I had to go and see the “Zoo Station” while in Berlin. It was the opening track of U2’s brilliant album “Achtung Baby”, which was partly recorded in the Hansa studios. I wasn’t expecting much, just maybe some iconic scenes. The Kurfurstendamm was nearby – West Berlin’s Champs Elysees apparently…

Good job expectations weren’t too high. It was a pretty run down area – seen better days. The station, Zoologischer Garten, was surrounded by fast food joints and a few dubious establishments. What it suggested was that all the money has gone in to revitalising East Berlin. Time, in the future, to give the West a bit of a refresh?

It still felt iconic though. Just the names, if nothing else. And an unusual church with most of its spire missing.

The church is the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. It was destroyed by a bombing raid in 1943. It was rebuilt, but the half-gone spire was retained. It is an eerie reminder of a grim era.

It had to be right that the U2 line goes through the Zoologischer Garten station.

And in a restaurant/bar on the Kurfurstendamm I finally got my taste of the Berlin speciality, Currywurst!

It was OK!