Berlin, Germany! Part 2: sights and flights

We’ve stopped pressuring ourselves to see as much as possible and wear ourselves out while visiting a city. We saw some new and interesting (to us) places, and some of the usual suspects. The first day with a train ticket, we went to Stadtmitte and started walking around. Well, we didn’t get too far right away because of the chocolate place I raved about last week.

We saw a church dome out the window of the chocolate place and decided to check it out, not knowing that it housed a museum of parliament. Now, we are all for an unusual display, and this was well worth the time. Information in English is posted in nearly every room and the architecture is nifty.

After that we walked to Checkpoint Charlie and the amazing museum there.  I am grateful for the opportunity to have seen it as a teenager, when it made a huge impression on me. I’d highly recommend it.

For you crafters out there, two art supply stores are in another mall close to Potsdammer Platz where I picked up several glitter pens, scrapbook papers, stickers, etc. Easy walking distance from Stadmitte. Remind me to NOT google art supplies next time... or ?

The second day with a train ticket, we went to the Botanical Gardens, which are about 20 minutes (train) plus a short walk away from Charlottenburg. Although there were “only” crocus and a few daffodils blooming along the paths, the greenhouses were spectacular and well worth the trip. Worldwide plants grew with fragrant blossoms that cheered us on a cloudy day. We entered one end of the gardens and exited at the other end, catching a bus to the nearest train station, where we found an assortment of restaurants and shops. The gardens have their own restaurant and a museum, neither of which we went to.

Please note that Segway tours really do require advance reservation if you are eager to take a tour on a certain day/at a certain time. One of the companies has a satellite location in a hotel near KaDeWe, but they are NOT staffed prior to all tour times. They are only staffed if a tour has been reserved/pre-paid.

We flew EasyJet for the first time, and had no problems on the way to Berlin. The return trip was delayed, and we didn’t get any notification until after arriving at the airport. It seems much more common these days for flight delays. There is so much to see and experience in Berlin, you'll enjoy your time there.

Jerusalem, Israel! Part I

We were in Jerusalem at the beginning and end of our trip. We took a pre-arranged taxi from the airport upon arrival, and the same driver later to Tel Aviv. Jerusalem can be overwhelming with so many amazing sights, lots of sounds (people, honking horns), and new experiences from food to crowds that we tried to pace ourselves.

The Citadel Museum was a great way to start our trip. Tremendous views and interesting displays. Yummy pecan pie and light grapefruit juice at the snack stand. We did not expect the Mamilla Mall to be so fancy and modern, but it is! We got a local SIM card, Naot sandals, and enjoyed a salad with grilled fish.

At the recommendation of a friend in the US, we had an excellent experience with a local tour guide. I would rather listen to historical explanations than read them in a book (although I did plenty of research before the trip). We walked through the Armenian quarter to the western wall, which felt holy immediately upon entering the square. The entire trip was a study in gender inequality, and at the end of our trip when we returned to the wall, I noticed that the much larger prayer area for men was less occupied than the smaller prayer area for women.

We were amazed to see the excavations in the City of David! The water tunnels were a feat of engineering! Beautiful view over the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives.

At the end of the tour, we viewed a second potential location of the Tomb of David, along with one potential location of the “Upper Room” (Last Supper).

Berlin, Germay! Part 1: food and transportation

We’ve been to Berlin before, though it was many years ago. We decided to stay in Charlottenburg, which was a nice neighborhood to be based out of. We walked around some days and bought day pass tickets to the subway for 7 Euros each on other days. We could have bought one-way tickets for 2.80 but didn’t know if we’d want to take more than 1 additional ride, so it was worth the 7 Euros for unlimited rides. We didn’t get a tourist pass because we planned on activities other than many museums, which are discounted with the tourist pass. The ticket machines have a British flag on the screen to select your preferred language, and the app is also helpful.

Although we are not big shoppers, we went to two malls twice, for different reasons. We were intrigued by KaDeWe’s claim to be the largest mall in continental Europe, and it may be true! Our favorite section was the food court, with an unbelievable variety of fish, meat (burgers starting at 9 Euros), pasties, teas, coffees, fancy decorative sugars to buy for your tea parties, cheeses, chocolates, and on and on. We had a pastry, which was ok, tea that was super, and dinner at the buffet on the top floor. It’s self serve and then your plate is weighed, which can get pricey, but the view was great and it wasn’t crowded. Like many stores in Germany, it closed at 8pm, which we found surprising in such a large city. Please note that the cafeteria on the top floor of the Karstadt just a few blocks away on the Kufurstendam street has the same foods as the buffet at KaDeWe, and the prices seem lower (I got the same fresh juice twice, and either the KDW overcharged me, or the prices really are different). The Karstadt department store buffet is smaller but tastes great and a different wonderful view.

The other mall we went to just about every day is Bikini next to the zoo. The star of the show for a certain someone was their mashed potato snack bar. It’s on the outside of the food court on the second floor, and there are at least 8 varieties of mashed potato bowls made from fresh hot/whole potatoes and your preferred toppings such as grilled veggies, smoked salmon, etc.! Worth return trips! And their desserts were nice, too. The food court food was ok, but also closed at 8pm, even on a Friday, while the mashed potato place stayed open later every night. On the roof of the Bikini mall, you can look out into the zoo, and from the ground floor there is a large window into one of the monkey play areas.

Near the Stadmitte train stop, you will find yourself in a delight of many kinds of chocolate! There is a large shop, with a “deli” next door and a formal café upstairs that opens at 11am. Since we were there before 11am, we checked out the deli and loved the 2 types of chocolate we got there: a huge pudding for J and an amazing hot cocoa for me. They also have salads and sandwiches. I am not embarrassed to admit that we returned to the café in the afternoon and enjoyed the treats there. We actually liked the deli items better, although two of my 4 small desserts were outstanding upstairs. Next time, we’d sit at the cafe chocolate “bar” where a conveyor belt carries small plates of pastries that you select and check off on a paper menu at your seat, then pay at the end. I thought I knew all about excellent European chocolate, and am happy to add the discovery of Rausch to my list to superior products.