It wouldn't be Berlin without checking out some of the embassies of the former occupying powers. As it happened, we were up looking at the Brandenburg Gate and looking for somewhere to lock up our bicycles when we were attacked by this rather cheeky notice from the Berlin Chief of Police who is obviously in the pay of the Americans. However, his title musn't strike the same note of fear into non German speaking people as they haven't bothered translating it.

I'm sure it would have been very nice to be able to put on my CV that I had been a "causer" in Berlin, but, as the bike belonged to my landlord, its confiscation could have led to me not being able to leave the country and where's the use of that?

And whatever happened to "verboten"? Another casualty of the Third Reich?

Yes, there we were, right up against the side of the USA embassy. We had crept up on Uncle Sam without our noticing. I'm sure Uncle Sam noticed, though. And just to be sure, I gave the two fingers to what I took to be one of the many 360' cameras surrounding the place.

My advisor, who is an authority in these matters, assured me that we were looking at the very place from which Chancellor Merkel had been listened in on by the NSA. So I thought I'd capture the image for posterity.

We then set off in pursuit of another former occupying power. I was told that such was the security rating of the next crowd that the whole street in front of the embassy had been bollarded off (ie closed to traffic).

This magnificent building had been opened by the Queen in 2000. The previous embassy on this spot had been one of those old palaces, but it had gone to seed during the DDR period and had been demolished. The only piece of the old embassy still extant was a large wrought iron crest which had been on the old embassy gates.

So I went over for a closer look. Must remember to tell them to remove the harp. We have our own embassy now.