The train ride from Amsterdam to Berlin was surprisingly long and as soon as we got into Germany the air conditioning shut off and the train began to fill. We finally pulled into the station around mid afternoon and couldn’t wait to get off the train. The enormous train station was upgraded for the 2006 World Cup and is an excellent gateway to the city. We wound our way up the many escalators to the very top set of tracks where the local trains departed. This level was completely open and covered by a huge glass arch. We made our way through the crowd to buy tickets for the train to our hostel.
The hostel was located off of a little square in the Prenzlauer Berg district of Berlin. This neighborhood used to be in East Berlin but has made the transition to an active and open community. There was a park right outside of the hostel that was teaming with families enjoying public ping pong and German beers.
The hostel was difficult to miss as it was painted bright orange. We checked in and then went to the grocery store to stock up for the next few days. After getting settled we headed out for dinner. The receptionist pointed us to a cluster of restaurants nearby. We found a nice place with outdoor seating where we enjoyed large portions of meat and beer. After dinner I got in touch with my friend Gary who was also in Berlin that night. He and a few of his friends whom I met in Ireland were beginning a month long eurotrip and were just finishing up their visit to the Berlin. Mike and I got the name of their hostel and then headed out to meet up with them and enjoy the Berlin night life.
Their hostel had a bar on the roof and even though it is not a good way to take in the local culture it had a great view and was a quieter place to catch up. It was great to have Mike meet some of my friends in the MEEES program. Everyone got along great as we told stories from the past year. After a while at the hostel we got the name of a club down the street where there was live music. The bar was huge and the band was really good. It was a great group and we all had an amazing time.
The next morning Mike and I grabbed a quick breakfast and headed downtown for a full day of touring. As we wandered around we couldn’t help but be amazed at all of the modern architecture. The city was decimated in WWII and has rebuilt in amazing style. The city has done a great job of embracing its history and also moving forward. A perfect example of this is throughout the city there is a line two bricks wide that traces what was the Berlin wall. It was almost impossible to go anywhere without crossing the line and is a perfect way to really show how much of an effect this wall had on the city.
As we headed further into the center we passed by the holocaust memorial. This is one of the most moving monuments I have ever seen. It is an entire city block filled with huge concrete blocks. As you move through the monument the ground begins to slope down and the blocks rise taller and taller. You begin to get lost and very disoriented as your peripheral vision is taken by the huge blocks. You can only see straight ahead with occasional glimpses to the side. Mike and I were only a few feet apart and yet it was impossible to keep track of one another. It really evoked quite an emotional response and gave you a glimpse into the fear that the Jews must have felt and also how easy it was for the Germans to get lost in the Nazi ideology.
From the memorial we followed the line of the Berlin Wall to the Brandenburg gate. The gate is actually a lot smaller than I thought that it would be, but the six massive columns with triumphant horse and chariot atop still give it an incredibly powerful feel. Next to the gate is the Reichstag where the German Parliament holds office. This building is absolutely amazing and is a great mix of modern and classical architecture. The exterior is built out of stone with large columns and huge German flags. Atop this structure is an enormous glass dome and despite the contrasting styles it fits perfectly.
Mike and I waited in the long line to get to the top and tour the glass dome. In line I had a great time attempting to eavesdrop on the conversations around me. Within earshot I could hear English, Spanish, Greek, and Italian. I didn’t really understand anything but it was a lot of fun trying. We headed up the elevator and got off on the roof. There we picked up headsets which would give us a guided tour. We then entered the dome and began our climb upward. The path to the top was a spiral ramp that clung to the inside of the glass dome. The glass walls and hand rails offered an uninterrupted view of the city. As we walked there were sensors that would trip the headset which would tell us about what we were looking at. Amazing! The top of the dome is open to collect rain water and act as a chimney to pull hot air from the building. Hanging from the center of the dome is a huge bank of mirrors that looks like an icicle dangling from the roof. The mirrors reflect light down through the glass roof and into the senate chamber. The roof of the chamber is glass to remind the German government that the people overhead are always watching and symbolizes the importance of transparency.
When we left the Reichstag we were pretty hungry and decided to get some street food for lunch. We stopped at a little food cart in the Tiergarten and chowed down on the famous Berlin currywurst, which is a sausage covered in ketchup and curry and is delicious. After lunch I felt the call of nature and ducked into the next building I could find in search of a bathroom. The building was very unassuming from the outside but I was extremely surprised at what I found on my way to the john. The building had a massive atrium with a huge sculpture and incredible glasswork. (In the bathroom Mike, some German man and I all started farting and it was hilarious!!)
