Berlin

It was a bit tricky getting to Berlin. In fact, we almost missed our plane. Let’s just say that things in Europe don’t operate like they do back in Canada when special assistance is required. Thankfully, in the end, everything worked out in our favour, and we made our flight.

Upon arrival, the staff at the Berlin airport was wonderful, even going so far as to help us get on our train bound for the neighborhood where we were to be staying – Alexanderplatz. Once we made it to our stop, we had about a 20-minute trek to our hotel. I know that doesn’t sound too bad, but dragging one’s luggage behind them over cobblestone, is not exactly the easiest thing to do.

A wonderful employee named Freddie checked us into our hotel. Thankfully, our room was ready, so we were able to drop off our luggage and immediately head out exploring. We were famished because we hadn’t eaten since leaving Ireland. Fortunately, there were several restaurants/eateries nearby.

When conducting my research regarding different foods to try while in Berlin, I came across several videos that said you have to try something called currywurst. The people in the videos raved about how good it was. What is it you ask. Well, generally, it’s a curry flavoured ketchup on top of sausage. I kid you not, the people in the videos loved this stuff. I thought to myself, if all these people were recommending it, then I needed to try it. I didn’t end up having it with sausage, instead Randy and I had currywurst nachos. Now I have to say that I really enjoy curry, but the combination of curry mixed with cold ketchup on melted cheese and tortilla chips – not so much!

While in Berlin I rented a Lime scooter (which dear Freddie helped me set up) and Randy and I bombed around the city. Let me tell you, renting that scooter was the best decision. We were able to cover so much ground in such a short amount of time. As you can imagine, Berlin is on it regarding bike lanes. The lanes are clearly marked and well used by cyclists and scooterists (? lol) alike. People on two wheels follow the rules of the road just like motorists, and drivers do a good job of watching out for them.

We were happy to have warmer temperatures in Berlin than we did in Dublin. In saying this, we did get caught in a rainstorm and boy did we get soaked. Thankfully, right after that the skies cleared, the sun came out, and the temperature did an about-face. We found a place to sit where the sun’s rays could warm us up and dry us out.

Funny story… while we were sitting there a man with a ghetto blaster walked by with his music cranked. He walked back and forth a few times with a couple of his pals. You could tell that he really thought he thought he was Mr. Cool. A little while later, the police, who were not far away, came over, put him in handcuffs, and escorted him to their car. Not sure what he was arrested for but clearly drawing that attention to himself didn’t help him. And… while he was being escorted to the police car a couple of other officers were speaking to the guy’s friends. One officer had a K9 and it was losing his mind. Clearly, the friends didn’t have the best energy either and the dog was sensing it.

Our hotel in Berlin was really nice, and we had a great view from our window. A complimentary breakfast was provided each day – and man, did they have a big spread! It was wonderful to be able to get some good food in my tummy before heading out exploring each day.

One evening while in the hotel lounge, we met some people from Cornwall. As it turned out, they were celebrating one of their birthdays. Randy was already in the lounge as I made my way over. (I can’t remember where I was coming from.) Anyway, he appeared to be sitting by himself. Suddenly, one of the ladies from Cornwall asked me by name if I would like a piece of cake. For the life of me I couldn’t understand how she knew who I was. I was so confused. Of course, Randy, who was already sitting in the lounge had previously interacted with them unbeknownst to me. It was like a set-up from one of the Just For Laughs gags that everyone was in on except me. We all had a laugh once Randy shared with me that he had told them my name. We then sat with them and had a nice visit. That’s one of the things I really love about travelling – meeting other people and hearing about where they are from and their travels. Oh, and the cake was really tasty, too!

During our sightseeing around the city we went to Brandenburg Gate, one of the best- known landmarks in Germany. Historically, it was a symbol of peace built in the 18^th century and it was inspired by the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens. After World War II, the Brandenburg Gate stood on the Soviet side of a newly divided Berlin. When the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, it stood in a restricted area and was closed off to everyone. After the Wall came down in 1989, nearly 100,000 people showed up to witness the Gate’s reopening. Today, the Brandenburg Gate symbolizes the reunification of Berlin (Visit Berlin).

Brandenburg Gate

The Quadriga at the top of Brandenburg Gate

We also went to the East Side Gallery, which is a large section of the Berlin Wall. It is 1316 metres long and is the longest continuous section of the Wall. It is also the longest open-air gallery in the world. The Wall came down November 9, 1989, and artists immediately began painting the gallery. 118 artists from 21 countries have their art showcased on it relaying their perspective on the political changes in 1989/90 (Visit Berlin).

As we made our way around the city we also stumbled across other sections of the Berlin Wall. As you can see in the picture, they were breaking down. You can also see that they used crosshatched metal re-bar to prevent people from being able to bore their way through and escape to West Germany. I have to say, at both sites (The East Side Gallery and this random section) you could really feel the gravity of the country’s history.

Everywhere you look in Berlin there are picture-worthy buildings. The size of the buildings, their architecture, and the statues that adorn their roofs are incredible! The only problem with zipping around on the scooter is that you don’t get to take the time to appreciate them as you would if you were moving at a slower pace by foot.

Another important landmark that we made sure to see was Checkpoint Charlie.  It was the most well-known border crossing between East and West Germany during the Cold War. In fact, in1961 during the height of the Berlin Crisis, American and Soviet tanks faced each other here (berlin.de). I can’t even imagine the tension those soldiers must have felt.

The crowds were thick at Checkpoint Charlie. I couldn’t believe how many people were there. It seems like a random point in the middle of what is now a regular street because the city has grown around it. People were awaiting their turns to take a picture behind the sandbags. Right nearby is a museum that tells its whole story.

Checkpoint Charlie

We didn’t have a ton of time in Berlin, but we definitely made the most of it. I’m grateful we decided to include it in our itinerary—it’s such an incredible city. There is so much more we could have done and seen if we had the time and an unlimited budget, but you do what you can with what you have. If you do ever make it over to Europe, I highly recommend visiting the city of Berlin.