Yesterday, I woke up in my Berlin hostel packed and ready to board my train to Prague; that definitely did not happen. But before we get to that story, let me tell you about the days leading up to it. This week, I’ve enjoyed an untraditional Christmas traveling in Berlin.
The hostel’s Christmas breakfast of cereal, hard boiled eggs, and toast was amazing! After, my friend Blake and I joined Sandeman’s walking tour at the famous Brandenburg Tor (Brandenburg Gate). We saw many of the Berlin must-sees: Checkpoint Charlie, the remnants of the Berlin Wall, the Holocaust Memorial, Museum Island, and even the Hotel Adlon Kempiniski where Michael Jackson dangled his baby out the window.
My favorite stop was an empty parking lot. Underneath the cracked pavement were the remains of Hitler’s bunker. According to our tour guide, the same man who designed Hitler’s bunker also designed Berlin’s Metro. After Hitler’s death, Berlin’s local government tried to blow up the bunker; it took several attempts to make any real damage. “So you know Berlin’s metro is safe,” the guide said.
Sandeman’s New Berlin tour was very entertaining and I considered the guide more of a story-teller than the typical “historian” tour guide. Not only was the tour FREE, but I also walked-off Christmas Eve’s beer and schnitzel.
Forget Mall of America, if you have any left over Christmas shopping, Berlin is the place to do it. Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas markets) have been around for centuries. With starry lights, bratwurst, and unique hand-made gifts, these are great places to get a taste of Berlin during the holidays. There are about 50 Christmas markets located throughout the city’s 12 districts.
We went to the most beautiful market Gendarmenmarkt. While shopping we drank glühwein (glow wine) and no, it’s not made of glue. It’s mulled red wine, served in a coffee mug, spiced with cinnamon, sugar, and cloves. My advice: add the extra shot of amaretto if you really hate shopping.
Berlin is notorious for its club scene. Our favorite venue was Club Week-End. Dancing to techno beats on the 15th story of a skyscraper (with floor-to-ceiling windows) is an awesome way to end your night and start your morning. Even STA rates Berlin as number one on its list of the Top 10 Party Cities in the world.
On the “last day,” we awoke ready to go to Prague; but a mix-up led us to another adventure in Berlin! So we took the U-bahn (metro) to Schloss Charlottenburg (Charlottenburg Palace), the largest palace in Berlin.
That evening, Blake and I went to a classical music concert at the Schloss Charlottenburg and struck up a conversation with two med students, Gia and Michael. Gia was from Ohio and Michael was from South Africa. After the concert, the four of us went to a bar called Kleine Kneipe. We started talking to a bunch of locals and they started playing Berlin folk songs for us. We had no idea what they were singing, but somehow we were all singing along! The bar had a great Berliner atmosphere; you should check it out on your trip. We all had a great time. This was the best memory from our stay in Berlin.
Have you ever woken up with an itinerary and a strange string of events led to a totally unexpected day? If so, I want to read about it.
Until New Years in Prague, tschüss! (see ya later)
The Berliners and us
A Sound Bite from the Night
Second, all my hard work had to be shown off.
I decided I didn't want to risk it alone...so I recruited the roommates. 
The taxi ride over was amusing to say the least.
