My expierences in Berlin. A travel dairy.

28 Augustus 2017

I have doubted about how I would write these texts and I have concluded that it would be best for the structure that it would be this form, the form of a dairy, As of now I am happy with this format and I will write down my experiences in Berlin like this, day by day.

Today it is monday 28 august 2017 and I am 24 years old at the moment, a person on the ASS that is going abroad for the first time ever, on my own that is. I am going to Berlin (if you didn't get that out of the title yet). After years of whining I finally get to go. My mode of transportation is the plane as going from here to Berlin by train would take me 8 hours, with the plane only around 3-4 with getting to the airport and checking in and then finally flying to Berlin included. I am taking the plane in Brussels, originally I booked a flight with Brussels airlines but it ended up being a flight from Star Alliance of which Brussels airlines is a member off.

I just have to take note, that the self check in goes fast, I arrived at the airport around 12.20 and was already past security before 13h. As a citizen of one of the countries of the schengen agreement going to another member state I didn't even have to show my identity card even once. But now the long 3 hour wait before boarding was about to start. What I did at the airport after I browsed the stores was just going from one end of the terminal to the other using those flat moving stairs! For 3 hours on end. Just to keep me busy.

A travellers guide to Berlin 

The boarding should have started at 16.10 but it didn't, it began over 15 minutes later and I was freaking out, it was well over 10 years ago that I even taught about using a plane as a mode of transportation so naturally I was afraid I would have missed my flight while being right in front of the gate I had to be after waiting for hours. (Always looking on the bright side of life can be quite difficult at times)

The flight seemed to go by quicker than it actually happened, even tough the cramped leg space I did enjoy the view from my window seat. Common sense seem to have eluded many people on the airplane itself as everyone wants to go outside to plane at once, which is impossible and making the line even longer. Once outside of the airport I took a taxi from the airport to my hotel. The driver was way friendlier than expected as I took to reddit for any etiquette rules that I might not have know about that are living in Berlin.

What I've never seen before is that there is a meter in the cab that shows what you have to pay which updates regularly (you pay by the (kilo)meter). 

During the check in in my hotel, I needed to fill out a form with my name and home adress. It assumed my nationality, and it said I was dutch. This is quite the insult! I refused to sign this piece of paper but the girl behind the counter said I could just scrap it and fill in my real nationality which I of course did!

Luggage in the room I went to eat in this local non touristic Italian restaurant which I got a coupon from from my hotel. I barely got time to drink it as my ordered beer was there within seconds after the placement of the aperitif.
The beer was absolutely tasteless (Berliner pilsner or something it was called) but the pizza was pretty good which was nice, I found myself looking for a pub after dinner. Which was surprisingly cheap and found myself entering an Irish bar and drank a pint of Guinnes (looking back later it was the best beer in Berlin.)