I landed in Berlin and my immediate goal was to find internet. After a bit of a struggle with the only wifi I could reliably find (at a Starbucks, no less) I was able to figure out directions to my friend Gabe's apartment. We met up in the afternoon and I was able to get my bearings on the city. His internet connection was great, exactly what I needed in order to plan the following days and weeks. That night we had some burgers for dinner, hung out in the park by the canal, and played a little ping-pong. We caught up over some beers, generally kept it mellow for the evening as I was dead tired from a long flight. I slept about 12 hours that night. A partially inflated air mattress has never been so comfortable.
The next day I didn't waste any time. Firstly, the U-Bahn in Berlin is fantastic. Clean, efficient, reliable - everything it isn't in New York. I can't say my experience there didn't help me in Berlin, but there is a marked difference between the two. I rode it just about everywhere I went and loved it. Berlin 1, New York 0.
My first stop was Museuminsel, literally, an island of museums. I hit the Altes Museum, Pergamon, Museum, and the Neues Museum, all in a row. Fantastic. I normally am not too interested in historic works like the ones that fill these famous halls, but something was quite different this time and I quickly determined what it was. The perspective that one gets when surrounded by works and architecture that predates your home nation by many centuries is unique and one that would regularly jump to the front of my mind in the following days. I'm pretty sure I've been standing/walking with my mouth agape thinking about this and other things constantly since I arrived.
The next day, I continued to explore Berlin, but kept my schedule a little less structured. I knew I wanted to see the wall, particularly the East Side Gallery, but found myself wandering after I stopped to change trains on the U-Bahn. I found a nice park with some trails. Green spaces can be found almost everywhere in Berlin, and because the weather had just recently gotten sunny and warm the population was starting to get out and enjoy them when I arrived. Berlin 2, New York 0. I walked a bit, drank some coffee, and stumbled upon the Deutsches Technikmuseum. I didn't expect to be that interested, but I wanted to see where the city decided to take me, and this place certainly grabbed a hold. I love machines, for sure, and this place had them in spades. It's hard to say what was my favorite part of the museum, maybe the printing presses, maybe the model boats, maybe the aircraft exhibits. There was so much to see that I spent 4 hours there without realizing it.
It was my last full day in Berlin and I still had to see the wall. I know it's a super-touristy thing, but the East Side Gallery killed two birds with one stone: gain some perspective on history and culture and see art. "The largest and longest-lasting open air gallery in the world" was a trip. The work was very street-arty but imbued with such a heavy sense of history that it was impossible to ignore even the most banal of sections. I left emotionally and physically exhausted. On the way back to Gabe's I stopped to grab a beer in the park (you can drink in public - Berlin 3, New York 0) and reflected on my short time there. Berlin restored my faith in what a large city can offer. Affordability, culture, a generally relaxed atmosphere, and great beer. Although I still think that my happiness is best found in the country, I certainly will be returning at some point.
I left the next morning and boarded a train, bound for Prague.
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