Off to a good start in Berlin, I continued sightseeing on what was now October 31st, Halloween! . Finding a winter market starting close to Brandenburg Gate, I treated myself to a nutritious breakfast of a crepe with Nutella and Kinder Chocolate baked into it. Ok, not so nutritious, 
but defninitely delicious! While I have affectionate memories of KinderEggs from my childhood, “KinderChocolate” is a lot bigger here in Europe. “Kinder” or some close variation means child in many European languages, making it essentially chocolate for kids. Good thing I’m just a big kid at heart! “Breakfast” done with, I headed to Pariser Platz in front of Brandenburg Gate to meet with another NewEurope tour. After hooking you with their free (but tipped) tours, you can take any of their paid tours, this one on “Red Berlin”. Examining Berlin post WWII, the tour 
headed to many important sights in Berlin, requiring an all day pass on public transport and making good use of it. Our tour guide took us to the only intact section of the Berlin wall death strip, a subway station that was previously blocked off to prevent escape from East Berlin, and the bridge on which captured spies were exchanged; amongst others. It was worth the €10 + €6.50 for public transport, especially since the 3 hour tour ended up stretching out to over 4 hours. After picking up a donner kebab on the way to the hostel, I got ready to meet Alexander, the nephew of a friend back home to enjoy an evening like a local. Meeting in a pub, we downed a beer before heading off to his friend’s Halloween party. Halloween isn’t a big deal in Germany; in fact it didn’t even exist until about 15(?) years ago in much of Europe. Kids are now revelling in the chance to go out and get free candy from neighbours, however it is still catching on, and most families do not celebrate it. Certainly most don’t go to the great lengths many do at home to decorate (Genevieve?). Alexander’s friend is married to an American lady, so she tries to get things going in Germany with an annual Halloween party. Here I got a chance to meet with some locals, have some great discussions, sample some great snacks, and good beer. I was immediately drawn to the table of candy, and probably enjoyed a little too much of it. All in all, a pretty unhealthy day, but it was enjoyed thoroughly; one of the highlights of my visit to Berlin.
but defninitely delicious! While I have affectionate memories of KinderEggs from my childhood, “KinderChocolate” is a lot bigger here in Europe. “Kinder” or some close variation means child in many European languages, making it essentially chocolate for kids. Good thing I’m just a big kid at heart! “Breakfast” done with, I headed to Pariser Platz in front of Brandenburg Gate to meet with another NewEurope tour. After hooking you with their free (but tipped) tours, you can take any of their paid tours, this one on “Red Berlin”. Examining Berlin post WWII, the tour 
headed to many important sights in Berlin, requiring an all day pass on public transport and making good use of it. Our tour guide took us to the only intact section of the Berlin wall death strip, a subway station that was previously blocked off to prevent escape from East Berlin, and the bridge on which captured spies were exchanged; amongst others. It was worth the €10 + €6.50 for public transport, especially since the 3 hour tour ended up stretching out to over 4 hours. After picking up a donner kebab on the way to the hostel, I got ready to meet Alexander, the nephew of a friend back home to enjoy an evening like a local. Meeting in a pub, we downed a beer before heading off to his friend’s Halloween party. Halloween isn’t a big deal in Germany; in fact it didn’t even exist until about 15(?) years ago in much of Europe. Kids are now revelling in the chance to go out and get free candy from neighbours, however it is still catching on, and most families do not celebrate it. Certainly most don’t go to the great lengths many do at home to decorate (Genevieve?). Alexander’s friend is married to an American lady, so she tries to get things going in Germany with an annual Halloween party. Here I got a chance to meet with some locals, have some great discussions, sample some great snacks, and good beer. I was immediately drawn to the table of candy, and probably enjoyed a little too much of it. All in all, a pretty unhealthy day, but it was enjoyed thoroughly; one of the highlights of my visit to Berlin.The next morning, feeling a bit wiped from the night of partying, and a teensy hung over in the morning, I slept late and stayed in bed most of the day, escaping only to get supper. It was a great way to spend a Sunday, getting some writing done, keeping in touch with people, and being as lazy as possible.
Feeling a teensy bit guilty of sloth, I kicked myself out of bed at a reasonable time on Monday morning, getting some good walking in, seeing the sights, and finally doing some sightseeing in the former West Berlin. Each side of the formerly divided Berlin offers its own distinct sights, but the East tends to be more exciting. We all know how western culture goes, but how often do you get to see a city formerly under the control of a Soviet regime? In the west, I visited the tremendously well done Story of Berlin. While many come to Berlin for its recent history, I must say it is refreshing to see a museum not completely focused on the last 70 years. After all, there ARE a couple millennia of activity in the area of what is now Berlin! The Story of Berlin traces Berlin all the way through recorded history, making good use of multimedia displays and interactivity. 
