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Day 6: Berlin!!

Where we stayed 
We were tired today! Alto ought we were relaxing out in the countryside with Kati we squeezed a lot in and we also did a fair bit of exercise too! So, a combination of that and the hostel dorm being too warm!! It was warmer in that room than it was outside!! A cold shower in the morning and at night helped us keep cool (and smelling relatively nice!). 

What we explored
We got the train into town and headed straight to the Brandenburg Gate where our walking tour was setting off from. There we met 'tall posh Rob' from Durham and he was our tour guide for the following three hours!! We learnt a lot about Berlin's history, some of which we already knew but a lot that was new to us and very interesting! We saw some of the key sites along the way too....another fantastic thing about these free walking tours!

The Holocaust memorial

Check point Charlie

Hitlers bunker (not the actual thing as it was destroyed and is now noting more than a 'glorified' car park) 

The Berlin Wall,


We also passed by the Nazi book burning memorial which was spectacular, a window in the ground on the site of where the nazis burned over 260 books. So under this window is a sculpture by a Jewish artist of a small room lined with enough book shelves to hold the estimated number of books destroyed that day. 

We also passed by Museum island and several beautiful sculptures and statues. After the tour though we were pretty exhausted from three hours of walking in the sun and so we headed to a place that had free wifi and something to eat, and of course some cold beers! We'll show you what we are below! 

After lunch we got the we're to the east side gallery, the longest piece of the Berlin Wall that still stands. It was wonderful to see that the locals had turned what was such a somber place into a creative and colourful area. Art and graffiti on the walls and as it happened the day we were there they were holding a small free music festival with several small acoustic stages, some food and drink vans and places to sit and relax in the sun while you listened to some music :) it was very pleasant! 


What we ate...
For lunch we went to spreegold where we had some of the best salad we've had since we started traveling! 
(Photos to follow)

In the evening we wondered around Alexanderplatz, around the square and round the spectacular tv tower! We managed to score a place to eat dinner under the TV tower there and ate some of the yummiest Currywurst!! (Much better than last night!!!) A couple of glasses of beer and we headed back to the hot-as-hell-hostel! 

Comments

  1. Brings back happy memories! Loved Berlin! Shame about your hostel - hope you get some sleep tonight! :) x

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