Breakfast in Berlin, Dinner in Paris

Lois and I have just recently returned from a busy 5 days spent in Berlin and Paris. As two 'Year-Abroaders' in Germany, we felt we simply couldn't return from our Year Abroad without having visited the capital of the Fatherland. And Paris - well, why not!? The fact that we have two weeks to do this is just another advantage of being a Language Assistant on a Year Abroad. If you're thinking about doing a Year Abroad and you would like to travel, being a Language Assistant is definitely the best choice for you.

So, here's what we got up to:

Our break began very early on Saturday morning when we caught the first bus and then one of the first trains to Berlin. Since we are money-savy students, we travel using the cheapest option possible, which often unfortunately means this is also the longest. So our journey to Berlin lasted 8 hours, and we had several changes and it took up most of the day on Saturday. However, the time passed pretty quickly and we soon found ourselves in Berlin Hauptbahnhof. It is huge and so, so busy. Since it's the Easter break, we obviously aren't the only people enjoying time off school and work. We made our way to our hotel to drop off our bags but this is where we encountered a little problem. We had made a note of the tram stop which was right outside our hotel before we left, but we had noted it down with one subtle mistake. The stop we were meant to travel to was called 'Höhenschönhausen Str.', but we had only written 'Höhenschönhausen', and yes, there was a totally different stop, in a totally different area of the city, which was named this. We soon found ourselves in the total wrong area and after asking several people where the hotel was only to be met with blank faces and a shrugging of shoulders, we worked out our mistake. After sticking a map which showed the location of our hotel which was on Lois' iPad into a mans face and asking him to tell us how to get there and after receiving some very friendly assistance, we eventually reached our hotel. It was a nice room and the hotel was right next to a tram stop with regular trams to the city, so the location was great. It was now pretty late so we promptly returned to the city to find somewhere for our evening meal. We found ourselves in Alexanderplatz, and large area of restaurants and shops which is in the former Eastern sector but is now quite developed. It is also home to the famous TV tower which dominates the Berlin skyline. With no real idea of what was on offer, we went to one of the first restaurants we saw which turned out to be a good choice. We enjoyed some tasty Japanese food at a very reasonable price, which surprised us to say we were in one of the busiest areas of a capital city. This moment was special because I was able to talk Lois into trying something new. Seeing as though Lois had never had sushi before, and seeing as though I really like it, we got a portion to share. This wasn't ordinary sushi, oh no, this was duck sushi, also a food Lois hadn't sampled before. It was really nice and Lois was a fan. A huge fan in fact of the duck. After finishing with a drink else where, we made our way back to our hotel for the night.

The 'Fernsehturm' or TV Tower is the tallest
building in Berlin and located
in Alexanderplatz

On Sunday morning we caught the train to a little area just outside the city called Wannsee. Before we reached Wannsee we stopped off at a station called Grunewald. This station, whilst also being a working train station, is also a memorial site and has a platform dedicated to the Jews of Berlin who were sent from this very train station to their deaths at various Concentration and Extermination Camps around Europe. The platform, platform 17, has inscriptions all along the platform stating how many Jews were sent on specific days throughout the entire period of persecution. It was really interesting and quite shocking to see just how many were sent off, often only days apart, and this was just from the city of Berlin. It was also interesting to see how the numbers varied as the persecution increased and then as, quite literally, there were no more left, and the numbers decreased. I was surprised to find that even as late as 1945, when the war was all but over, the Nazis still had the capacity to continue with this sordid work. To think this happened throughout the country and even wider, is alarming. After visiting this memorial, we continued on the train to Wannsee and visited 'The House of the Wannsee Conference'. Wannsee is a really beautiful area outside of the city with a large lake (the Wannsee) and lots of very desirable properties. The place was buzzing with cyclists whizzing up and down the streets in the sun and people enjoying the outlook over the lake. But Wannsee is also infamous in history. The Wannsee conference was were the fate of European Jews was decided in 1942 by leading Nazis and various other important people. The extermination, or what we know as 'The Final Solution', of, among others, the Jews was decided here. The house, a very nice Villa, is now a museum giving a huge array of information, from the rise of the Nazi party to the persecution of the Jews as well as showing the minutes of the actual meeting. I found this part particularly interesting and it was intriguing to see just how subtle they were about what was to be done - Whilst the words 'murder of the Jews' wasn't used, this was certainly implied, leaving no doubt in the minds of those present about what was to happen. We have both visited the house before with our schools, but it was all the more interesting since we now have a greater knowledge and interest in this particular period of history. After this we returned to the city and found ourselves in the very centre of Berlin, beneath the Brandenburg Gate. We bought some lunch and Lois had a true Berliner Bratwurst whilst I jumped at the opportunity to try a real Berliner Döner. Next to the Brandenburg Gate is the memorial to the murdered European Jews. Opened in 2005 it consists of 2,711 concrete slabs which vary in size. At the edges the slabs are almost unnoticeable, flush with the floor, but in the middle they tower above you, up to a height of 15ft. What the slabs represent is a matter of interpretation according to the architect, but whatever the 'meaning', they certainly make an impression, especially in the middle. By this point we were feeling a little cold, despite the sun, so nipped back to the hotel to wrap up. We returned to the city in order to visit the Reichstag, the German Houses of Parliament. In an effort to reduce the threat of a terrorist attack in order to enter the Reichstag you have to pre-book (I'm pretty sure if a terrorist wanted to enter, they could quite easily also pre book, but that's beside the point). We had pre booked our visit so were able to walk straight into the security area, leaving behind a crowd of disappointed people outside who weren't aware of the 'pre booking' rule. The security area made us feel like we were in an airport - everything was checked and as usual, I had to be 'patted down'. We took a lift to the top and listened to a very clever audio guide which worked out where you were standing and told you information in relation to your location. We learnt some really interesting stuff. On top of the Reichstag is a glass dome, designed by English architect Norman Foster (He also designed the Gherkin in London amongst others). You can ascend this dome up a spiral walkway and it gives a great view over Berlin. You can see just how big the 'Tiergarten' is - this is a giant park located right in the centre of Berlin which can be likened to Central Park in New York. Below the dome you can actually see into the chamber where the party representatives, including Frau Merkel herself, sit and discuss all matter of politics. The glass is meant to represent the 'transparency and openness of German politics' which is actually quite a nice idea. The Reichstag building itself is really impressive and the top was definitely worth the visit. A must do in Berlin! After this we found our favourite Italian chain, Vapianos, enjoyed a meal and then returned to the hotel.

