Berlin, Germany

I arrived in Germany at around 7pm and took the train to the main train station, Hauptbahnhof. It was really weird coming to Germany after being here back in 2000 on a high school exchange. On my exchange I was is Wurzburg which is down south near Frankfurt so i never made it to Berlin and was so excited to finally see it.

The new and very impressive Hauptbahnhof




I have not spoken German since high school but was really surprised how much I could still understand. Once at the train station I booked a train ticket to Paris using my Eurail pass. Because I wanted to leave the next night I had to upgrade to first class as the train was full. But I needed to get to Paris to Meet Haley and Pia (from High school) for Haley's birthday on the 31st July. After organising my ticket all in German might I add I went to the information desk to work out some accommodation for the night.




It is amazing how things can just fall in to place. The information woman had one place in this hostel sightly out of the city for 10 Euro a night. Which is really cheap for Western Europe! I headed out to the hostel and was meet by the lovely Canadian hostel owner. She had just moved to Berlin with her new husband to start up this hostel business. She was really friendly.



That night I had dinner with a few of the others from the hostel and then had an early one. I was exhausted after all the partying in Tallinn.


The next day I got up early and checked out and went to the train station to leave my bags for the day in a locker while I went sightseeing.


Berlin was just as I had imagined it. I went to the Bundestag, the Brandenburg Tor and Check point Charlie just to name a few sights. While at Check point Charlie I called my Dad and sister for the first time this trip. It was great to talk to them!

The Bundestag with its glass cupola, which would have had a nice view if the weather was better.



The Brandenburg Gate built as the cities gate-cum-triumphal arch but now stands at the fulcrum between the form East and West Berlin.
The very contentious Jewish Memorial.

The notorious Check point Charlie, the most infamous crossing point from West to East

After our chat it started raining and did not stop for the rest of the day. I tried to keep sight seeing and followed the path of the course of the form wall but ended up to wet and cold so called it a day early.

Some of the remaining wall

That evening I catch my train to Paris. Being First class was great!!! I shared the cabin with one other girl and slept the whole way in my comfortable bed. In the morning I was woken with a free breakfast! Yeah what service!