Bearlin

And so to Germany!  Berlin to be exact.  Or is it spelt Bearlin.  There seems to be a lot of bears around.

So after arriving here later than originally planned meant that we arrived quite late at the hostel, so just wondered around the area, ate some food (the human seemed impressed with her ability to remember some German, easily pleased that one) and frequented the hostel bar.

Now, if you do happen to find yourself in Berlin, looking for a place cheaper than a hotel but nicer than a normal hostel, we’d definitely recommend the Globetrotter Odyssee Hostel.  The room was hostely and a little bare, but clean, painted and comfy.  It has a lovely, huge kitchen (unfortunately only available after they’ve finished brekkie in the morning) and the common area had a small cheap bar, computers, books and table football.  The breakfast was filling too.  It was generally pretty great for the price.  

Day one – Walking tour and Aussie company

So first full day.  We went on the Berlin Free Walking Tour, with a lovely Aussie tour guide, Anique.  It was a great tour, we learnt so much, saw so much and had a great time.  Anique mentioned that tour people got cheap schnitzel at a particular restaurant, if anyone wanted to join her.  So we all tagged along (especially when we heard that our English companion had never even heard of schnitzel, let alone eaten it!)  Anique’s Aussie friends joined us and we did indeed have delicious, cheap schnitzel (and veggie schnitzel).  Then she offered to continue to show us around.  We went with them for the rest of the evening.  It was really great of them to let us tag along and it was great to see some areas that were off the map. 

We have since spoken to a few people about the Free Walking Tour and discovered that the tour guide has to pay the company for each person that comes on the tour – so if you do decide to take a tour – be sure to tip well or else you are costing the guide.  And trust us, if your tour was half as good as I were, it will be totally worth it.

Day two – Build a bear, DDR Museum, Walking, Squats, Punk Pizza and Drinking Mead from a horn

We did the most important thing first, visited Build A Bear.  The woman in the shop was delightful, stamped our passport, chastised the human for not filling them with more information and then gave us some lovely bows for our hair.  Too girly for us, so the human snatched them for herself.

We visited the DDR Museum which was an interesting insight into life in the GDR.  The human keeps spouting little interesting information she learnt in there to whomever will listen.

Then we walked and walked and walked.  Berlin is great for exploring, so many interesting places, arty types and squats.  The human found a supermarket so dragged us round excitedly.  It always seems the highlights of her holidays is running around foreign supermarkets and enjoying foreign food.

Now, for your one big fancy meal in Germany, what would you go looking for?  That’s right, we went Italian.  A friend had recommended this Punk Rock Pizza Joint – also known as Cucina Casaligna – an amazing pizzeria (best pizza we’ve had in a long time) – run by people with a love for punk rock.  The walls were covered with posters, but for those not interested in the music, no need to worry – it isn’t playing and if you ignore the posters, it’s just like any other amazing pizza place.  The waiter spoke Italian, German and a little English.  The human spoke a little Italian, a little German and English.  They muddled through and got there in the end. 

After such a lovely meal, Sleepy and I stayed in and enjoyed some relaxing, played some table football whilst the humans checked out the Viking Rock Bar they had seen advertised.  Oddly, on the way to find it, they found a completely different Viking Rock Bar.  It wasn't a chain, they were just two individual Viking Rock Bars, within four minute walks of each other.  Who knew there were so many Vikings in Berlin, looking to rock.  The human drank mead from a horn.  Odd behaviour.

Day three - train

And so today we are waiting for the train...