One month on..

So it's official! We have been here a whole month, I have no idea where the time is gone, I'm so grateful I have managed to do almost all the main tourist things just in time.
I realize I have not posted in a while, this is because of internet issues at my apartment which should (hopefully) be resolved this week!

Language class is over, and we no longer have our teacher or notes with us at all times to fall back on! I feel like we're in the real world now, and really have to use what we have learnt to practice on real Berliners! The food is still so good, I was hoping that "Kaffee and Kuchen" would have worn off by now, but it hasn't!

The smell and the taste is just as good, and it always seems to lure me in to have another hot chocolate and yet another piece of cake! Having started my work placement today I'm hoping the cravings will go, and the time will f fly, and I have been eating healthy (boring) snacks so far!
Second day in, and my work is going ok so far, Im learning a lot about Berlin cafes, bars, restaurants, and understanding a bit more German too! The office is made up of mainly girls from all Nationalities, Italian, Spanish, German and two of us Welsh girls are working here too!

Another plus is that the weather has been so hot recently! So hot that we had two ice creams on the weekend, and they both so good i don't and wont regret having them! One chocolate chip, and one Snickers flavor, for a euro! Delicious!
We spent the day at Potsdam on Saturday, a place about an hour away from West Berlin. It is beautiful there, and is a definite must for anyone who would enjoy exploring a new place and relaxing in the huge, stunning and well kept park they have there! It was so nice to walk around, take our time enjoying the views, and making the most of the heat! The buildings were so grand, and they even had their own mini version of the Brandenberg gate! The palace was beautiful, as were the gardens and the lake! Having spent the whole day there, we were all very tired, but it was well worth it, and I wold recommend it to anyone who enjoys a break from the rush of city life!


Potsdam itself was bigger than I expected, but had narrow cobbled streets that looked almost fake in the sunshine, and some houses were already preparing for Easter! They had decorated trees with Easter eggs, not the chocolate kind, but the bright colorful kind that looked really pretty! They make much more of an effort out here than we do in Wales, even the train station had Easter decor and the shops were already stocked full of chocolate bunnies, and eggs! I also think it is more of a religious holiday here too, where most germans go to Church, where we seem to have lost sight of that in Wales.. I guess that's true for any holiday these days.

I remember being in South Germany years ago when it was Easter, but it was Snowing then, and we went searching for the eggs in the garden! I hope Easter will be just as good in Berlin, and we may get a few days off work to finish all the chocolate! All this talk of food is making me hungry, and I cannot buy my first Easter egg/chocolate bunny before the end of March....Can I?

Park at Potsdam :

East Side Gallery

Today a group of us visited the East side Gallery and walked along the mile long wall viewing what artists had created on the Eastern part.

I think this was probably one of my favorite things we have done so far in Berlin. We have been waiting for a sunny day to view the wall, and I'm glad we chose to go when we did.

It was cold but that was expected, but the sun was shining and it was nice to be able to take our time to walk alongside and view it. The wall had several images and captions that artists had drawn/written based on their perceptions of the Berlin wall. The wall on the Eastern side was bright and colorful but some of the images showed how imprisoned and hard the German people felt towards the divide in the city.

The Western side was white but had graffiti over it, but did not look as appealing as the Eastern side.
I remember learning about the Wall and being told about its effects on the Berlin people, and seen good films such as Goodbye Lenin (what a film!) but seeing a part of the Wall itself, looking at it and thinking about everything I have been told was overwhelming.

So many people died trying to escape over the wall, and so many family and friends were separated, before seeing it myself it was hard to take it in, but being there just made it so real to me.

I think everyone should see this for themselves, even if you aren't sure of the history of the Berlin Wall, there is plenty of information in Museums, in books and online! It really makes you think and gives you the smallest glimpse into what this city must have looked like and been like to live in, and only 23 years ago!

The Sights and sounds...

Saturday will mark our second week here in this amazing city, and time is flying by!

We have already seen so much and been to so many places, i had no idea Berlin had so much to offer!
The Tour of the Reichstag was interesting and I would recommend it to anyone, even if you're not a history lover, the information and the building itself is astounding! You take the short lift ride all the way to the dome which has a tall mirror tower in the middle and two ramps curving right to the top! The views are brilliant and the (free) tour guide on a mini phone was good to listen and not too heavy on the history/past.

The Brandenberg gate is just as stunning as it looks on postcards/films, and it always seems to be packed full of people taking pictures right by it. The Hotel Adlon is to the left of the Gate, and looks as expensive as it is big! Of course thats where the infamous picture/clip of the late singer Michael Jackson dangled his child from the window ten years ago and where the intense film Unknown was filmed! (Would recommend that film too, to anyone who enjoys Liam Neeson films, great acting and seeing Berlin too)

On Sunday, we visited the Maumarket which was a little further afield for us living in the South West but it was well worth the trip. It has clothes/jewelry/vintage/music/food/antique stalls that offer bargains to the locals and tourists and is on every Sunday, so I will definitely be going back there!
For lunch we walked further West and decided on a small African style menu, which did very good and cheap food. I definitely think going to cafes/restaurants/bars that are off the main road are well worth a look, not only for the prices but for the atmosphere, food and general different flavor to the place.

Tomorrow, us girls are heading to a different club, with Pop/Indie music, which I'm hoping will be more my style! Two others are off to a Noel Gallagher gig which sounds good, and others are hitting other nightclubs in the city! Hopefully it will be a good and fun night, and thought I have already gotten myself (and others) lost, I have always smiled and laughed about it the next day!

Cheers to the weekend! PROST!

 

The morning after the night before....

So!
We all decided to go out Friday night, to see what Berlin has to offer for nightlife! We ventured to the East, as we saw before the drinks (mainly cocktails) were really cheap especially at happy hour!
Went to the boys house first which was nice to talk and drink before heading out, first and last time I drink a bottle of wine to myself before going out to drink more! It was only 2 euros so I thought why not, and it tasted even better than i thought!

A group of about 10 of us went out, caught the train and arrived in good time! Unfortunately it was freezing that night, so being clever girls we all wore coats and sensible flat shoes! At first I found it really strange going "out out" in flat heels and a big coat but I was so pleased that I hadn't worn my heels by the time i got home!

The first bar we went to was small but nice, and the Watermelon cocktails were delicious! However, I really dont like that so many people were smoking in the bar! I was coughing and waving the smoke away every 5 minutes, clearly not a Berliner! The plan was to go onto a club afterwards, but two of us decided to stay as we had started talking to these nice (if a bit odd) German boys, who told me my German was good,so I was quite chuffed!

Not sure when we left the bar, but this lovely German boy showed me where to go and even bought me a kebab on the way home, which was surprisingly really tasty! Woke up with a bad head but nothing good old Ibuprofen couldn't cure. Turns out the club was a little more electro music,so I don't think I missed out too much, but I definitely am branching out to other places next weekend! As long as i find a club with my kind of music (dance, r n b, hip hop) itl be a good night! Surely Berlin has cheesy old classic places too? Im not giving up yet!


This weekends lesson:I like wine but wine does not like me!