilhelmStrasse... then let's go to the Gendarmenmarkt... You'll like it there... It's not too far from here..."

Once they got there, Lutz said:

"I think Gendarmenmarkt is one of the most beatiful squares in Europe. Not as big as Place de la Concorde in Paris... but you've got to admit, Paul, that it's beatiful..."

"Yes... It's very beatiful. Very impressive, too", Paul answered, with a very sincere smile on his face...

"You see the magnificent building with the big columns at the certer over there?", Will asked Paul... "That's the Konzerthauss... and it's flanked by the French Cathedral on the north side over there... and the German Cathedral on the south side..."

"Look at the domed towers that top the two Cathedrals...", Lutz said...

"Yes... I must say I'm impress...", Paul answered.

"I think there's a staircase we can climb up to the domed tower of the French Cathedral... Want to give it a try?", Will asked his friends...

"Let's go", Paul enthusiastically answered.

The three friends climed the French Cathedral's cicurlar stair case and reached a circular balcony that ran all around the big dome. From there, they had a spectacular view of the historic City center...

"Berlin is a very beatiful City... I must admit... That's not what I was expecting. I love your City, guys! Except for all the Nazi flags everywhere, of course...", Paul said, laughing. "What's that big domed building over there?"

"Oh... That's the Berlin Cathedral... It's the state Cathedral of the Prussian Kaisers", Will answered. "We'll go there later..."

Paul took his time, looking at the beatiful City all around them. Little did he know that, in less than five years from now, this beatiful City would be reduced to rubbles, thanks to Hitler's madness.

They went down the stairs and then walked to Bebelplatz, where Will showed Paul the Old Palace and the ornate German State Opera house...

"This is the site where the Nazis burned so many books back in 1933...", Lutz explained...

"I've heard about that...", Paul answered. "And let me tell you: I think that was disgraceful..."

"Yes... That was scandalous...", Will said.

Of course, they visited the State Opera house, walked to the Neue Wache (New Guard house...) then to the Berlin Cathedral. Paul found it to be very beatiful and impressive building...

Later, they visited the Altes Museum and after that, back on Unter den Linden Avenue, they walked to Parizer Platz and the Brandenburg Gate, where they recovered the car.

They drove to the Bahnhof Zoo and later, went to a nice restaurant, where they had a few beers, had lunch and just enjoyed the evening.

Eventually, they drove back to Will's house, where his parents were happy to see them back!

"Hey big brother", Ludwig said to Will "Next time, don't leave me behind! I'm no longer a kid, you know..."

"Sorry Ludwig... Next time you'll come along with us, I swear!", Will replied, looking at his young brother who had grown a lot over the past year and a half...

"I'm no longer a pest... You'll see!", Ludwig added, laughing...

"Oh Lutz...", Will's mother said to him... "Klara called earlier... to see if you were here... I think she was looking for you, and I must say she was a bit rude with me..."