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Published: November 2nd 2011
Ok, so I am a little (or maybe alot) behind in updating you all what I have been doing.. busy days being a tourist, bad internet access and more recently a broken computer have all attributed, so get ready for a blast of blogs over the next few weeks! We can thank the Germans for BMW, Hugo Boss, Ikea, Bratwurst, Adidas and more!
Germany today is a far cry from the dark days of World War II. It still has a historical tale to tell, monuments to remember and remnants of the wall that divided Berlin in 1961 still exist today.
As a traveller, sleeping in the city, trailing tourists and feasting on fast food might have become the norm, but I have come to realise that these experiences can at times fail to capture the real touch, taste and tradition of a city and its culture, so it was time for a change!
Day 1, Berlin - 13 September I began in Berlin, staying at a friend of a friends place to experience life beyond the big smoke. My host Stefan and Nathanael (who was also staying at Stefan’s) helped make my time in Berlin most
enjoyable and comfortable, even if it was on the lounge!
The weather was quite cool, but I was told the Germans were in for a ‘Golden October’ meaning they were to expect warmer than normal temperatures in October. This was a far cry from their winter temperatures, getting up to -20 some days! I ventured by tram into the city to see the famous Brandenburg Gate (one of 18 gates built around the wall), Reichstaggbaude (Parliament Building), Siegessaule (Victory Column) and explored the city’s largest big green patch, the Tiergarten.
Nothing held me back from trying one of Germany’s favourite fast foods- a kebab and it was actually the best one I’ve ever had!
Day 2, Berlin - 14 September Some of you may know my two wheeled green riding machine at home, well today I hired a blue cruiser just like it to give my feet a rest and see the sites!
Flat ground, bike lanes and no helmets seem to be the norm, but I felt a rush of adrenalin and slight fright when I cruised down busy roads, squeezing between cars, buses and roadworks. I rode to see the longest surviving stretch of
the Berlin wall at the East Side Gallery and climbed the tower for a better look at how people would climb the wall in an attempt to escape, only to be faced with another wall (known as the ‘Death Strip’) at Berliner Mauer Dokumentationszentrum (Berlin Wall Documentation Centre).
Back on my bike, I pedalled to see some modern walls and unique architecture at Potsdamer Platz, and came across something not based on German history, but a childhood memory- a giant lego giraffe! (see photo)
Day 3, Berlin – 15 September Stefan and I got lost in a maze at Gärten der Welt (Gardens of the World) and I got a lesson on geocaching (for those that don’t know, it’s an outdoor activity that uses GPS to hide and seek containers) and Home-made pizza and bueno chocolate topped off my last night in Berlin.
Thanks for your kind hospitality Stefan, and thanks for the Chuck Norris lesson & music Nathanael!
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