Berlin - Going Home

01:33, walking down Weinmeisterstraße
   
I'm walking back to the hostel with a huge Dildo King poster in my handbag that says "Love me Ständer" (Ständer means erect penis, which is crude and disgusting and simply lovely) that Sou ripped off of a bridge for me as a souvenir.

Seeing Sou tonight was nice; we had a bloody laugh again and discovered a cute bar called Volksbar. The decor was really comfy and cushty, like an old attic/living room, and I instantly loved it.

I introduced Sou to the wonders of frozen strawberry daiquiris and vodka cranberry, I taught her more amazing British slang, and she said the best thing in relation to the old actors we fancy: "...Because good men are like good architecture - disgusting, horrible, and OLD." I honestly thought I was going to die from laughing so hard, because it's so damn true. I really love spending time with Sou and I'm so going to miss her when I go home. We took some really attractive selfies, and I took a photo of her inside a 'gay tunnel' we found:

I'm feeling pretty glum because I have to go back to England tomorrow, and I won't really have time to do anything tomorrow (also I can't be bothered to drag my stupid suitcase all over the city). I just want to stay here forever and live irresponsibly for my whole life.

14:21, Tegel Airport
   
It's just over three and a half hours until my flight leaves, which sucks. Getting here was a pain in the ass, but only because of my luggage and broken inner compass.

I've been to the souvenir shop and gotten a few bits and pieces. I got Ryan a statue of the Brandenburg Tor, a magnet and shot glass for Mum and Martin, and I bought myself a genuine chip from the Berlin Wall suspended in acrylic. I also got a tin of breath mints, not because of the mints, but because the tin has Berlin written on it with a silhouette of the city skyline. I plan to use it for painkillers when the mints are gone.

This airport is tiny and I'm so bored already.

18:09, somewhere over the Netherlands

Weirdly enough, as I was queuing to check my suitcase, I found myself in front of two boys from Swindon! What are the bloody chances? Of all the shit towns in England, they were from my shit town. They were gay and hilarious and we had some excellent chat before getting onto the flight. I love chance meetings and small-world moments! At the moment I can see cities out of the window because we're flying fairly low (I don't know why) and I finally got a window seat for once.

Horrible blurry phone picture out of the window.

We had the same wrap as I had on the way to Germany as a snack, and it was just as delicious as last time. I've also been coughing for a while now, but I think that's just the horrid dry air in here.

20:22, Heathrow main bus station
   
I am stuck here for two and a half hours. I tried to grab an earlier coach but it was full, which never happens and was super annoying. It's so cold in here, and there was just a lunatic yelling racial slurs at people. It was scary. God, I love being brought back to earth with a bang. By the time I get back home it'll be gone midnight, and I'm already exhausted and dehydrated. Also I feel like the coughing has gotten worse, but maybe I'm just being coated in London smog and I'm not used to it. I'm so glad for my portable charger or my phone would've given up the ghost on the plane and then I'd be really stuck because Mum is going to be picking me up from the coach stop when I get home.

Berlin - Final Day

14:38, on the 200 bus to Tiergarten

The first thing I visited this morning was the Topographie des Terrors. It's a museum that documents the Nazis rise to power, the different factions of the Nazi army, the camps, what happened throughout WW2, the liberation of the concentration camps and subsequent war crime trials. It was really interesting, but heavy (of course). Wasn't impressed with what looked like school-aged kids giggling around the place, though. Pretty disrespectful. There was also a photography exhibit on the Polish ghettos, which was a great illustration of the difficulties of life in the ghettos, and how the people strived to keep things as normal as possible within those communities. Pretty moving stuff.

I went over to Sea Life next, because I figured it would be light relief from the very serious place I had just visited. It was a nice little place, and walking around looking at the fish was really calming. There was this mirror maze thing at the end before the gift shop, and I've never been so messed up in my life. It took me forever to get through the thing because I was so scared of walking into the bloody mirrors. I emerged into the gift shop, blinking stupidly because my head was swimming. In the gift shop I bought a keyring with a tiny shark plush on it, and it's the cutest ever.

Photographed with a glass just to show how small it is.

There's a bit after the gift shop called the AquaDOM, which is basically a gigantic cylinder full of water with over 100 species of fish in it. You can go up in the middle of it in an elevator and see everything and it's really good! It was like being in the ocean without getting wet and without scary things like jellyfish interfering with you. It was really cool!