Rooms are themed to their topic, for example a room on industrialism with a booming bass imitating the sounds of a factory in full swing, with conveyer belts of information panels continually travelling the length of the room. The museum traces the history of Berlin up until the 1930’s on the top floor, while all history since is covered in the basement. The exhibit designers took this opportunity to make a statement about Germany’s ‘descent’ into Nazism as you descend the stairs. On each subsequent platform, an information panel describes a period leading up to the war, with portraits of government officials. On the top floor you see a relatively happy looking bunch, with only slight whispers of the emerging National Socialism. By the bottom floor, you are presented with intimidating portraits of stern faced, uniformed, government officials, and the full implementation of Nazi rule. This was one of the most powerful exhibits in the museum, the physical act of descending down stairs a reminder of the modern perception of National Socialism in German popular culture. After breezing through the Cold War section (haven’t we all learned enough by now?) I returned to the lobby for the most exciting part of the visit. Next door to the exhibition centre, and a good ways underground, is one of the 15 (don’t quote me on that, it’s been a while since I was on the tour) nuclear bunkers built by the West in Berlin during the Cold War. Part of an underground parking garage complex, it was never seriously meant for nuclear protection as it was actually used to park cars in the majority of the time. Even during the height of the nuclear threat, it housed parked cars, only being prepared for action when it was built, and when it was restored for exhibition. 
With some 2000 bunks, a surgery, cooking facilities, its own power generation station, and more; it was its own self contained city. Unfortunately it was only self sustaining for two weeks, after which members would have to venture out of the bunker for supplies including water, fuel, food, medical supplies, and anything else needed for sustained life underground. Visiting the bunker demonstrates how unprepared everyone was for nuclear warfare. Luckily it never happened, and you too can visit this wonderful historic site. In fact, I heartily recommend this museum to any visitor of Berlin, especially as a first stop to put everything in perspective. At €8 it is average (student price), and one can spend over three hours no problem exploring the multimedia rich exhibits. After this highlight of my trip, I went to the slightly smaller (or so I heard) DDR Museum. As it turns out, the DDR Museum is really just a large room tightly packed with exhibits on life in the days of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic). At €3.5, the museum was a good way to learn about day to day life in East Germany, and while unimpressive at first, it requires a close look to be fully enjoyed. Definitely enjoy a comfy seat and take in the propaganda video from the late 70’s on the amazing progress of Socialist building projects in East Germany, safely and comfortably housing all good Socialists. This was also my only opportunity to sit in a Trabant, an East German car made throughout the Cold War, no longer in production but a hot collector’s item.
Rooms are themed to their topic, for example a room on industrialism with a booming bass imitating the sounds of a factory in full swing, with conveyer belts of information panels continually travelling the length of the room. The museum traces the history of Berlin up until the 1930’s on the top floor, while all history since is covered in the basement. The exhibit designers took this opportunity to make a statement about Germany’s ‘descent’ into Nazism as you descend the stairs. On each subsequent platform, an information panel describes a period leading up to the war, with portraits of government officials. On the top floor you see a relatively happy looking bunch, with only slight whispers of the emerging National Socialism. By the bottom floor, you are presented with intimidating portraits of stern faced, uniformed, government officials, and the full implementation of Nazi rule. This was one of the most powerful exhibits in the museum, the physical act of descending down stairs a reminder of the modern perception of National Socialism in German popular culture. After breezing through the Cold War section (haven’t we all learned enough by now?) I returned to the lobby for the most exciting part of the visit. Next door to the exhibition centre, and a good ways underground, is one of the 15 (don’t quote me on that, it’s been a while since I was on the tour) nuclear bunkers built by the West in Berlin during the Cold War. Part of an underground parking garage complex, it was never seriously meant for nuclear protection as it was actually used to park cars in the majority of the time. Even during the height of the nuclear threat, it housed parked cars, only being prepared for action when it was built, and when it was restored for exhibition. 
