Photos : Germany, Berlin
Lorentran Trip/Country Ratings
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Public Transport
We arrived on the Friday night and made our way via public transport to the city. I have heard many people tout the German rail system is always on time and efficient. Obviously this was not correct for the day we arrived. From the airport it’s a 5-10 minute walk to the train station where you are confronted with the vending machines and a queue to get tickets. From memory it wasn’t too difficult to find what you needed but it did require some listening in to other people getting tickets plus some common sense, an understanding of German would have been best I suppose.
We guessed which platform and which tickets to purchase and we were on our way, for a few stops. The train stopped and everyone got off. We followed as we thought the signs on the platforms must be about engineering works or the like. There was and without knowing where to go we followed the crowed and got on a bus outside. At this point we had no idea where it was going or if it was going in the right direction or in fact if we had to pay. I figured if we’re going to get lost then we should at least be with other people. After 5 minutes the bus stopped and most people got off however we couldn’t see a train station. Things were looking interesting now! We asked the driver if there was a train and he pointed around the corner in front of us. Again I figured we should follow the crowd and we ended up on another station and waited for a train.
Our plan of taking the most direct route from the airport to the city took a slight turn. Rather than follow the one line to the town center we hopped on the next train and took another route where we would have to change trains. Our thinking was we might as well be sitting on a train as sitting on a platform. A couple of train changes and we were in the city center where our hotel was. We actually made very good time and were pleased with ourselves. The trains aren’t that modern or that fast but they seemed to be quite a few of them therefore getting around wasn’t too hard.
Room Please
The hotel has recently been renovated and deserves it’s 4 star rating however the rating doesn’t mean it has warmth or charm. Mind you I’m not complaining as it was very clean and for some reason we had an extra large room with a balcony overlooking an outdoor gallery. We weren’t sure if the lady at the front desk was trying to go the extra mile to get a tip from us when she said we couldn’t get to our room unassisted therefore she would take us. Out of the lift we saw our door (604) but we were told “See that’s not your door”. Ok so where is our door? It’s just around the corner however the door to our room has no number at all. Confused? The room 604 is actually a large meeting room with an adjoining door to our room.
Food
Our first experience with food was when we finally arrived at the stop near which our hotel for the weekend was located. Around 11:30pm we found a Japanese restaurant that was still open. Food and beer was very good and not just because we were hungry and tired.
We had brunch outside at a small cafe near the hotel. Berlin has many cafes/pubs that have outdoor seating so although it was a bit cool it was nice to sit outside for brunch. Again the food was good although not great and not the best value for money.
The pub food seems better value and the quality, whilst pub grub, is good and servings huge.
Never trust a restaurant that ‘specialises’ in Chinese, Thai and Indian. We had a huge meal at an Asian restaurant across from the hotel where the quality was ok but not great.
The Wall (a brief rundown)
Our travelling partners were again SaK (Shelly and Kenny) who arrived on Saturday afternoon from Scotland. We traipsed around our neighborhood walking towards the Berlin Wall. Like most cities there is a smattering of interesting buildings among drab buildings. To me the city still felt like it is being rebuilt or maybe it just never bothered to rebuild. I suppose since a huge amount of the city was razed pre WWII may have something to do with it. We met up with SaK early afternoon and headed to a Turkish restaurant for lunch. The food was better than brunch albeit at a price. No complaints as our bellies were full and the weather had become less grey.
After the Second World War Berlin, was divided into four sectors with each being controlled by one of the Allied powers i.e. Great Britain, France, the United States and the Soviet Union. In 1948, the eastern sector, controlled by the Soviets, was designated to become the capital of the German Democratic Republic however West Berlin remained under Allied rule.
Then in 1961 on the 13th of August the communist East German government started to build the Berlin Wall around the whole of the western sector. Its removal began in 1989 and the German reunification was officially concluded October 1990. Some parts of the wall have been preserved and remains standing. The remnants are called The East Side Gallery. It became a gallery when artists from around the world were invited to paint on it. The painting ranges from humorous to graffiti to poignant political/social commentary.
Who are you and what do you want?!
Maybe it’s just me but if you are in the customer service industry then you need customers to survive. Customers = good, no customer = begging on the street. We weren’t after a fancy meal and headed to a pub very close to our hotel that seemed clean and had a few people eating. We walked in to have everyone turn and stare us up and down then return to their conversations. Nothing knew for us so we sat at the bar to see what food was on offer and maybe get a drink. The ‘stalag 13’ 70 year old bar wench didn’t miss a beat and totally ignored us however did glance in our direction once or twice to make sure we weren’t stealing anything. Needless to say, we left without saying a word to Miss Volkswagen 1947.
It was a blessing in an old haggard disguise, as we walked across the road and found a wicked bar that had huge servings of food and friendly people. The picture might look bad but the food hit the spot and we ate too much.
Did you say you want a lobster for breakfast?
So whilst trying to walk off our huge dinner we spotted a sign for seafood. Of course we couldn’t pass that up and had another good meal. Okay so it may not bee Morton Bay Bugs but it was a very healthy size and a decadent way to start the day.
Checkpoint Charlie
Once refuelled we headed to Checkpoint Charlie that was the checkpoint controlled by the US Military Police from 1961 – 1990. It was the main crossing between East and West Berlin for most people except West Berliners who were not allowed to cross until 1963. In a strange twist, at least in my view, western diplomats and military personnel could not officially be checked under post-war agreements. I would have been worried about the military personnel carrying guns and exempt from being checked. Foreigners were however searched and often faced lengthy delays but generally granted access to the money they spent in East Berlin.
The checkpoint swelled from a simple checkpoint to a watchtower, barriers and a multi-lane shed where people and cars were checked. There was never a permanent building at the checkpoint and once the use of the checkpoint was finished the shed was removed. It remains vacant except for the wall museum.
It’s a stark reminder of how callous governments are and how pathetic humans are in their endeavors to maim, control or hurt each other. The wall museum was interesting and disturbing but overall enlightening.
Gateway and buildings
Saying See Ya Charlie we headed on a tour towards and around the Brandenburg gate (click to check out the details on Wikipedia) then to see The Reichstag. There is a huge glass dome atop the parliament building that you can walk around however we enjoyed the view from outside only. This link is from the government site showing parliament in session.
Bye Berlin
