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My First Day in Europe
Aug. 14th, 2012 11:28 pmLufthansa is a great airline. They deluged us in snacks and sodas, and served up a very delicious in-flight meal. I watched The Avengers AND The Hunger Games before catching a vague approximation of sleep. We landed in Frankfurt and transferred to Berlin. Wearing Doc Martens when you have ankles covered in mosquito bites is super annoying. Every step you take is an itch to all those bites at once. Good times.
So, Berlin! I got a 30 euro cab ride from the airport to the Cityhostel Berlin (the first available location with free Wifi). It's located right outside the Teirgarten. After stashing my gear, I took a walk through the neighborhood, snapping some pictures of interesting buildings. I loved seeing all the intricate statues and designs on the buildings, drinking in that sense of history. I was dead set on sampling German cuisine, which in this case was sausage, sauerkraut, and a nice Riesling. Jet lag stated to catch up to me, so I retired to the hostel. That's when I found out I was too tired to sleep!
The trains on the german Underground are very square, bright yellow, and narrow. The windows are also covered with designs that make it hard to see out of. I went looking for the location of some techno bars, and I learned two things: Most clubs don't open until midnight, and Tuesday is a verrrry sloooow night. I had a day pass, so I investigated several stops on the U2 line. Alexanderplatz was a vast plaza that felt just like Faneuil Hall: tons of American chains and lots of shops. Gleisdreieck was a ghost town of dark streets. Potsdamer Platz has a cluster of restaurants and the Bahntower. This was a forty store semi circular building of all glass offices. During the day it was unremarkable, but by night it was straight out of the Matrix.
Most of you are leaving work now, but I'm off to bed. I've essentially been up two days at this point. Tomorrow I will check out, hang out in front of an amazing symphony building, then meet a fellow Yankee before departing for Poland. Internet access will be sketchy at best. There was a good deal of apprehension before this trip, but it's a very liberating and fulfilling experience to experience your first time in a new continent on your own.
So, Berlin! I got a 30 euro cab ride from the airport to the Cityhostel Berlin (the first available location with free Wifi). It's located right outside the Teirgarten. After stashing my gear, I took a walk through the neighborhood, snapping some pictures of interesting buildings. I loved seeing all the intricate statues and designs on the buildings, drinking in that sense of history. I was dead set on sampling German cuisine, which in this case was sausage, sauerkraut, and a nice Riesling. Jet lag stated to catch up to me, so I retired to the hostel. That's when I found out I was too tired to sleep!
The trains on the german Underground are very square, bright yellow, and narrow. The windows are also covered with designs that make it hard to see out of. I went looking for the location of some techno bars, and I learned two things: Most clubs don't open until midnight, and Tuesday is a verrrry sloooow night. I had a day pass, so I investigated several stops on the U2 line. Alexanderplatz was a vast plaza that felt just like Faneuil Hall: tons of American chains and lots of shops. Gleisdreieck was a ghost town of dark streets. Potsdamer Platz has a cluster of restaurants and the Bahntower. This was a forty store semi circular building of all glass offices. During the day it was unremarkable, but by night it was straight out of the Matrix.
Most of you are leaving work now, but I'm off to bed. I've essentially been up two days at this point. Tomorrow I will check out, hang out in front of an amazing symphony building, then meet a fellow Yankee before departing for Poland. Internet access will be sketchy at best. There was a good deal of apprehension before this trip, but it's a very liberating and fulfilling experience to experience your first time in a new continent on your own.
