Hello Germany, my first ever experience of an European country. Was I impressed? Oh gosh, yes! Was I excited? Definitely! Albeit I may have mentioned it to some of you closest ones that Berlin was more like work, and the destination after that was truly vacation, now that I'm back and missing it, it was definitely still a memorable experience.
Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. The largest city in the country, Berlin has a population of 3.4 million within its city limits. About one third of Berlin is composed of forests, parks, gardens, rivers and lakes.
Facts aside, I would say that it is a beautiful city and it is so easy to get about.
We stayed in Mercure an der Charite in Invalidenstraße and I liked the fact that right next door to it is the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Faculty of Humboldt University. And just after that, the Museum of Natural History!
I also love it that there are a lot of old buildings around, hence beautiful architecture.
On our first night here, we went out and ended up in Galeries Lafayette for dinner. It's a shopping mall, and it has one of the most gorgeous food courts I've ever seen.
Walking around that night, I came across this monument on Friedrichstraße, outside the U-Bahn station.
"Trains to Life - Trains to death: 1938-1939" commemorates the Jewish children who were able to leave Berlin for England before the start of WWII and also the many other Jewish children who were later deported to the extermination camps.Although we were warned to be aware of our safety due to the apparent Neo-Nazis around, it is quite hard to imagine how this country was once so well-known for all things war-related. But it is good that there are still monuments around to remind us all of the sorrow caused by war.
The Berlin Hauptbahnhof is the largest and most modern crossing station in Europe. And as we would find out the next day, the only place where shops are opened for shopping during a public holiday :)
To end the day, we stopped by at Maximilian's to have some nightcap.
Authentic (I hope) apple strudel and oktoberfest beer!
Gute nacht,
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment