Berlin Berlin

Writing this blog update from Italy…typing it on a train (without internet) and publishing it now that I finally do have internet.  Figured I’d get it to the people (my mom) who care to follow what I’ve been doing ASAP.

I came to Berlin with unenthusiastic optimism, if that makes sense.  Gab and Mary didn’t like Berlin at all, and I was hopeful that I’d like it but afraid that either it really would suck, or that all of the things that said would make me believe that it sucked even if really it didn’t.  So I hesitantly got on a train to Berlin, wishing that I was on the train with them to go to Vienna.

Central Berlin

Made it to Berlin…the main station was nice.  I thought, okay, maybe it’ll be great.  But I got on the S-Bahn to get to my hostel and realized how big Berlin was.  I’ve walked in every city I’ve been to, even the big ones, but Berlin is pretty big.  It took a while to get from the center to my hostel.  What  I also realized was how not-nice looking Berlin was.  It’s very graffiti’d, there are overgrown weeds and shrubs all over the place.  Most capitol cities that I’ve been to have been absolutely beautiful, well maintained, clean.  That, Berlin was not.  At least my hostel was beautiful.

Started my time in Berlin at the East Side Gallery, which is the longest remaining portion of the Berlin wall that has been painted by artists from all over the world.  Definitely cool to see…especially with all the history behind it.  Wrote my name on the part of the wall with everyone’s names…I’m forever on it, or at least until the rain washes away the ink since I didn’t have a marker.  Then tried to make my way to the center, which involved walking through the aforementioned graffiti’d streets with overgrown shrubs and weeds.  Incredibly disappointing especially after coming from Munich which was so wonderful and beautiful.

Murals painted on the Berlin Wall--East Side Gallery

Walked until I made it to the Holocaust memorial, which is over 2000 steel/concrete blocks of different sizes, and walking through them is like a little maze.  They also have an information center underground with really interesting (and of course sad and depressing) information and stories and personal accounts from people of the holocaust.  A cool sight to see...but not really cool when you think about it.  Oyy

Holocaust Memorial

Once you get to the center of Berlin, you see that it really isn’t a bad place.  I’d compare it to Philly…it’s beautiful and quaint where the Liberty Bell and all of those nice historic things are, but not so nice everywhere else.  The area with the Reichstag (house of parliament) and Brandenberg Gate are isn’t bad at all.  Your typical city-like place with Starbucks and outdoor restaurants.   A little better.

Spent the next day just walking around to a lot of places.  Headed to Checkpoint Charlie which is a famous checkpoint from the era of the Berlin Wall.  They have a whole exhibition on the history of the wall and about people who tried to escape, etc.  Really great!  Went to the Jewish Museum which was really interesting and, of course, sad.  Couldn’t wait to get to Italy and see some happy things, but the museum was still great to see.  They have so many objects and artifacts of things that Jewish families gave to neighbors for safe-keeping that then go on to say that the family was never heard from again, which is the sad stuff.  Oyyyy.  Ended the day back in the “nice” area of Berlin and read outside for a while before heading to the airport to sleep!

Checkpoint Charlie

The Berlin airport, by the way…great place to sleep if you’re one of those people who likes to rough it.  I went to look for where the Easyjet counters were figuring that all of the airport sleepers would be there.  But it was just a big room, and I figured I’d go explore the other terminal.  GLAD I DID.  They have this fast-food diner place that’s out in the open…food service was closed when I got there, but the BOOTHS were available.  BOOTHS.  AKA BEDS.  Grabbed an actual chair and put it at the end of a booth for my feet, and slept like a baby until I checked in for my flight.  Berlin Schönfeld  Terminal D…check it out.

Milan update shortly!

Deuces