I needed some lunch at that point, and found a place across the road from Sea Life called Kantine Deluxe. It's exactly how it sounds - it looks like a bougie canteen. You order on a tablet and then collect your food from the open kitchen. It was really nice in there. I had seasoned chips and a currywurst, followed by a creme brulee. Absolutely delicious!

I'm now on the bus to the Tiergarten - I'm thinking of taking a walk to burn off lunch. Don't know if I'll even make it though as the bus is at a standstill and loads of police vehicles keep going by (I think there's a politician in the city or something). Plus it's really cold.

Sou and I have made plans to meet up again this evening because it's my last night in Berlin, and we're going to have a few drinks to see me off. It's going to be fun, but I feel really sad because I kind of don't ever want to leave.

16:01, Heinrich Heine Straße station
   
I didn't go to the Tiergarten because of the ridiculously stressful traffic (the bus stopped like three stops early because of the whole politician-in-town thing so I would've had to walk for ages in the freezing cold to get there). It was a shame because I wanted to see the Tiergarten, and I probably won't get a chance to now, but it's on my itinerary for next time I'm here!

I went to go see where the Kit Kat Club (yes, it was named for the club from Cabaret); I could only see the entrance because it wasn't open yet, but it was interesting to see the location. It was very east-Berlin. I would've gone out to the club but you have to dress in fetish style or similar and I have nothing even slightly outrageous with me. It'd be interesting to go there properly some day.

Now I'm on the way back to the hostel so I can freshen up and get ready for meeting Sou later on.

Berlin - Hard Rock & Old Ballrooms

13:25, The Circus Hostel
   
Had a really slow start this morning - I'm not even out of bed yet. I just feel ridiculously tired; I doubt I'm going to get much done today.

14:21, on the U9 to Kurfürstendamm
   
Something I find really cute about the transport system in Berlin is that it works on an honour system. You get yourself a ticket and then you're able to come and go in underground stations, trams and buses (although buses are a bit stricter about checking tickets). There are plain clothes conductors wandering around checking tickets at random, but for the most part you're free to get anywhere with minimal hassle. This is so different to London or NYC, where you need to get through a ticket barrier before you can even access a train platform. If you're caught without a ticket in Berlin, you face a really steep fine so everyone just honours it and gets the correct ticket for their travel. I have a week pass in my bag and I've only had to show it once so far.

Another note on the Berlin underground system: if you look at a map of the transport routes, it's eerily reminiscent of the London Underground in its layout. However, the stations and trains themselves remind me more of the New York subway (open platforms, wide trains with way more space, etc). Where it differs, though, is that it's spectacularly clean. Coming off the London Underground? Prepare to have to blow all of the soot and dirt from your nose (a phenomenon Caz and I affectionately nickname 'Tube Bogies'), and your fingernails will be similarly blackened. Here in Berlin, that doesn't happen. In fact, the whole city is very clean and tidy. The parts that Sou considered dirty or unkempt were still nicer than a lot of areas of London, it's so bizarre. Pleasant though.

Anyway, these were just some thoughts I was having on my way to a (very) late lunch at Berlin's Hard Rock Cafe!

15:33, Hard Rock Cafe
   
On the difference between east and west Berlin: I'm probably the furthest west that I've been in the city so far, and the difference is quite striking. As I travelled here on the U-Bahn, I noticed that each station got shinier and even nicer looking. The streets are almost completely free of graffiti and there aren't really many posters stuck up on all available wallspace like there is in the east. The buildings are taller, more modern and imposing here. There's a distinct lack of dreadful GDR architecture. I feel slightly alien in this nice, bright area. Which reminds me of something hilarious that Sou showed me last night. She wanted to show me a hideous Soviet-era mural on a building; this building was dark and grey, and across the road from it was a huge, brightly-lit shopping centre. The juxtaposition was just hilarious. Karl Marx would have hated it.

16:37, on the U8 to Rosenthaler Platz
   
A man is leaning against the glass partition next to me and all I can see is this:

16:45, The Circus Hostel
     
I took a look at the 'blue church' at Kurfürstendamm before going to the Hard Rock Cafe. Basically, it's ruins of a 19th century church, which has since had modern additions built around it. It's been preserved in its ruined state, and looks amazing.

