Berlin

 



The train from Amsterdam drops me off at the Haupbahnhauf (the Berlin central train station) and wow what a train station. Perth airport has nothing on this. It is 5 levels of McDonalds, Burger King, The Body Shop, a supermarket, clothes, jewellery, alcohol etc etc. It’s a freaking train station! What does Berlin airport look like if this is the train station?? So anyway, after walking around the station twice I finally found the bus and headed to the hostel. At the hostel, I got a welcome drink – cup of coffee and then the girl sat down with me and a map of Berlin and asked what I wanted to see. One: my room and a shower. Two: As someone who had done no research on Berlin at all, I answered, “The Berlin Wall and a chocolate factory”. Since then, I have learnt that a little bit of research is always welcome and that I need to go back to Berlin because there are a lot more things I want to see.

The next day I went on a walking tour and we took in a fancy German neighbourhood not bombed during the war,

A park with a waterfall in summer, from where you can see a spy tower the Americans built during the Cold War,

And the biggest hill in Berlin. Fun fact: it is manmade. After the war, there was a lot of rubble so they dumped it all in this one pile, then planted trees all over it and now it is the biggest hill in Berlin. I really respect the straightforwardness of the German's solution.

We also went to the Turkish markets where I purchased some freshly made Turkish Delight (very good), the Christmas markets where I purchased a chocolate coated banana  and a carnival theme park thing where I tried my first gluwein! Gluwein is warmed wine. It wasn’t that good but I had more the next night (when in Rome!) and it came in a boot and you got to keep your boot!!

We also walked along what is left of the Berlin Wall. Unfortunately, my camera has begun the awful process of dying and so, of course, I have heaps and heaps of scenic pictures taken from the train but none of the historical and meaningful Berlin Wall. This is pretty much what it was like though.


Auf Wiedersehen!