Berlin is one of my favourite cities. Berliners are quite laid back and friendly, easy-going people. And the food is excellent, especially from the many the bakeries and patisseries.

By the way, if you're in Berlin and are looking for a really good restaurant, try BÄRchen on Grolmanstrasse 21 (corner of Pestalozi strasse) just off Savignyplatz, a short walk from the Kurfürstendamm. The atmosphere is great, the food is excellent, there's plenty of it, and the service is great too.

Thanks to Kenny of Insider Tours for the interesting and informative tour of historical Berlin.

Rome is a mecca for tourists. There's well over 2000 years of history there and almost everything is accessible. It's reasonably inexpensive too - once you've paid an arm and a leg for your hotel accomodation that is!! Like Berlin, the city has an easy-going atmosphere despite the constant ear-splitting buzz of scooters anywhere near a main road.

Purely by coincidence, we happened to be there during Culture Week, so were pleasantly surprised to get free entry in to many of the best attractions such as the Colosseum, the Capitoline Museums, and the Baths of Caracalla, which all normally charge an entrance fee.

Highlights of Rome were many. St Peter's Basilica is the probably the most incredible building I've ever seen, even for a godless heathen like me! Also, the guided tour of the Roman Forum was really enjoyable and bought to life what could otherwise be just a pile of ruins if you didn't know what you were looking at. Many thanks to Mike of Roman Odyssey Tours for his expert and entertaining commentary.