The House of the Wannsee Conference

  

Platform 17 - The memorial to the Jews of Berlin
sent to camps around Europe. This particular section reads:
27.3.1945 18 Jews sent to Theresienstadt

I simply had to try a true Berliner Döner -
It was the best one I've ever had!

The Memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe

A rather poignant plaque. In 1933 the Nazis held a huge
book burning in this square where books written by Jews, Communists,
Homosexuals etc were burned. Written here is a quote
by Heinrich Heine, a German Jewish author, who wrote
in 1821 "That was only a prelude - where they burn
books, in the end they will also burn people."
Despite being written over 100 years before, he
was indeed right.

The Berlin Cathedral

The Reichstag

The glass dome atop the Reichstag

Russian inscriptions written during the final days of the
second World War can still be seen

Monday began with a walking tour of the city. This was really interesting and provided us with lots of interesting information and facts. The weather had deteriorated slightly meaning we got pretty wet, but we saw lots of sights including the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the site of the 'Führerbunker' where Hitler saw out his days, the Berlin Opera house, the University buildings and so much more! It was really great and we both enjoyed it, despite the rain. It lasted until the afternoon which didn't leave us with much time, but we visited another museum, namely 'The Topography of Terror' (sounds scary, right?) which is on the site of the former Gestapo and SS Headquarters and is now a fascinating museum, with the emphasis on pictures rather than reams and reams of text, which was really effective. After this, and by now we were pretty tired from a day of walking, we enjoyed a final meal and drink (I had the Berlin delicacy of Currywurst, but on a pizza!) and made our way back to the hotel for a final time.

The site of the Führerbunker. Now it is nothing but a car
 park - pretty boring really!

Marking the point where the Berlin Wall stood

Tuesday meant it was time to leave and move on to our next destination - Paris! We were flying there from Berlin but frustratingly, once at the airport we learnt our flight had been delayed. (We were flying with Air France and we're blaming the French). We arrived in Paris later than we wanted to, but successfully navigated the huge metro network and got to our hotel and discovered the worlds smallest and highest (the 6th floor and no lift!), yet comfortable room (We had written the location of this hotel down correctly this time!) We had planned to have the afternoon enjoying Paris, but as a result of our delayed flight, we found we didn't have much time left. Without hesitation and like real tourists, we made our way straight to the highlight of the Parisian skyline, the Eiffel Tower. As someone who had never been up this famous landmark before, I was keen to do so, so we immediately began queuing. The queue was big even though it was early evening but we saw that the queue to ascend via the steps was, naturally, shorter. The ascent wasn't particularly difficult and it was actually much nicer as you could appreciate the view, rather than speeding up in a lift. From the second level you can then take a lift to the very top if you wish, but at an extra cost and the queue was once again huge. We found that the second level was high enough and it gave a beautiful view of Paris. It was a wonderful evening and Paris looked far better than I expected. It was getting later and we were getting hungry, so we found a typically French style bistro and enjoyed typical French food. I had the Beef Bourguignon whilst Lois had the duck - that's right, the duck she tried for the first time in Berlin must definitely had made an impression! It was absolutely delicious and just so French. Whilst the portions weren't as big as in Germany, the quality and flavour was certainly there. Finishing with a true Crème Brulee and we felt almost French. We returned to our hotel after a long day.

