I didn't have much expectation for this trip. No.. no.. not because I think Berlin has nothing to offer, in fact, I believe there is much to do in Berlin, but since we only have around 1.5 days, I don't want to stress myself out, trying to squeeze in lots of activities. Hence, it was indeed meant to be a free and easy trip...
We set off early in the morning at 445am (13 Jan) for Luton Airport. Flight was at 640am, and the journey to Berlin was 2 hours. We managed to book a hostel that is very very accessible and hence we managed to offload our stuff and began to explore the city by around 11am. We had expected Berlin to be super cold, but to our surprise, it was not much colder than in London, although it was a bit more windy.
Both May Gee and I was actually quite tired by then coz we didn't get to sleep much the night before (only about 1 hour for me), so we did not venture far. We visited the Kaiser church and we went shopping along Kurfürstendamm, the famous shopping street in Berlin.
Then, we went back to our hostel after an early dinner to rest (oh! and I drank German beer! :P). As we were browsing through some travel brochures, we discovered that we could actually join a walking tour the next day, which will bring us to all the major sights/attractions in Berlin! And.. this turned out to be the best walking tour I've ever had!
The guide was very knowledgeable. In fact, I think he researches and writes on German history during his pastime. His explanations and stories made history came alive! We visited museums, cathedrals, the Parliament, remains of the Berlin Wall, site where Hitler's bunker used to be... I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
The walking tour was supposed to end at 2pm (a 4-hour tour), but the guide was so good that he voluntarily brought us to places not included in the itinerary and hence by the time we reached our destination point, it was already 345pm. Since we had to leave for airport at around 630pm, May Gee and I decided to explore one of the museums in what used to be the East Berlin (The museums are on Museum Island - and it is the cultural and arts centre of Berlin). It was an interesting afternoon. And I managed to even grab a German sausage (Currywurst) on my way back to the hostel! heehee.. :P Thanks to God, we were back in London safely by 1145pm (14 Jan).
It has been a truly fruitful yet relaxing trip. I thank God for the opportunity to be exposed to history and culture, to see the world and learn through experiences!
Outside Kaiser Church:
Inside the Church:
Remains of the Berlin Wall:
Cathedral:
Jewish Memorial:
Sunsets: - I have a liking for the bare trees. :)
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