With some 2000 bunks, a surgery, cooking facilities, its own power generation station, and more; it was its own self contained city. Unfortunately it was only self sustaining for two weeks, after which members would have to venture out of the bunker for supplies including water, fuel, food, medical supplies, and anything else needed for sustained life underground. Visiting the bunker demonstrates how unprepared everyone was for nuclear warfare. Luckily it never happened, and you too can visit this wonderful historic site. In fact, I heartily recommend this museum to any visitor of Berlin, especially as a first stop to put everything in perspective. At €8 it is average (student price), and one can spend over three hours no problem exploring the multimedia rich exhibits. After this highlight of my trip, I went to the slightly smaller (or so I heard) DDR Museum. As it turns out, the DDR Museum is really just a large room tightly packed with exhibits on life in the days of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic). At €3.5, the museum was a good way to learn about day to day life in East Germany, and while unimpressive at first, it requires a close look to be fully enjoyed. Definitely enjoy a comfy seat and take in the propaganda video from the late 70’s on the amazing progress of Socialist building projects in East Germany, safely and comfortably housing all good Socialists. This was also my only opportunity to sit in a Trabant, an East German car made throughout the Cold War, no longer in production but a hot collector’s item.All in all, it was a good last day to my time in Berlin. It was an excellent visit to the city I had always wanted to visit, and which for the most part met my expectations. The city is bustling with construction and new businesses, enjoying a relatively strong economy for the times. I didn’t expect everything to be so cheap here, but from food to drinks, prices were consistently low, a welcome relief for a low budget backpacker. Berliners seemed to be happy people, but for the most part tourists don’t get much chance to interact with locals as they are busy going about their own business. Transit in Berlin is terrific, tickets gaining you
simultaneous access to the trains, trams, and busses. Tickets are rarely checked, but I would certainly not recommend going ticketless. The transit police are gruff, unfriendly to tourists, and generally don’t speak English. I had a run in myself with the authorities, as I was caught on my way to Alexanderplatz with the wrong ticket. I was under the impression that a “short ticket” was good for 30 minutes, while a regular ticket was good for an hour. The problem is that while the ticket computers are available in English as well as German and other common languages, none of the fares are explained, leaving you to interpret their validity for yourself. The authorities do not charge onto the train in uniform with ID held high, rather they walk on in street clothes, remaining anonymous until the doors are closed. Once trapped, the ID’s come out, and they go about checking as many tickets before they reach the next station. For some reason (maybe it’s the Canadian flag on the backpack) one made a b-line for me, requesting to see my ticket (I think, I’m still not sure as I don’t speak German, and he didn’t speak English). Talking at me for a bit, he took me by the arm and led me off at the next station. With every English word he spoke (approximately three) he explained to me I had the wrong ticket (“No, wrong ticket”). The ticket went in his pocket, and he requested ID. Handing over my driver’s license, he examined it for a while, writing down details in his handheld computer, before handing over a sheet of paper, also entirely in German. 
Confused, at the wrong station, and now ticketless, I tried my best interpreting the writing on the sheet. I walked the rest of the way to Alexanderplatz and at the tourist office had them explain what happened. The helpful lady explained that a short ticket is only good for 3 train stops and I was now the proud owner of a transit violation fine. The good news is that I didn’t have to pay any fines on the spot, and apparently the ticket will be sent to my house in Canada. Somehow I doubt it will ever make it, but maybe I’m wrong. Any fines in the mail yet Mom? Luckily, I got off easy here; I have heard horror stories of scams with the transit authorities and much rougher treatment. I guess I must have smiled the right way. Aside from this little bump in the road, my trip to Berlin was excellent with lots of touristy sightseeing , an unforgettable experience with some locals, and all made even better by a clean and well run hostel. I’m glad to say that Berlin was exactly what I hoped it would be.
simultaneous access to the trains, trams, and busses. Tickets are rarely checked, but I would certainly not recommend going ticketless. The transit police are gruff, unfriendly to tourists, and generally don’t speak English. I had a run in myself with the authorities, as I was caught on my way to Alexanderplatz with the wrong ticket. I was under the impression that a “short ticket” was good for 30 minutes, while a regular ticket was good for an hour. The problem is that while the ticket computers are available in English as well as German and other common languages, none of the fares are explained, leaving you to interpret their validity for yourself. The authorities do not charge onto the train in uniform with ID held high, rather they walk on in street clothes, remaining anonymous until the doors are closed. Once trapped, the ID’s come out, and they go about checking as many tickets before they reach the next station. For some reason (maybe it’s the Canadian flag on the backpack) one made a b-line for me, requesting to see my ticket (I think, I’m still not sure as I don’t speak German, and he didn’t speak English). Talking at me for a bit, he took me by the arm and led me off at the next station. With every English word he spoke (approximately three) he explained to me I had the wrong ticket (“No, wrong ticket”). The ticket went in his pocket, and he requested ID. Handing over my driver’s license, he examined it for a while, writing down details in his handheld computer, before handing over a sheet of paper, also entirely in German. 
Confused, at the wrong station, and now ticketless, I tried my best interpreting the writing on the sheet. I walked the rest of the way to Alexanderplatz and at the tourist office had them explain what happened. The helpful lady explained that a short ticket is only good for 3 train stops and I was now the proud owner of a transit violation fine. The good news is that I didn’t have to pay any fines on the spot, and apparently the ticket will be sent to my house in Canada. Somehow I doubt it will ever make it, but maybe I’m wrong. Any fines in the mail yet Mom? Luckily, I got off easy here; I have heard horror stories of scams with the transit authorities and much rougher treatment. I guess I must have smiled the right way. Aside from this little bump in the road, my trip to Berlin was excellent with lots of touristy sightseeing , an unforgettable experience with some locals, and all made even better by a clean and well run hostel. I’m glad to say that Berlin was exactly what I hoped it would be.With Berlin behind me, it’s off to Hamburg to see some of Germany’s naval history.
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