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!

Berlin | Day Two: The Wall and More

Let's be honest. It's completely impossible to see Berlin in a weekend. As one of the most historic cities in all of Europe, this place has seen a lot especially in the last 100 years. We barely scratched the surface on this quick trip seeing and experiencing the major Berlin sites, but that just means we need to come back again preferably when the weather is nicer.

 My first impression of Berlin: Windy & lots of graffiti. Some parts of Berlin look pretty grim as though the war ended recently while other parts are very modern with swanky hotels, high-end shops and fine dining. Speaking of hotels, we stayed at the Berlin Wyndham Grand thanks to a former co-worker of mine who now working for Wyndham in Chicago and got us a 'friends and family rate' (thanks, Kenny!).

Berlin Wyndhm Grand

A look at our room with the very European dual comforters.

Our sunset view across the street from the Berlin Tempodrom.

Day two began with a brief train ride to Alexanderplatz and more importantly discovering a taste of home (literally): Dunkin Donuts! Back in the States I wouldn't have been this excited about DD, but when you're an ocean away, it's funny how the little familiar sites suddenly become a big deal.

'America runs on Dunkin' or perhaps they use a different slogan here?

After we got our DD fix, we made our way toward the Brandenburg Gate hitting the highlights along the  famous Unter Den Linden street in former East Berlin.

Neptune Fountain in front of St. Mary's Church.

The beautiful Berliner Dom.

Humboldt University

Among the many notable alums, Karl Marx graduated from Humboldt University and Albert Einstein was a professor here. Directly across the street from here is the Bebelplatz which is where the Nazis burned some 20,000 books from the university's library written by 'opponents of the regime.' Makes me thing of Indiana Jones, anyone else? Fun Fact: HU is home to 29 Nobel Prize winners... nbd.

Brandenburg Gate

The iconic 18th century Brandenburg Gate. You know it's a big deal because you can find on the Starbucks Berlin mug!

We came across this memorial dedicated to the more than 220,000 gypsies who were killed by the Nazis.

I learned that the triangle in the center represents the shape of the badges concentration camp prisoners were made to wear. A fresh flower is placed in the middle each day.

Reichstag Building

Originally built in 1894, the Reichstag Building houses the German Parliament. As you can imagine, it was severely damaged during WWII and the Cold War. After major repairs plus the addition of the glass dome, it was reopened in 1999. It's free to visit, but make sure you register here at least 2 days in advance to get access to the dome and rooftop terrace. I cannot wait to come back when the weather warms up!

Berlin Drain Cover

Throughout our European adventures, I've noticed that most European cities have personalized drain covers. How artsy is that? Beauty in the details.

Checkpoint Charlie

The little, white shack you see in the median the only crossing point for Allied forces between East and West Berlin until the reunification of Germany in 1990. You literally had to have a passport to travel from one side to the other.

Here it is, folks... The Berlin Wall (this is the western side).

The difference between freedom and communism was only a few inches wide.

 In the 28 years the Berlin Wall was active, it is estimated that somewhere between 100-250 people were killed trying to escape to the west; however, more than 5,000 successfully made the journey.

The brick foundation is the site of the former Nazi Gestapo and SS headquarters.

If you've never seen the speech President Reagan gave in reference to the Berlin Wall, do yourself a favor and watch it. However, if you don't have time to see the whole thing now, here's his famous quote... "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall." 

What's left of an old bahnhof (train station) after WWII.

One last DD coffee for the road and a fond farewell to one of the friendly Berlin bears around town.

Tschüss!