Now where did we leave off? Okay...
So Saturday morning, we make it to Berlin about 11:00. (If you are thinking that doesn't add up from the other blogs, remember to throw a time change or so in there.) But that time, we had undoubtedly missed the Insiders Berlin Bike Tour that we had booked. But there were no worries. Because every little thing is gonna be alright*. So after figuring out how to navigate the Berlin train/subways system, we made out way to our hotel. The lovely--for the (cheap) price we payed-- Winter's Berlin Hotel. Upon arrival, the front deck couldn't find our reservation. Don't worry, every little thing is gonna be alright*. But luckily after 15 minutes of frantic miscommunication, we finally figured it out and where given our ginormous key to our room. It was that smallest room ever with two single beds, a sink, and a TV, but in my eyes, I was living large! Being able to afford my own hotel room is quite a feat, you know! Yay! We have a place to sleep... Not let's get the heck out of here and go explore Berlin!
*One of my new phrases to live by.
So we hopped back on the subway and took the train until we thought we might be in the middle of the city. And what a good stop we picked to get off on! That's what she said. The first thing I saw as I emerged from the underground* was a huge snow slide of sorts. Turns out, it was a slope of artificial snow that you could sled down. And it was right in the middle of a street fair. There were small rides for kids and food stands everywhere! Everywhere I turned I pretty much saw something that I wanted to stuff my face with... Crepes, donuts, bratwurst, and a million other fried things. Bliss! But wanting to be as "German" as I could, I opted for a brat and a beer. And yes, it was wonderful. And since our stomachs were no longer running on empty, it was time to move on...
*Underground = The German Subway
So we just walked in the first general direction that we thought my lead somewhere. The first thing we came across was a display of the Berlin Wall. There were portions of the wall on display and (men dressed as) Western and Soviet soldiers giving details and stamping passports like it was done at Checkpoint Charlie when the wall was up. And don't you know I got mine stamped!!--Cause I had been so disappointed to find out when traveling by train in the EU, they don't stamp. After taking in the portions of the wall, the headed on. A few blocks later, we came upon the The Field of Stelae. It is a Holocaust Memorial for all the Jews that died during WW11. (If you look at my pictures, it is the place that looks like rows and rows of cement boxes that vary in height and slope up and down as they go.) It was a somber place given it's meaning, and I just couldn't help to think about what it would have been like to live in Nazi Germany. ...To walk the same streets as the Nazi officers and the Gestapo. ...To live under Hitler. I mean, what would I have thought about it all?! Yeah...
After our photo shoot of the cement slabs, we kept walking. It wasn't long before we came up the Brandenburger Gate. I was infatuated with it. From the moment I saw it til the moment I finally tore myself away from it, my camera was flashing. There is just something about being amongst so much history that captivates me. And behind the Gate is where the Berlin Wall stood. So that, too, gave that spot so much significance. Can you imagine being there in that time, divided from the other side of your country?
After that, we opted to keep walking in the same direction we had been headed the whole time, and when we came to the corner, there was the Reichstag. It is a German parliament building that was built in the late 1800s. The Reichstag was massive, intricate, and beautiful. I can't help, but I love old, historic buildings! There is just something of awe about being able to live and walk amongst it all in today's time. Unfortunately though, with evening approaching, we only had time to explore the outside and did not get a chance to tour the inside.
About this point, my first beer was starting to wear off and I was in urgent need of a restroom. So choosing the first place we saw, we walked into a cafe just across the road. Having no idea what to do next and trying to figure out where we were going to catch the Insider's Berlin Pub Crawl Tour (that we had previously booked), we chilled and enjoyed our second round of beers of the evening. Then we found the nearest subway and headed to the meet-up spot of our Pub Crawl Tour. While on the subway, I noticed many people just openly carried their Becks, a popular German beer, with them wherever they were going on the train. When in
Now let's count. That's one, two, three (big) beers already in the evening...
Well, word to the wise: There is no need to pregame (with three beers) for the Insider's Berlin Pub Crawl.
When we finally meet up with the tour group, I was making friends left and right. The couple from Chicago, the group of Aussies, the America soldiers stationed in Germany, the people from Ohio and Rhode Island... We had quite the group! And off we went to our first bar... Included in the tour package, drink specials and free shots. As if I needed them... Then on to the second bar... Caipirinhas and shots... Things got fuzzy... Then on to the third...
And the night goes on...
Basically, what I learned (mostly the next morning after waking up with a raging headache from Hell) is that I managed to grace everyone with my presence at all 5 bars of the Insider's Berlin Pub Crawl--although I only remember three.
And that leads us to my next word of caution...
Caution: If you drink before you start the Insider's Berlin Pub Crawl, you will (pay for a taxi back to your hotel and then) lose your wallet. You will also lose your glasses. There is no use in asking how--seeing as how you weren't wearing them... It will just happen. And there will be nothing that you can do when it is done.
So yeah, that is what happens when you adopt the song Act a Fool by Lil John as the theme song to your day*. You get too crunk in Berlin, and you loose things... But what a way to end the night--I think.
*As referred to in a previous post.
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