Erin: Day 6: Berlin, Germany

Day two found us waking up late… Really, really late.  We didn’t get up and leave the hotel until 1pm our time!  We were going to wake up nice and early and go to a concentration camp but we decided that we needed more rest (we’ve been going non-stop really) so we slept in and finally pulled ourselves out of bed with the thought of going to see Schloss Charlottenberg - a palace here in Berlin.

Grabbing some Starbucks, a hotel umbrella and a map, we headed to the metro and took the metro to the closest stop near the palace.  We walked a short way and finally came to the palace.  The Schloss Charlottenberg is a grandiose palace that sits in an assuming neighborhood in Berlin.

The Schloss Charlottenberg in Berlin, Germany.

The Schloss Charlottenberg in Berlin, Germany.

The Schloss Charlottenberg in Berlin, Germany.

We went inside, grabbed our tickets and two audio tour guides and set off for a few hours wandering around the palace and taking in its splendor.  While we weren’t allowed to take photos inside the palace, I can tell you that it’s a gorgeous place and is deserving of a visit should you ever find yourself in Berlin.

Trina pretending to talk on a hot pink payphone…

After the palace, we went to find Checkpoint Charlie to pay it a visit as well. On our way there, we came out through a beautiful part of Berlin near Museum Island.  There were these musicians playing this beautiful music and it really, really lent itself to the authentic European feeling.

The musicians playing here were fabulous.

Checkpoint Charlie is where the US Army setup a checkpoint to monitor activity going in and out of a certain area.  It still stands and the original signs warning people not to carry arms and to obey traffic rules are still there.

Checkpoint Charlie - where the US Army setup a checkpoint in Berlin during the war.

Checkpoint Charlie - where the US Army setup a checkpoint in Berlin during the war.

Once we saw that, we wandered back to the hotel, dropped our bags and went to Vapiano to eat some good Italian food.  Now, I find myself back at the hotel to settle in with my Starbucks to do some work.  Berlin has been amazing…  A great place to take in some rest time as it has a laid back feel to it.  The people here are generally friendly and everyone in the touristy areas speak English really well.

I’m taking some time to reflect on everything too and it’s amazing…  You don’t realize how much there is to see in the world until you get out into it…  It’s fabulous and the trip is really shaping up to be everything I thought it would and more.

Technorati Tags: Berlin, Germany, Erin Blaskie, Trina Lamarche, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, Checkpoint Charlie, Schloss Charlottenberg

Erin: Day 5: Bus Ride to Berlin & Sightseeing in Berlin, Germany

After our 11 hour bus ride from Amsterdam to Berlin, Trina and I were ready to get exploring!  We arrived at the train station, picked up a metro card and hopped on our train toward Potsdamer Platz.  We came up into a very modern area of Berlin.  This area, Potsdamer Platz, was built up after the fall of the Berlin Wall.  There is an Imax cinema here, shopping, a few hotels (we’re in the Marriott) and of course, a Starbucks.

Potsdamer Platz - the area of Berlin that was built up after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

We went to the hotel first to see if we could get our room (it was 10am - super early so I wasn’t hopeful).  Of course, we couldn’t but the concierge did offer to take our bags for us which we allowed.  Carrying 20lb backpacks is not always fun!  The funniest part though…  The bellman almost didn’t let us into the hotel - seriously.  We went up to the door and he gave me an odd look like, “You want in the hotel” and he asked me if we were staying here (without opening the door).  I said, “Yes, we’ve already made a reservation - the room is paid for” and he still wouldn’t budge.  I finally said, “Please let us inside - I’ve already paid for our room” and he opened the door.  I guess backpackers wanting into 5 star hotels is a bit odd over here…  Most of them resort to hostels I suppose.

Once we dropped our bags down, we then grabbed a map and with some information from the guy working behind the desk, we set out into the streets of Berlin.  Our first stop was to the historical and much-needed Starbucks outside of our hotel…  Ok, so it’s not historical but believe me - we were in DIRE need!  We hadn’t seen a Starbucks since France!  So, we grabbed some coffees and headed outside… First stop was the Berlin Wall.

The Berlin Wall…  A section of it that still stands in Potsdamer Platz.

The Berlin Wall up close and personal.

It was neat to see it and it was also somewhat sobering.  Reading the story and taking in what Berlin would have been like before the fall of the wall was very unsettling.  It’s hard to imagine a city separated by a wall and a government that persecuted those who tried to cross it.

We then walked down the pretty path to the Brandenburg Gate.  The Brandenburg Gate is the quintessential symbol of Berlin I have learned… even though I thought it was the Berlin Wall.  Even though the wall is now fallen, I still think it’s THE thing people go to Berlin to see.

Walking toward the Brandenburg Gate.

The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany.

From the gate, we walked to Reichstag, Berlin’s parliament buildings.  It has been rebuilt a few times and has this pathway that you can walk around on top of it to see the skyline of Berlin.  We opted not to and instead, we just left the Reichstag grounds to head toward Museum Island.

Reichstag - Berlin’s Parliament Building.

On Museum Island, we decided to go to the Deutsch Historic Museum (I know I’m mixing up the English translation with the German one but c’est la vie… Oh, another language!) and there we saw a lot of Dutch and German history including information and artifacts from both World Wars as well as Nazi paraphernilia.  It was a lot to take in but it was nice to look around at all of the different eras.

Nazi uniforms in the Dutch Historic Museum in Berlin, Germany.

Hitler’s desk in the Dutch Historic Museum in Berlin, Germany.

We also came across Berlin’s National Library which was gorgeous…  It contained this little courtyard and there were gorgeous flowers growing up the walls crossed with vines…  We sat on a bench in the courtyard and just breathed it all in.

The courtyard in Berlin’s National Library.

After the museum, we headed to the metro and took it as close as we could to the center of Tiergarten, Berlin’s largest and most famous park, and visited a statue in the center of a roundabout.  Getting to the center was neat - you could take underground tunnels which you entered through what looked like a vault or a mauseoleum.  A little creepy but very neat once inside.  Of course, walking through it wasn’t complete without Dracula noises.

A mausoleum-like entrance into a tunnel.  Tunnel takes you underground and to the center of a roundabout.

Coming back out of the tunnels, we then walked through Tiergarten back toward the Brandenburg Gate.  Once there, we headed to the right and stopped at the Jewish Holocaust Memorial.  It is a large area of land with various sized blocks on it made of stone.  While walking back, we also ran into the Politzie - German for Police.  Trina wanted a photo with them, so she asked and they obliged.  People here get a kick out of us Canadian girls!

The Jewish Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, Germany.

Trina with the Politzie in Germany.

Technorati Tags: Berlin, Germany, Erin Blaskie, Trina Lamarche, virtual assistant, virtual assistance, Europe, European vacation, European adventure, backpacking through Europe, Brandenburg Gate, Politzie, Reichstag, Dutch Historic Museum, Dutch Historical Museum, Tiergarten, Museum Island, Unter den Linden, Potsdamer Platz