Berlin beckoning!

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Today.... an airport...a new country and city.

Travelling through European countries is like driving through the regional Victoria, Australia. An hour or so here or there and you have crossed the border into a new country. And today is Wroclaw to Berlin. Flying this leg before the train journeys through Eastern Europe and Croatia begin.

The rest of the Aussie family met for breakfast but I had a departure too early to fit that in. And for this travelling coeliac I needed a high protein breakfast as I have learnt that even with appropriate language gluten free cards you can be glutened easily and breakfast is the hardest with all the breads and pastries. So an early breakfast at the hotel with more options......... fruit, yoghurt and boiled eggs ?. A safe option for a travelling day. They did have gluten free bread on request so that toasted with rose petal jam was a nice option- even if it was like a crisp read to eat. And the size of it was as narrow as a polish tram! But a hearty breakfast will get me through the day. I have also had gf sweet bread but very dry and gluggy. I’ve learnt my only options in airports so far are fruit, fruit and more fruit ?. Oh and chocolate ?. And internal flights have no option.

So Berlin is beckoning...... it will be a travelling and washing day after 2 days of Polish Wedding festivities.

I have moved on from my assault in Paris, although have noticed an occasional physical anxiety reaction. No doubt post traumatic response. But thankfully not for long. And very normal after something like that. A pick pocket is one thing but to be physically assaulted by someone who continued even with my screams is the next level.

It’s been lovely to be with family on such a special occasion and to experience a different culture aspect at a wedding. And now we all go our separate ways.

Reflections so far...........

Solo travels has its joys and challenges. You have to be self reliant- no one to confer with if in doubt. Trust your gut, ask lots of question and beeline the help desks to save time. The Polish in Wroclaw have been amazingly generous in spirit. When in doubt approach a young person as they usually speak English because it’s taught in schools.

Paris has changed since my first visit. Dirty, loud expensive and people are not helpful unless you speak French. They do not like tourists. The iconic Paris is still there and enjoyed by many and it’s a city with great architecture and beauty in the wealthy areas. Not unlike London in that respect. And beautiful gardens. But not somewhere I will go back to again.

Arrived in Berlin later than planned and my pickup was a no show or gave up waiting. So grabbed a cab - vintage Mercedes- and got to my hotel. Funky little place with a cool backstory about this neighbourhood. Typical small European room but very comfortable. If you skip a days room service to support the environment, you get a 5 euro ($10 Au) voucher to use in the bar or restaurant.

Flying into Berlin gives a birds eye view of their style of living- big apartment estates with generous green shared spaces. Very ordered. The drive from the airport presented a bland, concrete city. So let’s see what tomorrow will bring.

And so the day ended with washing, a bit of news watching and sleep.

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Comments

[Anne]

Enjoying your travel tales
Hi Suzanne. I am loving your travel tales. Thanks for sharing. In Berlin ( one of my favourite cities) be sure to visit the memorial to the Jews. Very moving. Also we did a bike tour which was quite safe and very informative. Enjoy. Anne x