This is a short page. The place made me sick. So if you want a backgrounder Wikipedia is your man.

There were a number of crossing points through the wall between east and west Berlin. The principal one, and the only one crossing directly into the eastern sector which was available to non-Germans, was Checkpoint Charlie. It was a serious place. US and east German tanks squared up to one another there at the beginning. Some amazing escapes took place there and I'm sure many of those attempting to escape to the west who were unsuccessful returned to a horrendous life in the east.

So it was not a trivial place. Not then it wasn't. But today it is.

Pride of place goes to McDonalds, that universal symbol of high American culture.

You can have your photo taken with uniformed military policemen, no less, for the family scrap book for a mere �2/$3 to cover their outlay.

Provided, of course, you don't spend too much time objecting to the charge or haggling over the price.

Surely the tourists know these guys are just actors.

It was suggested to me that they might be real MPs on punishment detail, but that was just wishful thinking.

Casting a glance back towards the eastern sector. You can compare it with how it looked from here in 1982. And the Inchicore version also gives a better view of the reality.

And, in case you hadn't noticed, there's no wall. Others did and have stepped into the breach. According to them, you can see the wall as big as this building. Must be Texas.

Anyway, we can't really get out of here because it is all western sector now.

Or is it? Here's another sector. Let's give it a go.