Berlin Bank Holiday

Observations about Berlin:
1) there's lots of wasps
2) there's lots of yoga studios
3) there's lots of currywurst.   but no schnitzels.



I had three days to explore and catch up with Simon and Sebastian, the guys we met in Bucharest.

I nearly missed my flight and had to run frantically through Gatwick for the second time this year....next time I do long stay parking I must remember it takes AGES to find a parking space!!!  I also got stopped at security (as I have every time this year!) because my external charger looked suspicious.  On the way home I got stopped because my camera and hair straighteners looked suspicious.  I even got taken into a private room for them to be swiped down for explosives. Sigh.

Berlin-Schoenefeld airport is pretty rubbish and I have learnt not to judge a place by its airport.  The train station at the airport is just as bad and very poorly signed so there were lots of tourists wandering about wondering which platform they should use for the city centre.  Eventually I found the right platform and and headed off to Alexanderplatz, where I then got the underground to get to my hostel.

My room wasn't ready so I left my luggage, found a cafe for breakfast (a mandarin and chicken bagel - it was weird and I managed to explode the mandarin all over my face) then joined the free hostel walking tour.  It was three and a half hours long and I was knackered after but it was good and took us to all the standard tourist areas including museum island and Checkpoint Charlie.  No interesting facts I am afraid as I forgot to pack my notepad.


Checkpoint Charlie

Recreation of Checkpoint Charlie...very authentic with the souvenir shop in the background


The Berlin wall 

Jewish holocaust memorial



Berlin Cathedral

Afterwards I went for a few beers with some people from the tour before heading back to check in, then join Simon & Sebastian at a mini festival thing in a park, where we caught up over beer, it was lovely.  I snuck a ride on the back of Simon's pushbike to get back to the tube (I was hoping he would take me all the way home but no such luck..to be fair I don't think my bottom would have lasted the entire journey)

Museum Island

Unfortunately I was sharing my dorm room with a biatch who came in at 5am, slammed all the doors and shouted out the window at her friends about 5 different times.  I told her to shut up but she didn't listen and carried on regardless...the downsides of dorm rooms!

The following day I joined Simon, Sebastian, Dario and their friends on another tourist tour of Berlin,  with Sebastian being our host with the most.  This time we hopped on the 100 bus - it's a public bus, but does a route that takes in most of the touristy places.  A day pass is 6.70 euros and you can use on all public transport so this is by far a much cheaper option than any of the city bus tours.

some rather good graffiti. 

East Berlin pedestrian crossing - I love the icons

Reichstag

I love european man hole covers!!! I feel like I am a bit obsessed!


Being with a local had its benefits, as Sebastian led us to the place Angela Merkel works, the German Chancellery , which was having a free open day.  Usually you have to book a tour months in advance, so well done Seb for knowing about this :) We wandered about the grounds and had a pleasant al fresco lunch before continuing onwards and up the Victory Column, which is 285 steps to the top.  It's quite crowded at the top but you get good views for only 3 euros.

German Chancellery

Riding Angela Merkel's motorcade

Victory Column

View over Berlin from the column


After we found a pub garden and rewarded ourselves with a pint or two before heading to East Berlin to walk along the East Side Gallery - the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall which has been painted by lots of different artists.    Isn't it crazy to imagine waking up one day and realising you can't get to work/see your friends/go to school because some numbnut has decided to cordone you in and build a huge wall.

The wall  - East Side Gallery













We stopped to watch some bands playing nearby, got some delicious pizza that we ate in a park and tried and failed to find a geocache.  We eventually found one out of 2 so not too bad I guess.



Their decorations are made out of baby clothes...



We went back to Seb's flat which is BEAUTIFUL and so cheap - it's about the quarter of what you'd pay for a similar sized flat in London, and it was gorgeous.  Fun fact - when you rent in Berlin, you often have to buy your own kitchen, as previous occupiers will take theirs with them.  Nuts!

On Sunday I met up with the guys again and we went to a flea market near Seb's house, then on to a really trendy Shoreditch like place called Neue Heimat which was another market but also with food stalls and a jazz band.  This is where I accidentally managed to activate the emergency function on my phone which texts my mum and step dad telling them I am in danger, sends a photo and my location.  It's a pretty neat app however I can't remember how to activate it and managed to panic mum into ringing me to check I was OK.  Bless.





 After this I said my goodbyes and got the tram back to the touristy spots so I could spent the afternoon wandering about them at my own pace.  I went to the Topography of Terror exhibition but it was filled with very graphic photographs which I wasn't in the mood to see, so I didn't stay long.  It was very hot and I was getting tired from the walking so  sat down by the river and finished reading my book - The Humans by Matt Haig, I highly recommend it, it's laugh out loud funny.  I started to feel  a little melancholic and weird and to cure it I bought a 90 cent beer and drank it in the park on my own.  It didn't really work.





Overall, I did like Berlin, but it's definitely not up there with my favourites.  I like pretty cities and it's not particularly pretty.  However, I do like the vibe - it's very liberal, and everyone is friendly - people were talking to me on the tube which would never happen in London.  It was also really good to see the boys again, so here's to many more reunions in the future!

Comments

  1. I love reading about you adventures, Nains! Where will you go next?! -x-

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    1. Thanks Leanney!! I am hopefully off to Loch Ness next weekend, and then I have a few days leave left to take. I can't decide between Croatia (a bucket list favourite), Slovenia (looks beautiful), or a yoga retreat somewhere warm and toasty!!! What do you reckon? xxx

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