Wednesday, January 10, 2007

January 10, 2007 - Wednesday

Today was my first day around Berlin and already I love the atmosphere and culture. After checking into the hostel, a small group (7 of us) decided to see Brandenburg Gate. After many an adventure on the U-bahn, the transit system intersecting the city, and S-bahn, circumventing the city, we arrived at the Gate. It was spectacular to be able to be able to feel, physically and mentally, so close to what was once a major part of history. Walking down the Pariser Platz, we visited the Holocaust memorial and continued down to eat lunch in a small, traditional German cafe. The food was absolutely amazing, and both the presentation and the flavor of the food was quite different from those found in American restaurants.

After lunch, we continued walking, stopping by the numerous souvenir shops and buying such trinkets as Berlin magnets, T-shirts, and the well-known chunks of Berlin wall. On the bus ride home, we decided to stop by the TV tower - a spiring monument often serving as Berlin's trademark. Here we bought admissions to view the observation section of the tower. It turned out that we picked a horrible day to visit - it was extremely windy and had started raining. Too stubborn to return to the ground after paying 8 euros, we went upstairs to a turn-table cafe where we ordered delicious lattes and cappuccinos while chatting and observing the wonderful view.

By this time, it was already nearing 7pm and we returned to the hostel to rehearse for a few hours in the illuminating iridescent neon lights of the dining area/lounge.

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