Berlin | Beware of Bicyclists!

With luggage and tickets in hand, we were out the door by 7am sharp. German trains aren't known for their kindness to stragglers- shocking, I know. It was our first time to take the train anywhere beyond a 30-minute radius, much less a five hour ride to Germany's capital city, Berlin.

I always imagined we would take the train to most of our travel destinations, but unfortunately it's much more expensive than you would expect. In fact I saved €150 from the price quoted on the Deutsche Bahn website just by going into the train station ticket office and using a VAT form. Just a little tip for my fellow German-American travelers!

Although we didn't have a "Harry Potter compartment" and no one offered me a chocolate frog, it was still a very comfortable and easy trip! We were able to enjoy the scenery, play cards on the table between us and even get some lunch in the food cabin. What an easy way to get around Germany!

We arrived at Berlin's Hauptbahnhof {a very impressive sight alone with so many levels and trains coming and going constantly} at 2 o'clock. A ten minute cab ride later we checked-into our hotel, Courtyard Berlin City Center, to unpack and freshen up before taking in Berlin's history and sights.

 Checkpoint Charlie

Throughout the Cold War, Checkpoint Charlie was the main crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin. It's 28-year active lifespan is remembered today with a Checkpoint Charlie Museum, actual signage used, a photo of a young Soviet soldier and on the reverse side a young American soldier symbolizing whether you're entering the former East or West Berlin. Also, you can get your picture taken {for a fee, of course} with the "American" soldiers at what was the actual checkpoint.

 Berlin Wall

The Wall was the main thing my parents wanted to see on their trip to Berlin and because it was such a beautiful day we decided to see it sooner rather than later. The part you see is the only portion of the once 103 mile long wall still standing in its original place. However, I appreciate that you can still see a cobble stone path and markers all over the city to show where it would have been.

Potsdamer Platz   

We decided to get an early dinner around the bustling Potsdamer Platz; known for its diverse restaurants, cafes and hotels as well as the Sony Center. During the late 19th century, Potsdamer Platz was the busiest intersection in all of Europe earning it Germany's first electric traffic light.

It wasn't supposed to get crazy after dinner. The plan was to walk down the street to Berlin's famous Brandenburg Gate and maybe get some gelato along the way...but neither happened.

We popped into a souvenir shop so my mom could get something for my sister (AKA something for my 7-month-old niece). Turning left out of the shop, Richard and I were in front followed by my parents. To the left was a restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating leaving us with only one narrow option to use as a sidewalk. This option was pink-ish stone and in a different pattern than the normal gray-ish sidewalk. There was no emblem of a bicycle or even a sign showing pedestrians on one side and bicycles on the other.

Here's a visual...

Thanks to Google maps, I can show you the exact location of the accident.

Not the exact spot, but a different angle of the bike path.

Suddenly, out of nowhere we see Lance Armstrong a really intense bicyclist coming at us. I remember hearing him yell something (in German, of course) and Richard and I barely got out of the way. Then I remember hearing my mom yell as she collided head-on with Mr. Cyclist and was thrown into the gravel beside a tree head-first. I'm so grateful she didn't A.hit the tree B. hit head-first on the stone or C.fall into the busy street.

Although conscious, she looked extremely disoriented, but there wasn't any obvious sign of injury initially. My immediate reaction was to gently put her head in my hands and off the gravel. That's when I saw the blood and began screaming "WE NEED HELP!!" to all the restaurant diners, who I'm sure were uncertain whether or not to get involved prior to then. Instantly a dozen or so people rushed over and did everything from call an ambulance, get her water, bring us plenty of napkins and even a chair cushion for her head.

Five minutes later I heard the "Jason Bourne siren" and saw the ambulance pull up to the edge of the accident. Fortunately enough people spoke English so we could describe what happened to the EMTs who proceeded to tell my Dad he could ride with "his woman" to the hospital in the ambulance. Mr. Cyclist stayed while all this was going on and had to give his account to the Poliezi. They offered to take us to the hospital after they filled out their accident report. After taking everyone's story of what happened and measuring how far the tables and chairs extended from the restaurant {apparently they violated the permitted distance}, we were on our way to the Berlin University Hospital- Charité. 

Three hours and three stitches later, we headed {pun intended} back to the hotel. Thankfully, it wasn't more serious than a small cut to the back of the head. Head injuries are scary and can be extremely serious, so we were all grateful that if something like this had to happen anywhere abroad at least it was in a big city in Germany and not a little village in the Caribbean. 

So, next time you're walking on a sidewalk and you think you're safe, please make sure and notice if you're in harm's way. Moral of the story: Beware of Bicyclists!! 

                                               Tschüss!