   
Hard Rock was really good; I was sitting below a bass originally belonging to Mike Dirnt from Green Day, and had a good view of the TV screen that was playing music videos. My waitress was really nice and bubbly and the service was quick but not rushed. I had chips with a garlic/parmesan seasoning on them (absolutely delicious!), and a burger with three different types of cheeses and bacon in it. For some reason, my burger came with a knife stabbed through it like Emperor Caligula had prepared it. The lunch was really tasty, and the place had a nice atmosphere.

   
I also found the Paperchase concession store inside the Karstadt (huuuge shopping centre on Kurfürstendamm), which was amusing. I snapped a quick photo to send to work.

Now I'm shuffling some things around, because I don't know if I'm going to make it to the many bars I was thinking of visiting. I don't know if I'm quite ballsy enough to go to them all on my own. I may have to reserve some of them for the next time I come to Berlin - maybe I'll be a bit braver.

22:02, Katz und Maus bar
   
I popped over to Auguststraße to see the Clärchens Ballhaus. It's a dance and live music venue, but upstairs they've kept all of the old 1920s decor in the ballroom. They still host theatre and events up there but, when I went this evening, there were three other people besides me having a little peek. I'm glad I went when there wasn't something going on, because it was so quiet and eerie and just added to the atmosphere of the place. It even smelled old, and the chandelier and the huge cracked mirrors really gave the room a Phantom of the Opera style vibe. I instantly loved it.

   
Afterwards, I came back to the hostel and down here to the Katz & Maus bar, for a few beverages. It's really cool in here - nice decor, down to earth atmosphere, and delicious drinks. There are some really loud blokes in here, including a couple of English guys that I've been chatting to. I did want to go out to other places, but I lacked the courage. So I think I'll just have a few more drinks here and then I only have to get the elevator up to my room.

Berlin - Museums, Mostly

08:30, The Circus Hostel

I ended up going to bed quite early last night; I was really dehydrated and my head was killing me. I'm now kicking myself because I found out that Sou's coworkers (whom I met yesterday evening) put aside a ticket and a free drinks wristband for me to use at the party they were at last night. Also found out that the coworkers said I was really cute - awww!

Anyway, I've just woken up and I feel much better now that I've had a good nights sleep (even though it took me a while to drift off because of the loud Americans being really inconsiderate again).

21:23, The Circus Hostel

Weather was pretty bleak today, very grey and drizzly and cold. I powered through though because I had a lot to see! I started the day in my hostel cafe (Katz & Maus) having a 'Berliner' breakfast - basically cold meats and cheeses and bread rolls. Delicious!

My first port of call was Checkpoint Charlie, the U.S. crossing point between east and west Berlin that was established during the Cold War. Obviously it's not a real checkpoint any more, since the Wall came down, but it remains as a point of historical interest. I was quite amused by the fact that they were selling replica Soviet army hats and gas masks and stuff. I didn't dare look at the prices, though I was really tempted to get Liam a Soviet officer's cap.

I then attempted to go to a place called Kraftwerk, which is a gallery/art exhibit space inside an old disused factory. I found the factory, but I couldn't find how to get through the gates, which was annoying. I then realised that I was in what looked like a really rough area which was.. Discomforting. Also, the inside of my nostrils was stinging from the cold at this point.

I figured out that I could walk to the East Side Gallery from where I was. The walk was interesting - there were broken windows and graffiti everywhere (as well as what looked like a shanty town with houses made from corrugated iron and bits of board). But I still didn't feel really unsafe, which was weird. The area seemed rough, but it was mostly deserted and pretty interesting to look at.

The gallery was fascinating. It's literally just legal graffiti and murals on a big remaining section of the Berlin Wall. It has a lot of character and is very interesting and colourful.

I had some time before I was due at the Neues Museum, so I went over to the Ramones museum. That was SO cool. I can't believe how much information and memorabilia they've managed to fit into a fairly small space. They must've gotten so many donations from people because there were tonnes of gig posters, tour itineraries, ticket stubs (including VIP/all-access passes), news articles, photographs, and badges. Not to mention all of the signed stuff, guitars, pieces of clothing, and Joey Ramone's entire home entertainment system! They had live Ramones recordings playing too, which just added to the brilliance. Any Ramones fan in Berlin should make a stop here (it's only 3,50€ to get in!).

