I was at the Reichstag – home of the Bundestag, the German parliament – soon after 10:30, to be ready for my booked visit and talk. It has suddenly turned quite cold and very windy, despite the forecast being for solid sun all day; I very nearly turned back from the Nordbahnhof to get a jacket, and am now starting to regret not doing so – I remember how cold it was at the top of the Reichstag last July!
I wandered around the worn-out grass of Platz der Republik and took a couple of photos of the Reichstag under the grey sky, but was glad when the time reached 11:00 and I could get into the warm check-in building. After the usual security checks about 12 of us are led into the Reichstag, and since it's still only 11:15 we are allowed up to Norman Foster’s dome for 30 minutes.
With the adjustable mirrors on the centre column, designed to reflect light down into the Plenary Chamber below, there are lots of interesting photo opportunities, though I'm very conscious of the time and can't hang about for ever waiting for colourful people to appear in my shots. I walked up the ramp to the top and down again, taking many photos, including some with the Nikon 12-24mm lens. The weather is brightening slightly.
Down in time for the 12:00 talk; after all the tight security earlier the waiting area is heaving with people and there seems to be no organisation at all. Going into the gallery of the Plenary Chamber the English talk has swelled to a hundred or more people, and I only recognise three or four from the little group that came in with me at 11:00. Weird.
The 30 minute talk is by someone who has worked in the Bundestag for many years, and is very interesting. There's an overview of the quite complex German parliamentary system, in which much power is held in the regions and which operates on a very rigid timetable, plus information about the dramatic history of the Reichstag building itself.
We came out past some preserved parts of the original building, including the Russian soldiers' graffiti from 1945, and then had the regular opportunity (after the talks) to go up to the dome again – something I hadn't expected as I thought I'd used my dome slot – and I ended up staying until 14:30 taking more photos and enjoying a Reichstag cappuccino.
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