3rd September Berlin / Leipzig

** Auf Wiedersehen, Berlin! And hallo Leipzig It's been fun in Berlin & it's been unreal. I've learned so much more that I could have ever imagined. Thanks for those who showed me friendship, and especially for giving me an understanding as to navigate the metro system.

** Waiting for my train to Leipzig, that is running 5 minutes late, apparently. .... Obviously we left a bit late so arrived at the correspondingly late time. I watched episode one of a newly down loaded 50 episode KDrama during the trip but ensured that I was aware of my surroundings. Similar to my trip from Copenhagen to Berlin I was amazed at the number of wind turbines on my horizon. Possibly here they have a better understanding of renewable energy than we do in Australia.

** I am staying at the local Ibis budget and with minor differences it is identical to the one I just left in Berlin. However this time breakfast is included.

** like Berlin, the closest laundromat is a long walk, but in this instance only half the distance because this appears to be a small city.

** Now that I am outside a major city in Europe for the first time, I find that fewer people willing to or even can, speak English. Hit me when I desperately needed a toilet. No-one seemed able to understand me. Eventually I found a MacDonalds at the station but the youngster working there refused to open the door for me without me showing a receipt. Understandable maybe but I was in trouble deep at that point. I had to say to the chap that I would contact their headoffice and tell them about the refusal especially given I am a tourist, I walk with a stick, I am obviously a senior etc etc. Needless to say, his English understanding suddenly improved and the door 'magically' opened'.

** My plan for today is to walk up to the laundromat, do my washing, return it to the hotel and then visit my first museum and view the city. Let's see how close to reality these plans will end up being.

Initial views of Leipzig

** Having a small beer at a Greek names restaurant (Elliniki) across from my hotel. Having a small beer and a plate of french fries. Suddenly a waitress came out and started handing out full glasses of Ouzo. Been years since I have had a drop of this.

** Woke at 5am even though my alarms were set for 6am. Subconsciously I did not obviously want to miss my train. It's now 5pm and given I have walked around 8 klm today, plus changed cities, plus done my weeks washing, plus went through a museum, I think I am knackered. Anyway, even if I were fine, the combination of the beer and the ouzo is guaranteed to give me a good night's sleep.

** The bells of the church are playing a most melodic tune. It's highly repetitive but quite soothing in a weird way. As it had now hit 5 , the 5 chimes are now in play.

*The Egyptian Museum at the University of Leipzig

** There both a number of unique, original pieces, but well interspersed with copies. It would be nice if they could note what is a copy and what is not, and if a copy, where the original might be located. they only accept cash. I really find this unacceptable for anywhere in modern Europe, especially in a city of over 600,000 people.

A copy of the head of Nefratiti, the original of which is in Berlin. She was the queen of Amenhopep IV, better known as Akhenaten

This is a copy of the Narmer-Palette. Narmer was an early pharaoh who reigned about 3150 during what is now called the 0 dynasty of Egypt. Narmer is important because he is assumed to be the ruler who united both upper & lower Egypt, making him the 'Lord of the two lands'