 At around 2pm, I made my way over to the Neues Museum, and saw the incredible Berlin Cathedral on the way there. I decided not to go in as I had a Slipknot shirt on and it was Sunday - it seemed a bit tasteless. I would like to explore the crypt in there next time I go to Berlin though!

The museum has a huge Ancient Egypt collection. I enjoyed wandering through the rooms and seeing everything. But the very best bit was the bust of Nefertiti. No cameras were allowed in the room where it was, which was a shame, but it was still breathtaking. There was a reverent hush in the room as people stood and just stared. It was hard to take your eyes off of the bust - it was so captivating and so sublimely beautiful. Her eyes seemed to pierce yours when you look at her face. Amazing! I got some postcards and a little statue of Anubis at the gift shop.

I met Sou again this afternoon and we spent nearly 4 hours walking and talking. I was teaching her some British slang and she taught me how to say cunt in German, which of course is the only German I will ever need. We also talked about August Diehl and Alexander Fehling and how much we hate (love) them. She has also now gotten me into ugly GDR architecture - it's so remarkably hideous, and I love it very much. An example of it is this wonderful fountain that she showed me:

as well as the Weltzeituhr (world clock):

By the time I got back here, my feet and legs were killing me and I was about ready to collapse. I really enjoyed myself though - Sou is so fun to talk to, and we had such a laugh. I've also realised that we haven't yet had a selfie together! Hopefully we'll have time to rectify that before I leave.

Berlin Sights

07:00, The Circus Hostel

Last night was good - I went out to Lebensstern. It was quite easy to get there and I didn't even feel that nervous being out at night. The city is super relaxed.

The bar was really nice (apart from the fact that they allow smoking so my hair and dress smelled when I got out), and there's a canvas on the wall that has a note from Tarantino written on it! So cool!

I had a couple of drinks and then left because the drinks were expensive (and strong!) and I felt a bit awkward and lonely. I realised just how little I know when it comes to German and I'm too shy to speak it at the moment.

The journey back to the hostel went smoothly and I managed to order from German Dominos - to be honest, the pizza wasn't that satisfying and today I feel really bloated. But I don't know how much I will be eating today so I can be sustained by the questionable late night pizza.

I'm feeling slightly grouchy because some loud Americans kept waking me up last night and I hate them.


19:55, The Circus Hostel

TODAY WAS SO BRILLIANT. God I love Berlin already! Despite being ridiculously tired, I did so much and walked loads.

My first stop of the day was the Brandenburger Tor. I cocked up getting there a little bit but fixed it pretty easily. As I was walking upstairs out of the U-Bahn station, I thought "Hmm, I wonder if I'll be able to see the gate from here-" BOOM. There it was, right in front of me. Nothing prepared me for how huge it actually is, it's just amazing.

Next, I had an appointment at the Reichstag to go and see the huge dome on top of the building. This dome was like something out of a sci-fi movie, all glass and mirrors and metal. There was a walkway that allowed you to walk right to the top of the dome, and the view was incredible. The roof had a round open bit in it, so I could look right out at the bright blue sky (the weather was just beautiful all day; blue skies, sun, cold breeze). It was a good way to kick off my Berlin holiday, to see the whole city from so high up.

I made a quick stop to look at the Hauptbahnhof (the main train station in Berlin) and it's another futuristic looking place as well as being absolutely massive. I got a bit lost on my way to my next destination, but it was quite nice to walk leisurely around some quieter streets and I soon reoriented myself. There's lots of clear signage here, which is really helpful.

The next stop was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The sculpture is really striking - at the beginning, you can see over most of the blocks but as you walk amongst them, the ground slopes down until the slabs tower above you. It's a really poignant expression of the oppression and suffering of the Jewish people and I was quite moved by it. I was baffled at tourists laughing and taking smiley selfies here - I felt that was sort of in poor taste.

I also popped across the road to a singular tall slab, a sculpture dedicated to the homosexual victims of the Holocaust. Knowing how accepting the city of Berlin is now, the sculpture really struck a chord and serves as an example of progression and positive change.

