Berlin runs on Dunkin

We arrived in Berlin around 9am on Monday. During our first thirty minutes of transport from the main train station to our hostel, we walked by at least three Dunkin Donuts. While the commercials remind us that "America Runs on Dunkin" it quickly became evident that Berlin does too. I can confidently say that I saw more Dunkin Donuts in my three days in Berlin than I ever have in the United States. The eleven of us had a nice lunch before making our way to the Brandenburg Gate for the start of our tour. As we waited for the start, we enjoyed the antics of street performers dressed as soldiers, and others making art with bubbles.

Our tour was highly informative, explaining the history of a city that was the heart of global conflict just decades ago. We started our tour at the Brandenburg Gate, which used to symbolize the division of the city but has become Berlin's symbol of unity since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The next stop was the Holocaust Memorial. The monument consists of 2,711 concrete slabs, all of which are the same shape, but vary in size, height and position. While it resembles a large cemetery, our tour guide noted that the monument is left open to interpretation. It serves as a memorial for those who died and a reminder that while we as humans are all different, we are fundamentally the same. 

We continued to the spot where Adolf Hitler committed suicide, which is now a parking lot. The bunker however still remains in tact beneath the lot. We continued to one of the longest remaining portions of the Berlin Wall followed by Checkpoint Charlie and ended our tour at museum island.

After our tour we made a brief stop at a bar recommended by our tour guide that housed over 100 varieties of beer. It was there that I tried a beer that tastes like bacon. Fear not, my vegetarianism lives on, as the beer was completely vegetarian and was simply smoked, giving it that delicious bacon flavor. That evening, we learned the hard way that bars and clubs are generally not open on Mondays in Berlin.

On Tuesday morning we made our way to Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin's largest palace. The palace once belonged to the Hohenzollern family. The palace was huge and the grounds were beautiful. Much like Versailles, I imagine Charlottenburg Palace is even more astonishing in the summer.

That afternoon I met up with my former babysitter and one of my favorite people in the world, Sepi! We spent the afternoon together, as she showed me all around the city. She took me to a park with one of the best panoramic views of the city imaginable. After a delightful stop for ice cream, we hopped on the metro to check out the East Side Gallery. This was the portion of the wall that was painted after the wall was torn down, as a form of self expression. As the sun began to drop we made our way for an early dinner. We enjoyed a divine Mexican meal, my first encounter with tacos since arriving in Europe in January.

After dinner, I met back up work the rest of the gang. We made our way to the Sony Center, as recommended by my close friend and German beer expert, Joe Brendler. The Sony Center is Sony's European Headquarters and played a large role in rejuvenating the city after World War II. At night the center is lit up and serves as home to several restaurants. It was there that I tried the "1 Meter Beer" a sampler of four different beers. I needed help from some friends, but we managed to finish it. Matrix, one of Berlin's most popular clubs, was our next stop. We spent the evening celebrating both Justine and Morgan's birthdays.

The monster they call the "1 Meter Beer"

The Sony Center

We woke up Wednesday and made our way back to the Berlin Wall's East Gallery. Sepi and I saw most of it, but the rest of the group didn't get a chance to see it, so I gladly made a return visit. We then returned to the city center to visit the Panoramapunkt, one of Berlin's tallest buildings, to get a view of the city from the sky. We took a trip to the top in Europe's fastest elevator. As the sun began to set, I made a trip to the Holocaust Memorial museum to gain a better understanding of the memorial itself, and learn more about the role Berlin played in the atrocities of World War II. The museum is a must for anyone visiting Berlin.

Nick and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to visit the Berlin Philharmonic while we could. We made it to the eight o'clock show just in time. We spent the next two hours enjoying the sounds of Bach's son's work in a wonderful venue. The unity of the orchestra was astounding. While Nick is far more musically talented than I am, we both played cello back in the day, and were able to enjoy the show wholeheartedly. My favorite part of the performance was the enthusiasm of the conductor, as his conducting style resembled that of Bugs Bunny.

After the show we met back up with the gang for our last night out. We made our way to one of the most exclusive clubs in Berlin, Watergate, only to find out first hand just how exclusive it was. We were told the club was too full for any other entrants, only to watch countless other people ushered in behind us. We headed back down the street to Matrix. To our surprise the interior of the club looked entirely different from the previous evening as new rooms were opened, and the bars and stages had be relocated. A good night was had by all, and we returned home for rest before an early morning train to our final destination, Prague.

I went into Berlin with very high expectations following my great experiences in Munich. Berlin was very different but still very enjoyable. Next stop, Prague!

Auf Wiedersehen, Berlin!