What I Love and HATE about Berlin: Berlin 2 & 3

Travelling is hardwork and things often don't go to plan, but this is what makes everyday a new challenge and exciting. Here is what I thought for days two and three in Berlin where things did not go as smoothly as in Amsterdam.

The magnificent Berlin Dome

The best things
From the elaborate golden hat detailing both the solar and lunar calender in the Neues Museum, to the absolutely humungous Market Gate of Miletus in the Pergamonmuseum, Berlin has a world-renowned wealth of museums. They even have an UNESCO world heritage site island (Museumsinsel) home to the two aforementioned museums, as well as the Alte Nationalgalerie, Alte Museum and the Bode Museum.

Beautiful classical buildings

The world-famous bust of Queen Nefertiti in the Neues Museum - a must see

Just a side shot of the astounding Pergamon Alter at the Pergamonmuseum - it was so big that I couldn't even fit it in shot.

The sheer size of the Market Gate of Miletus also in the Pergamon is crazy; how on earth did they manage to find something millenia old and re-constuct it half way across the globe?

The best thing about traveling by yourself is that you can be spontaneous as you like. Luck was on my side today as I managed to visit the Musical Instrument Museum just in time for a FREE concert featuring a wonderful Brahms Violin and Piano Sonata and other works featuring two talented young musicians. As a keen musician myself,  I really wanted to attend a concert in Berlin and my wish was granted. Unfortunately I did not have time to explore the museum afterwards, but hopefully I will be able to visit again in the next few days.

My lucky free concert: Tomoki Park on Piano, Isabelle Bania on Violin

The not so good things
Other museums I visited in these last two days include the Holocaust Memorial for Murdered Jews, Gamaldegarie and the Deutsches Historiches Museum. I purchased a concessions 3-day Musueumpass for only 12Euro for free entry to over 50 museums, but did not realise that many of the popular museums like the Deutsches Historiches Museum, DDR museum etc. aren't actually part of the scheme.

Berlin is an huge city that is very spaced out, so I have found navigating myself round more challenging than the likes of Amsterdam and London. Berlin is a very bizarre city as there are often very little people walking on the streets, since it is an unefficient way of exploring the city. However, as a solo traveler in a foreign country, it can feel disconcerting when everywhere seems empty, even major tourist destinations and in museums. There is no city centre and finding food outlets can be challenging, due to the fact that the city was only reunified 25 years ago. This does make the city feel untourist-friendly but perhaps I am just spoilt by London having maps and a Pret-a-manger on every street corner.

Another aspect that I did not expect was that not only are most museums closed on Mondays, but most shops/museums don't open until at least 10.00am. This does mean more lie-ins for me, but less time to explore visit as many places as possible.

The bad things
Berliners are rude. And that's coming from me who is used to London city attitudes. Their unwelcoming nature to foreigners can feel off-putting, but what do you expect after foreign powers have caged them in their own city in relative recent history? However, do not be put off from visiting Berlin as this is just part of their culture and nothing is meant maliciously- just don't expect service with a smile!

That is all for today, see you tomorrow!

Rebecca

A gem from the Gamaldegarie