For me, the next logical stop was the Führerbunker, the site where the man who orchestrated all this suffering finally died. The underground bunker is long gone, sealed up when anything of use or significance was collected and documented. Now, the site is marked with a single noticeboard with information on the bunker, Hitler's atrocities and the events leading to his death. Standing above the spot where the world was finally rid of him was incredibly powerful.

A complete juxtaposition to the sombre mini-tour I'd just taken was my next stop - the Berlin Mall. I've never seen anything like this crazy place - it's huge and the decor threw me for a loop. Most of it was dark wood, marble floors, posh comfy couches. But there's a floor mostly dedicated to kids' stores and the entire area looks like it was designed by a mad toddler. Astonishing. I got some fries and a coke from McDonalds ("Ich liebe es!") to recharge and took advantage of the mall's free wifi for a bit. Feeling refreshed, I continued on with my adventures.

Fassbender & Rausch was next on the itinerary. A chocolatiers established in 1863, their chocolate shop also has a cafe/restaurant, as well as a dessert stand. Walking in there was like walking into heaven. Huge chocolate sculptures were everywhere I looked, the shop was massive, and a lovely subtle chocolate smell hung in the air.

A chocolate Reichstag!

I was just transfixed. They had a guestbook that I simply signed with "WOW!!" I bought myself some dark chocolate sticks in a fancy tin that has the Berlin skyline on it. I also made the woman at the till laugh, in German too! She was having trouble with the till and was apologising and saying, "Ein moment, bitte." When it started working again, I pointed at it and said, "Dumm maschine!" and she laughed and said, "Ja, genau!" - I was so pleased with myself.

I headed over to Potsdamer Platz, in preparation for meeting up with Sou. I walked down the Boulevard der Stars (basically Berlin's Walk of Fame), and sought out Christoph Waltz's star because of course he has a star. I kept my eyes open in Potsdamer Platz just in case, like, George Clooney walked by.

Sou came to meet me back at the Mall of Berlin (I had gone back to sit down and to have wifi). She is so tiny and ridiculously cute. We spent some time hugging and squealing because we couldn't believe that we were finally meeting each other. We sat and talked for ages and it was great because we were immediately comfortable with each other. I'm so glad I got to meet her!

We went over to the posh hotel where Sou had to give some French actors their tickets for that night's premiere. For a while though, we stood outside right near the red carpet and the Berlinale Palast; the atmosphere was buzzing and it was cool to be standing amongst producers and camera crews (even if I did feel spectacularly out of place!).

Inside, we were in this super posh bar area with loads of glamorous people hanging around. I was being Sou's moral support while she was bombarded by people who were collecting their tickets. I came back to the hostel shortly before she had to leave to go to the premiere. And here I am.

Nach Deutschland!

14:15, 37000ft above Germany

It's approximately 35 minutes until we land in Berlin - the flight feels like it's gone really quickly (even if it took forever to get off the runway). Airport was a smooth ride, a lot of waiting but I'd rather arrive early.

Quite pleased with myself because I ate a ridiculously complicated wrap that the flight attendants offered. It had Harissa chicken, a yoghurt and mint dressing, yellow pepper, spinach and pomegranate kernels. I struggled a bit with the texture but it tasted so brilliant that I managed to power through.

We're currently flying over Hannover (now I've got that stupid Ruthless Rulers song from Horrible Histories in my head), and I'm so ridiculously excited. I love flying, I'm finally going to Berlin and things have gone really well so far! Little bit nervous about navigating my way to the hostel but I have it all written down and it seems pretty simple.

Also before we took off, someone was coughing (really violent/phlegmy coughs, totally gross) and this hilarious guy across the aisle was like, "An' I thought my runny nose was bad. Fackin' 'ell!"


18:09, The Circus Hostel

Of course I got off the bus too early and had to re-route. Quite proud that I managed to get here in one piece.

The receptionist at the hostel was super nice (and super cute) and I was welcomed and put at ease straight away. My room is beautiful and my bed is a French daybed. I nearly exploded because those beds are my favourite ever.

I'm trying to pluck up to the courage to go out to Lebensstern this evening. It's the bar where Tarantino filmed one of my favourite movie scenes of all time (the tavern scene in Inglourious Basterds). Going out in the evening in an unfamiliar city is always nerve-wracking but I figure if I can do NYC, I can do Berlin.