Berlin

The first part of our week long study tour was to Berlin. I've been there once before and remember loving it so I was really excited to go back now that I can appreciate it a bit more.

Sunday

Our first stop was Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp about an hour outside of the city. It was really easy and definitely not the happiest way to start off the trip but it was still really interesting to see. It's so weird seeing something so tragic and horrible and it all happened just last century.

We made it to the city in the evening and checked into our hotel. We were given free 3 day metro passes and after a boring chicken dinner we were told to find our own way back.  It was a Sunday night so we figured there wouldn't be too much going on. We walked around for a while and then found a bar that was crowded. After ordering our beer we walked outside and a girl asked us, "Are you in the group?" "Yes..." "Here are some plastic cups so you can drink on the way to the next pub" Apparently we had stumbled into a group of tourists doing a pub crawl, pretty convenient! After 2 bars we were done and managed to find our way home.

I forgot what it's like to be in a big city! Berlin has the same population as the whole country of Denmark. Even though our hotel was in the city, it still took 20 minutes by metro to get anywhere. Pretty weird since I'm used to a maximum of 3 stops.

Monday

Woke up early for a bike tour of the city. I had already seen all of the sights but it was still a blast. The weather was decent and the bikes were really fun and comfortable.

For lunch we went to the oldest restaurant in Berlin, so I was really looking forward to  a nice traditional German meal...nope! More chicken. Our academic visit was to Deutsche Bahn, one of the biggest train companies in Europe. The presentation was nothing special but the view from the top of Potsdamer Platz was fantastic.

We had a three hour break, and everyone just wanted to sleep! I walked through the park and made my way to the Siegessäule, the Victory Tower. Turns out it was built to commemorate the defeat of the Danes! Absolutely beautiful view.

That night we went back to where the bike tour started to do yet another pub crawl. It's a great way to have fun and see the local bars.

Tuesday

Went to site of the future BBI Airport that they are hoping will become one of the largest airports in Europe. It sounds cool but right now it's just a bunch of cranes and dirt. Got dropped off at Hackescher Markt for lunch and finally got a chance to eat some traditional German food. Schweinshackse mit sauerkraut!

I don't understand why all the other students just want pizza, hamburgers and spaghetti...you can get that anywhere! That night the Festival of Lights started. Basically they light up all the big buildings around the city. The pictures can speak for themselves!

Wednesday

Took a tour of the 1936 Olympic Stadium. The tour guide was fantastic so it was a lot of fun. Tons of history there and a it's really cool looking building.

Now, off to Prague!