I told you the queue was big!

A French breakfast on the go!

On Wednesday, after a quick visit to the famous Notre Dame Cathedral, we began, once again, with a walking tour. This was once again totally worthwhile and we learnt so much about a city, which before the tour neither of us knew much about. We learnt about Paris during the French Revolution, during the second World War, about Napoleon and about modern Paris and it really, really was interesting. The sun was shining and Paris looked so pretty. We finished the tour at the end of the Champs Elysees, which worked really well as this was where we wanted to be. We strolled up this famous road taking in the Parisian atmosphere and enjoying an ice cream. The Arc De Triomphe lies at the top of the road and after learning that it was free for students decided we'd be silly not to go to the top. After a short queue we found ourselves once again climbing stair after stair but once at the top found it was worth it. To be able to see the Eiffel Tower from a distance was spectacular and looking down the bustling Champs Elysees was also quite a sight. After wandering back down the Champs Elysees we met up with our friend Jake, who is working in Paris on his Year Abroad, at the Eiffel Tower. It was now tea time and what better way than to enjoy a sunny French evening than having a French picnic on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower. After buying baguettes, ham, cheese and wine (of course!) from the supermarket, we sat down in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and ate. It was such a memorable moment and I think it's such a cool thing to have done. The evening was still warm and we had a great laugh catching up with our future flat mate. After our simple, yet tasty tea we went to the best place to view the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadero. It was now dusk and we were there just in time to see the spectacular Eiffel Tower light show, which makes the Eiffel Tower literally sparkle. It was amazing. After a relaxing drink sat out under the evening sky, the evening was soon over and it was time to say goodbye. Despite only spending two days there, we had had a super time in Paris and I would say it was just the right amount of time for us to spend there. We did everything we wanted to and even more. On Thursday morning, after leaving the hotel at 5:00, we learnt again that our flight had been delayed. After a long morning sat in the airport, we were soon back in Germany and then back in Regensburg by early afternoon. But our day was not yet over. With the arrival of my family on Saturday, and with the shops being closed on Good Friday, we had lots of shopping to do. By evening we were shattered but seeing as though Friday was going to be a quiet day, we were able to have a solid nights sleep and a deserved lie in.

Notre Dame

 

 

  

The view down the Champs Elysees

The grave of the unknown soldier and the eternal flame

A French picnic!

Wine in front of the Eiffel Tower
- Oh, how French!

The light show, which is shown every evening
is really pretty

So what do we think about these two cities. Berlin was fantastic. There is so much to see and do that a week would be a good length of time to spend there. Whilst it is certainly not as beautiful as Paris, there is more to do. There is something for everybody and I felt the atmosphere was more relaxed than the stiffer, Parisian atmosphere. Berlin is home to some spectacular buildings (The cathedral, the Reichstag) and it has more history (or at least more history that I find interesting) but the buildings and landmarks in Paris are pretty breath-taking. Berlin was surprisingly cheap and very good value, whilst Paris is expensive. Berlin was, for me, very 'un-German' in comparison to places like Munich and Nuremburg, but Paris is what I consider to be, very French. Berlin was certainly more my kind of city, with the culture and the history, whilst Lois preferred Paris, with the style, flair and romance. It's also worth mentioning that I felt very 'uncomfortable' in Paris, due to not being able to speak French. In Berlin we can order and ask questions without a problem, but in France, I hadn't a clue! It brings home how cool it is to have knowledge of a second language, yet I now feel very rude when I can't even attempt to say something in the language of the country I'm in. However one thing that has to be said, is that we were both really surprised at the amount of English we heard. Yes, it's Easter and obviously both cities are tourist hotspots, but the fact that the German / French to English ratio was easily 50:50, was really surprising. It brought home the importance, and the power, the English language holds. Also, Paris is, obviously, stereotypically a city for lovers, and I would certainly agree with this. It was really special going there as a couple and I think this is the best way to experience this. As soppy as it sounds, I wouldn't have wanted to go with anybody else.

And that brings me to now. We're just about recovered and we're super excited for the arrival of my parents and my sister tomorrow. The weather forecast is looking disappointing but hopefully we can still have a nice time altogether. We have lots of ideas so hopefully I can tell you all about it next week.

Until next time,

Tschüß