Germany (the Berlin trip)
I have to say that I had no idea what to expect out of Germany. Andi had told me language shouldn't be a problems, but it still made me uneasy. It was my first continental European travel w/o my parents and brother, so I actually was a little nervous about it.
But we get the the airport, pick up our bags, and find the train station no problem. Okay, now there was a problem. The ticket machines were completely unusable. Berlin was no where on them (apparently -- I didn't use that machine). After about 30 minutes of debating a cab, we found tried another ticket machine upstairs on the platforms. Bingo. A 5 person 1 day ticket was just 15 euro. Not bad.
We made it into the city and checked in, dead tired. We went out to have a little bit of explore around where we were and came across an AMAZING looking bar. Sad to say, I didn't go to it while I was there. But hey, gotta have a reason to go back, right?
At this point, everyone decides they are tired. We all stayed up all night to get the early ryanair flight out of Dublin. Unfortunately, "nap rules" were broken, and my four travel buddies were out like lights. I decided to walk around Berlin at sunset to get a better feel for the city (walking in both east and west Berlin and yes... you can still feel a difference today). I came back 3 hours later... nobody moved. Fine. I went to the local grocery store, got some cookies, a beer, and sat in the bottom of the hostel with a few others that had the same idea I did.
We got up the next day at set out for a walking tour of Berlin. In a word, it was amazing. Our tour guide had been there during the fall of the Berlin wall (and events leading up to the fall of that government) and talked about it with a passion that was moving at the least. There are so many buildings, such great architecture, and so much history I can't begin to describe it all. It is pretty much like the entire 20th century took place in Germany. The four hour tour ended up taking 5 and a half... but it was obvious that it could have taken more. The quide glossed over a TON of stuff.
That night was the pub crawl. To make a long story short, it was a lot of fun, and I got home safely by some miracle of drunken memory and a very large, very golden jewish temple.
The nex day was the event which I will not soon forget. We got on a train to Oranienburg where we walked to the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. And I think that no matter how long I ponder what when on there, I will never really come to terms with it... Being in the barracks, seeing the remains of ovens, seeing the trenches where ashes were spread. Being INSIDE of one of the guard towers, 2" thick steel door slamming shut behind me.
That night was Russian Disco night. It was a lot of fun too, despite being WAY too hot. Drinks were cheap, but I was still feeling sick from the day before. That, combined w/ Matt and Amanda having a really great time together, prompted me to go. The sleep would do me good anyway.
Anyway - the next day, we flew back to Dublin, and all was well. The public gallery for Berlin is at Berlin (public). If you want to see the in-bar pictures, well, you'll need to know me.
But we get the the airport, pick up our bags, and find the train station no problem. Okay, now there was a problem. The ticket machines were completely unusable. Berlin was no where on them (apparently -- I didn't use that machine). After about 30 minutes of debating a cab, we found tried another ticket machine upstairs on the platforms. Bingo. A 5 person 1 day ticket was just 15 euro. Not bad.
Behind a bomb-out looking building was one amazing bar.
At this point, everyone decides they are tired. We all stayed up all night to get the early ryanair flight out of Dublin. Unfortunately, "nap rules" were broken, and my four travel buddies were out like lights. I decided to walk around Berlin at sunset to get a better feel for the city (walking in both east and west Berlin and yes... you can still feel a difference today). I came back 3 hours later... nobody moved. Fine. I went to the local grocery store, got some cookies, a beer, and sat in the bottom of the hostel with a few others that had the same idea I did.
A church in East Berlin
That night was the pub crawl. To make a long story short, it was a lot of fun, and I got home safely by some miracle of drunken memory and a very large, very golden jewish temple.
Roll-call yard of Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
That night was Russian Disco night. It was a lot of fun too, despite being WAY too hot. Drinks were cheap, but I was still feeling sick from the day before. That, combined w/ Matt and Amanda having a really great time together, prompted me to go. The sleep would do me good anyway.
Anyway - the next day, we flew back to Dublin, and all was well. The public gallery for Berlin is at Berlin (public). If you want to see the in-bar pictures, well, you'll need to know me.
