Nein Deutsch!

If you're wondering why I decided to make that the title it is because 'Nein Deutsch' (no German) is precisely the amount (okay well apart from saying 'thank you') of German that I managed to learn during my time in Germany. Clearly I do not have an ear for languages.

So all of a sudden it is mid September and I am sitting here in Rhodes, Greece, wondering how it could possibly be three weeks since I left Germany after spending almost two sensational weeks there. Germany is yet another country I would love to revisit, preferably with a car, some friends and absolutely no time restrictions - something I will be able to do in just six short years when I actually become eligible to hire a car in Europe (what a joke). I say this because Germany actually is quite large for a European country, being composed of sixteen different states, meaning there are many different cities and areas to explore. I only saw three (more than most Euro-travellers) but really wish I could have visited more. Something I have realised thus far on my travels is how large the world actually is (yeah, duh, I know) and how I really have only seen a smidgen of what this earth beholds. This is both inspiring and kind of saddening because I know I can not possibly see it all. Just the other day I learnt of three countries that I never in my life have remotely even heard of; these were Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan by the way if you feel like doing some googling tonight.

Anyway, most of us I am sure are remotely familiar with the wonderful Deutschland I am sure and therefore I probably do not need to inform you that the Germans speak German and other such details. If this were to be a post about Kyrgyzstan then I probably would bother with such details, for my own benefit as well rest assured, but I think that with Germany I can dive straight into how glorious a time I had there. I began my adventure in the Bavarian city of Munich, though I only spent two days there (due to the high cost of everything) before moving on to Hamburg, where I spent four days. Though Munich and Hamburg both were wonderful in their own rights I did not do anything overtly riveting in either city apart from wander around and explore. Sure I sampled a few beers, found a cool second hand English bookshop, also found a shop dedicated entirely to muesli, saw a family of street performers doing a bloody ripper job of a number of songs in a language of which I am too dim to know what it was, but none of those things are really worthy of elaboration. Instead, I will reserve the bulk of this blog post for the marvellous Berlin, one of my absolute favourite cities that I have visited thus far (it is up there with Edinburgh, London and Stockholm!).  

Luckily I had some friends to explore Berlin with: Alexis, Wendy and Sharee (who I had met just the day before in Hamburg). We did a lot in Berlin, a city with a history so gritty and rich but with an irresistible contemporary persona that so deeply juxtaposes the type of history that we all associate with Germany and hence the capital city Berlin. As in all cities as large and important as Berlin I was eager to take a free walking tour, choosing to go with (http://www.newberlintours.com/daily-tours/free-tour.html). The tour ran for two and a half hours, but within that time we were shown: Pariser Platz, The Brandenburg Gate, The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, The Site of Hitler’s Former Bunker, Luftwaffe HQ, The Berlin Wall, The Former SS Headquarters, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmenmarkt and also the hotel where Michael Jackson dangled baby Prince from the window. Though these tours are long and very information dense (I've forgotten most of the stuff I was told) they are still very worth dedicating a morning to simply to know that you have planted your feet somewhere where somebody's decisions changed the entire world. 

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

Brandenburg Gate.

The French Cathedral in Gendarmenmarkt.

Berlin Cathedral.

One of Berlin's 'ghost stations' closed when The Wall stood as it connected both sides. The station was used by a select fortunate few to escape from East to West. 

I also visited two places that were not covered on the tour that I cannot recommend enough, the first being The Eastside Gallery (http://www.eastsidegallery-berlin.de), a 1.3km stretch of the wall that remains extant and is an international symbol of freedom. A lot of the artwork along the wall is visually impressive on its own, and is even more poignant with some prior understanding of why the wall was erected, how it divided literally Germany (and all of Europe to a figurative extent) and some of the absolutely brutal and tragic crimes that were committed there. I also would suggest setting some time aside to visit The Topography of Terror (http://www.topographie.de/en/) to absolutely anyone who plans to spend a few days in Berlin, built upon the ex headquarters of the SS and the Gestapo. The information displayed in this (free!) museum is detailed, clear, fluid and extensive, leaving no stone unturned in regards to that horrifying moment in time; a must visit for all - regardless of a personal interest in history.

Some of my own favourite parts of the wall. 

Though the city no doubt has some particularly somber aspects, there is also plenty to the place that makes it a thriving and cosmopolitan hub that very much has cemented it's place as a modern and international city of the world. Many Germans say that Berlin is not typically German as it is far too international. In my opinion this is not a bad thing because Berlin on its own is so thrilling, so busy and bustling and full of art and culture and life; all of which make it irresistible. I do not think I have ever met anybody who has been to Berlin and not enjoyed their time there. I spend quite a few days wandering around East Berlin, exploring several of the city's boroughs, admiring the myriad of cafés, pubs, bars and kitschy little independent stores that line street after street - this entire part of the city is like London's Soho. On one day in particular I happened upon a little underground theatre called Laden Kino and adored the place so much that I decided to watch three movies there over the course of two days ('The Young and Prodigious T.S Spivet', 'Finding Vivian Maeir' and 'Boyhood', all of which I thoroughly enjoyed should anybody be interested). On my final night in Berlin as well I found myself spontaneously going to the theatre as well with a new friend to watch a play, something that Berliners seem to do all the time because it is affordable, enjoyable and accessible. Overall I really was charmed by Berlin. It is a city of which I could never get bored and hope to be able to visit time and time again (hopefully with a bit more suitcase room and shopping money next time). 

My favourite part of Berlin was these little guys.