After lunch and a bathroom break we were ready to walk the length of the idiot’s mile. This is a road that runs from the start of East Berlin at the Brandenburg gate to the UNESCO world heritage site of the museum island. This stretch of road is full of beautiful buildings which were supposed to show the strength of Soviet Berlin. It is called the idiot’s mile because it was the only part of the city that was not in complete disarray and was used to trick foreign diplomats. The terminus of the mile is an area full of huge museums housing priceless works of art and antiquity. Another feature of this part of town is the Berliner Dom. This is a huge protestant cathedral built near the turn of the century. With the massive dome in front of us, Mike and I decided that we had better get to the top to admire the view of the museums and the broadcast tower. The dome dominates the architecture of the cathedral as it is the most impressive part of the interior and exterior.
After touring the dome we headed over to the Berlin city hall and the hustle and bustle at the base of the tower in Alexandersplatz. The platz (square) was one of the craziest places I have ever been. It was teaming with people, trains, and performers. There was a guy jamming out to electric clarinet, a hippie drumming circle, and a DJ blaring house music to a crowd of people. Most were just sitting and listening to the crazy electronic beats blaring from the speakers but there were a few people acting like alien robots.
From the square we headed to one of the largest parts of the Berlin Wall that still remains intact. It was amazing to see this brutal piece of history separating what is a peaceful neighborhood today. It was interesting to see how small the wall really is but also how heavily guarded. We were able to get glimpses of the guard towers and also the dead zone which was littered with land mines.
We then headed back to the hostel and on our way stopped at a little restaurant where we sat outside on picnic tables eating sausages and drinking beers. At the hostel we hung out with a few of the other residents and found out about a big complex of clubs nearby. Mike and I, still filled with inspiration from our time in Alexandplatz, decided that was definitely the best plan of action. The club was absolutely huge and packed with people all just happy to be dancing. The DJ was playing the latest hits by Lady Gaga and also plenty of throw backs from Michael Jackson and others like “I’m Walking on Sunshine”. Mike and I had a great time and left in time for Mike to get a few hours of sleep before heading back to the States in the morning.
Mike woke up early and unlike in Paris I decided that he was seasoned enough to make it to the airport on his own and I stayed back to catch a few more hours of sleep. When I got up I had a whole day of sightseeing ahead. My first stop was to the Charlottenburg palace. It is the largest palace in Berlin and has been converted into a museum and the gardens into a public park. The palace was absolutely beautiful and a great place to start the day. From there I decided to continue my tour of Berlin’s parks and went for a walk through the Tiergarten. This park is absolutely huge and used to be the hunting grounds for the Berlin royalty. In the park are many large monuments and tons of people taking advantage of the dense forest in the middle of the enormous city. The weather started to turn for the worse so I decided to take in one of Berlin’s world famous museums.
I decided to visit the Pergamon Museum. This museum has a collection of gates from some of the most famous cities in history. It was a really impressive building with huge rooms housing the enormous gates. Included in the collection were pieces from Roman, Greek, and Egyptian cities and even the gate to the ancient city of Babylon. It was amazing to walk through the original gate of Babylon, a place that I always thought was rooted more in legend than fact. I definitely felt transported through time.
That night I ate at a little restaurant before gathering my stuff to spend a night in the airport. I took the last train to the airport leaving no time for error. I caught the train with no problems but they were doing track maintenance so I knew I was in store for some surprises. I got off the train way outside the city but also very far from the airport which is not an ideal situation. I followed the crowd to a city bus which I assumed was finishing the train’s route. After just a few stops the bus was completely empty and I was getting nervous. In order to get some assurance I looked to the driver and said “flughafen” (airport) and he nodded. He stopped the bus within sight distance of the airport and after a long walk through a dimly lit tunnel beneath the highway I was greeted by the welcoming lights of the airport. I have never been so happy at the prospect of a sleepless night in an airport. I really only had to wait a few hours before my early flight and passed the time looking at all of my pictures from the last week. When I got on the plane I was wishing it would take a stop through Raleigh but was happy to only have three more days to wait until I went home.
