5 Days in Berlin

Day One

I didn't really know what to expect with Berlin. My parents tried coming to Berlin before, but Covid restrictions cancelled those plans. I had been to Germany quite a few times but never in the capital city. My friend's daughter lives in Berlin, and I can see why she loves it: matcha everywhere. As soon as we arrived at the airport we weren't sure how to get to the city centre, but once we got on the train, we knew exactly where to go.

The guy sitting next to me on the train creeped me out. He was making this gargling noises and had his coat hanging on the seat in front of him and he was wiping his nose with his hands and wiping it all over his sleeves. He bit his nails so much it bled.

As soon as we got to our hotel we were happy. Our hotel room was lovely and I liked seeing all the beat statues everywhere. The highlight of the day was going on a boat trip that went through a lot of bridges throughout Berlin. I think we got to see a fair bit of the city this way.

Day Two

Mum picked a hotel with a swimming pool, but we only went once. It was a small pool, but it was big enough to swim around. There was a sauna and a steam room, but I didn't go in. The hotel had a steak house and a hot dog bar next to it, which I thought was nice. Whilst at the cafes and walking around, I had fresh mint tea with lemon, mint and honey. I also tried croissant sandwiches, which I thought was a nice idea. It gave me an idea for some continental breakfasts to make when I got home. We walked to the TV tower and booked breakfast there.

Of course, the breakfast was expensive, and it looked like an afternoon tea set, but I loved the aesthetics and the atmosphere, and we got to see a great view of Berlin.

There seems to be lots of choice for food and drink here. Even though it's a tourist city, there was plenty of space to move about. Berlin is one of the most walkable cities I've ever been to. Our hotel was close to the gates and there always seems to be something going on.

Day Three

The highlight for me was Checkpoint Charlie. We had been doing a lot of walking and discovered some great places like the Mall of Berlin. Walking to Aldi in Berlin felt like walking into a UK Waitrose. We went to the museum and even though the wall showed a lot of tragic stories, I was not expecting to see a car from Ukraine that survived a russian bomb. The vivid details of prison camps all over the world. It serves as a reminder of how the quest for peace continues, and how easy it is for humanity to go backwards.

Day Four

After so much walking and exploring, we went on a hop on/hop off bus trip. We didn't realise that we had already walked past so many things that he had driven past, but I felt being on the bus and listening to some of the stuff behind the buildings made me appreciate the place a lot more. It was also night to have my legs to have a rest too.

Day Five

Our last day in Berlin was short, but still very chilled. Public transport was efficient and on time. A lot more reliable than British trains. Public transport in Europe puts ours to shame. There were plenty of places to sit. I took a train from Banbury to Coventry the other day and I had to stand the whole way through.