Ahoj from Prague!

It has been about a week since I started my trip, and in true fashion, I am behind on blogging. I have been taking notes on my phone, so if these post feel a little robotic you can chalk it up to me racking my brain of details when I don’t have wifi on public transportation.

Sunday

After a difficult layover in London, I finally made it to Berlin! It was rainy and chilly but thankfully cleared up during the afternoon. I checked in the hostel then trekked around. Since it was Sunday mostly everything was closed, including all the shops in Alexanderplatz, so I grabbed a coffee and just enjoyed the day. I always forget how much of the city shuts down on Sundays–there were only a few places open to explore. 

My first impression of Berlin is that it’s artsy in a grungy way. There’s so much graffiti all over the place even outside the East End Gallery that I kept snapping pictures along the way. I think the cold, rainy weather also added to this jaded ambiance. 

I haven’t tasted much German food in my life, but I was on a mission to try some authentic fare. I didn’t realize that Berlin is known for its international cuisine, so a lot of the highest-rated restaurants were for pho, Indian, or even burgers! If you are, however, like me and refuse to eat ramen for your first German meal, then you MUST try Schnitzelei Mitte.

I had a wonderful experience there that made me want to return for every meal. The servers were extremely friendly and guided you through the German menu with spot-on suggestions. They also gave me a welcome beer—how cool is that?!—and beer bread, so I’m clearly sold on this place. 

For the main course, I had a traditional wiener schnitzel with spaetzle and a mushroom cream sauce along with a cucumber salad. And to top it all off I had a Berlin spritz. It was like an Italian spritz, but with a Berlin beer. It was delicious. If you’re not into trying a mammoth-sized meal as I did, they also have a variety of traditional German tapas, so you can get a taste of everything. 

Monday

My early start was slightly delayed by jet lag. I fell asleep at 9 PM, woke up at 2 AM, and was awake until 4 AM. I somehow still managed to make it out of the hostel relatively early with a very kind Canadian traveler.

We stopped at the train station to have breakfast. She introduced me to Haferkater–a small, Scottish porridge shop in the Friedrichstr. Station. I enjoyed the goat cheese and pear porridge with a latte. Now, I was a bit hesitant to have cheese in my porridge since I associate it as sweet, but I very happy with my decision. It was creamy and had a good mix of savory flavors from the thyme and other spices. 

Unfortunately, I wasn’t as prepared for this euro trip as I had originally thought. I’d been tracking the weather and it seemed relatively warm (in the upper 40s) but that quickly turned to a blustery chill for most of the morning, leaving me on a day-long question to find a coat. In between my shopping escapades, I saw the wild art of the east side gallery wall. This is when I parted ways with my new friend to venture back into Berlin solo. 

I visited the Memorial for the Murdered Jews, slipped through the mud in Tiergarten, walked through the Brandenburg Gate, and to the top of the Berlin Cathedral.  

Again, I combined my lunch and dinner, but this time at an incredible Italian restaurant called Pasta and Passione. The homemade pasta, spicy peppers, and pungent garlic took me right back to Italy. Of course, I needed a spritz too!

After lunch, I continued to walk through different neighborhoods and shops. I did end up finding a coat at the end of the day only to get lost for almost two hours. Apparently, there are two St. Christopher hostels in Berlin and both have a bar called Belushies out front. Guess which hostel I went to? Yup. The wrong one! I was pretty chilled and beat after walking 11 miles, so I snagged a hot chocolate and got into bed. But remember my good friend jet lag? Yeah, I didn’t actually fall asleep until after 3 AM. Just in time for my 7 AM wake up to tour the Reichstag (parliament building)!

Tuesday 

With three or four hours of sleep under my belt, I headed to my chilly morning tour of The Reichstag. At just 100 years old the modern dome offers panoramic views of Berlin that are quite lovely even on the gloomiest of mornings. If you do plan on visiting, then make sure you book your free tour ahead of time and bring your passport!

I grabbed another bowl of porridge and a latte to go and headed on the train to Potsdam to visit the Sanssouci Palace. It’s a UNESCO and World Heritage Site. Also, a must-see in Europe! Too bad I really didn’t see much of it.

Apparently, most of the places around Sanssouci are closed in winter. I probably should’ve done my research on that…I snagged a quick snack at the nearby Mövenpick Restaurant and waited for my tour. More on that in 2.5 seconds. 

All-in-all, Potsdam was pretty much a wash. Literally and figuratively. I missed the next tour in English, so instead of trying to kill even more time there, I called it quits and headed back to town. That’s when it started raining. I walked around for about an hour, popping into some shops and finally breaking down and buying an umbrella. Potsdam is a very sweet town, but it definitely would’ve been more charming on a warm day when more of the places were open and everything is well… greener. Next time I visit will definitely be later in the Spring or Summer so that I can enjoy the lush gardens at the peak of their loveliness. 

Upon my return to Berlin, I decided to make the best out of the rainy day and visit some museums. First, I went to the Neues Museum. My favorite parts included the Nefertiti bust (you’re not allowed to take pictures) and the Golden Hat that reminded me of a fancy version of the Hogwarts sorting hat. I also popped over to the Alte Nationalgalerie and was a zombie throughout the galleries. I decided to leave just in time to get hit with more rain and wind. Spring is not kind here.

With my overnight bus to Munich only hours away, I decided to have one more dinner in Berlin at Shisho Burger. I feasted on the chili lemon burger and sweet potato fries while listening to a mixture of other patrons speaking German and Drake bumping over the speakers. 

Auf Wiedersehen, Berlin!