Berlin

So, in Berlin we stayed in a hostel. But, the room we had was more like a studio apartment, had a great bathroom, a working kitchen, eating area, sitting area, balcony overlooking the city - in short, it was a great hotel room at hostel prices. Yay for Wombat's City Hostel!

Things of note that happened in Berlin:

When stopping to offer to take a picture of a large group of girls from Italy, one of them began to talk to us about the most-discussed subject (our election) and they really wanted to know if it was true that Obama was a Muslim! Amazing that rumors and crappy journalism reach so far so fast. I set them straight...

The wall is mostly gone, but you can buy pieces of it in museums, souvenir shops, and from street vendors. However, those pieces are pretty much manufactured in China, so no more authentic pieces are really being sold. If you want one, you'll have to go to the East Side Gallery on your own, preferably after dark, and break a piece off while nobody is looking. I would never do that. Never.

Berlin is built mostly in a very dull, gray, concrete-block style - especially the eastern part of the city, where we were staying. Still, it has a character all its own. The people are great, it's very much like San Francisco as far as being very funky in spots, and it has....shawarma! This middle-eastern staple has become the number one fast food in Germany, and oh how glad I am! It's fantastic, and cheap, and I love it.

I decided one day to take a day to myself and go see Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp located some miles north of Berlin. To do this, I had to take two different metro lines and a train, but it was worth the trip. While waiting for my second metro, I felt a hand going into my jacket pocket and stared right into the eyes of a pickpocket as I pushed his hand away. The truly surprising thing is that the guy same BACK at me and tried again! At this point, I pulled out my pocket contents (a used kleenex) and offered it to him. He walked away, totally unashamed. Sheesh.

I did prove to myself, with my day trip out of Berlin, that I can get around on my own when necessary. Of course, the train and metro systems in Germany are fantastic, and always on time. Believe me, when they say the train leaves at 13:56, it LEAVES at 13:56. The doors will close on your ass if you are late. Be on time!

Oh yes, and I also fell in love with some sort of pastry in the bakery near our hostel that was filled with pudding (the pastry, not the hostel; sorry for misplacing my modifiers). I am seriously going to have to go on a diet when I get home, but for now I am ON VACATION!!!