Roderick, too is somewhat disappointed but for different reasons. Part of the problem is his tour guide, a 1913 Baedeker he found at Dorabella's bookshop, in the "previously owned" section.
Over breakfast, he reads aloud from Baedeker:
In 1699 the Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg (who took the title King in Prussia in 1701, becoming Frederick I), appointed the architect Andreas Schlüter to execute so-called second plan in the Italian manner dating from 1697. Schlüter's first design is likely to date from 1702, who planned to rebuild the palace in the Protestant Baroque style. His overall conception of the shape of a regular cube enclosing a magnificently ornamented courtyard was retained by all the building directors who succeeded him. In 1706, he was replaced by Johann Friedrich Eosander von Göthe, who designed the western extension of the palace doubling its size. In all essentials, Schlüter's balanced, rhythmical articulation of the façades was retained, but Göthe moved the main entrance to the new west wing."Wow!" says Roderick. "I can't wait to see this!" He continues to read:
King Frederick William I, who became king in 1713, was interested mainly in building up Prussia as a military power, and dismissed most of the craftsmen working on the Stadtschloss. As a result, Göthe's plan was only partly implemented. Nevertheless, the exterior of the Palace had come close to its final form by the mid 18th century. The final stage was the erection of the dome in 1845, in the reign of Frederick William IV. The dome was built by Friedrich August Stüler after a design of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Thereafter, only smaller changes in the palace’s exterior took place. Major work took place inside the palace, however, engaging the talents of Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, Carl von Gontard and many others."Look, here's a picture." He holds up the Baedeker.
After breakfast, Roderick, Molly and Anna set out to see the Schloss. Roderick bubbles with excitement. "I can't believe that Natasha doesn't want to see this!"
However, on arrival at the location marked on Baedeker's map, they find naught but an empty construction site, with a goofy modern thing.
"Not much of a Schloss," Molly remarks.
Roderick is stumped. "They can't have torn it down, that would be crazy!"
Anna inquires: "What's next in your book?"
"Let's go see the famous Hall of the Hohenzollerns in the Memorial Chapel of the Berliner Dom. It's right across the street. Here's a picture."
"Oooh, the Hohenzollerns!" says Molly. "I can hardly wait!"
The trio make their way across the Schlossstrasse to the Lustgarten, avoiding the pickpockets, beggars, peddlers and other riff-raff. Cutting diagonally across the grass -- the signs say "Please Keep Off The Grass" but they are in German, which Roderick can't read -- they approach the north wall of the Dom and gaze at a blank wall:
"Hmmpf" grumbles Roderick. "I guess they never built it."
"Where are the Hohenzollerns?" Molly wonders.
"I'll ask one of the locals." Roderick strolls over to a woman and child standing on one of the paths in the Lustgarten. The woman holds a sign that says something in German. Roderick speaks briefly to the woman, who shakes her head. He rejoins the others. "She doesn't know where the Hohenzollerns are," he says.
"Piffle." Molly pouts.
"No worries!" says Roderick, leafing through the Baedeker. "Berlin is a big city and there's lots to see. Next, let's check out the Siegesallee."
