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Blogs from Berlin, Germany, Europe
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May 17th 2013
Then at last we become 'berliners'. Transferring through Munich early morning - we arrive in the Capital in time for breakfast - not our highest priority following our 14 hour flight. The hotel Leonardo in the east turned out to be perfect. Very pleasing given our intended stay of 4 days. First day involved an afternoon reconnoitre on foot. Strolling past Alexanderplatz - highly lauded but somewhat disappointing in its vast starkness (the weather was grim too, being overcast and rainy) and on down the full length of Unter den Linden to the Brandenburg Gate. We found it hard to envisage the renowned beauty of the linden bordered boulevard because the whole street is currently a construction zone. In fact we became conscious of how much of Berlin is being rebuilt or renovated and sky-hugging cranes ... read more
May 14th 2013
I'm sorry to say that Berlin really held no allure for me at all. Way too much construction, too much traffic, way too much materialism it was just a really a bit too much, with too much on top. The remaining wall with it's artwork was worth the effort and a tour on the Spree River was fun, informative and worth a redo. My trip to the top of the TV tower was exciting and the views were definitely impressive. My stop on Kurfemdamstrasse was a walk down any other major city fashion street complete with The Hard Rock Cafe and pricing astronomical. I would say that my best two experiences were visiting a small cemetery and seeing the beautiful bleeding hearts and my last night having dinner at Merhaba. The Turkish chef prepared wonderful egg ... read more
May 12th 2013
Berlin is a city of great contrast. The beautiful, helpful and generous juxtaposed to the abrupt, rude and inconsiderate. Historical and architecturally beautiful buildings and monuments yet graffiti-laden and desolate empty buildings next to each other. A city of 3 1/2 million people with a sophisticated public transit system yet the streets are also full of horse-drawn, dinner-serving covered wagons, bicycle riding beer drinking pub tours, Mercedes Benz taxis, women with high heels on bicycles,texting; rickshaw taxis and everything in between, and don't forget those bicycles built for ? 6 ? There are large parks providing green public spaces full of huge old beautiful trees and cemetaries peppered with beautiful spring flowers; pansies, bleeding hearts, and lilacs such a deep purple with their fragrant perfume permeating the atmosphere. Checkpoint Charlie is still intac... read more
May 11th 2013
Today was a pretty chill day. We slept in because we really didn’t have much on the agenda and I wanted to get some real sleep before the long flight home on Saturday. After we did wake up and shower we headed to have lunch at the recommended currywurst spot. Unfortunately we did not go the correct place so probably didn’t have the best example of currywurst. Currywurst is sausages in ketchup and curry powder that is it. Usually served with fries. They were good, but I am sure if we would have gone to the place under the U-bahn station they would have been great. Since both the waitress last night and now the woman at the front desk said they are the best in town. The rest of the day we both did different ... read more
May 10th 2013
This blog was written the day after the events occurred. In addition, I was one third of the way when I lost power and everything I had written, so things may be jumbled. I titled this an introduction to Berlin, because that is basically what we did today. First a comment about the mass transit here, it has to be one of the most comprehensive and perhaps confusing I have ever seen. They have 4 different types of transit: U-bahns (basically subways), S-bahns, similar to the L in Chicago as most elevated but some underground they also server outer lying areas, Trams, which are everywhere and we couldn’t figure them out, and finally busses. The U and S bahns are pretty easy to use, but there is no comprehensive map of the trams, so you would ... read more
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May 9th 2013
This morning we checked out of Hotel Orion, a bit of currency translation issues regarding the price but it all worked out, and then off to the last train ride of this trip. It was a quick metro trip to the station and we got there in plenty of time. Only to discover that our train had been delayed by 45 minutes. We don’t know why it was late, it just was, and it seemed that all International trains were delayed today. It is actually fairly rare, in our experience, for trains in Europe not to run on time (ok Italy can be a major exception) but it arrived and off we went to Berlin. The train ride was uneventful, except that the porter was 12 (well probably early 20’s) and don’t tell Jerry, I think ... read more
May 4th 2013
Soundtrack for Berlin, Germany and Prague, Czech Repubilc 1) Dan Balan - Freedom 2) Radio Killer - Is It Love Out There? 3) Markus Schulz - Love Rain Down 4) Edward Maya - This Is My Life 5) Tacabro - Tacata 6) Shotek - Carry Me Cannonball (Morgan Page Bootleg) 7) Rammstein - Mein Herz Brennt (Boys Noize Remix) 8) EDX - 2 Hearts 1 Mind (Inpetto Radio Mix) 9) Akcent - My Passion 10) url=http:... read more
March 22nd 2013
When I hit Europe as a newcomer without a clue, I found that the major cities are a real challenge to budget. Once I looked up and found and some little English teaching gig, not only did I make new friends and some much needed travel fund replenishment, but my students were thrilled to pitch in with all kinds of creative and often uncommon knowledge. The first thing you wont need help finding out is - surprise!- accommodation in Germany is pleasantly affordable compared to other Euro-zone countries. Hostels range from $15-25 USD per night for a dorm room. A private room costs around $60 USD per night and budget hotel prices begin in the same price range. After Amsterdam, I couldn't believe it was real. Also, food in Germany is very affordable. You can eat ... read more
March 19th 2013
Day 2 After a night of restless sleep, we pulled ourselves up around 11am. This gave us just enough time to grab a quick starbucks and currywurst before our alternative berin tour. This one started in Alexanderplatz, in a more discrete location. Fortunately, google maps saved the day and pointed us to the right location. It is pricy getting a roaming data plan, but I admit that it's come in handy during times like these. At 1pm, a cheery Californian tour guide led us on our tour of Berlin's graffiti and local art scenes. First, we walked along the Mitte neighborhood. He pointed our notable pieces of graffiti by famous artists such as El Bocho (and his crazy lucy and her cat), and Alice. We wrapped up the Mitte portion of the tour at the graffiti ... read more
March 16th 2013
Having lived in West Berlin in the mid-eighties, this fabulous city has always had a place in my heart. Historical, vibrant, and always moving, it is a must see for anyone wanting to experience something a little different. History buff, party animal or seasoned traveller will find a gem to entertain them. Nite clubs in the old eastern side of town, the wide open park spaces and waterfronts, to the awful historical truth of the Mitte district are just scratching the surface of Germanys' capital . From the Topography of Terrors, to the Stasi headquarters, the Olympic Stadium, Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie Museum, the Wansee and the Matrix Club are only the start.There are many wonderful eateries all over town, from homegrown currywurst (a personal favourite of mine and my wife) to international cuisine and ... read more
