Berlin, Germany - Europe Trip 2012

After we said our goodbyes to Scandinavia, we boarded an overnight train headed for Berlin, Germany. I had zero expectations for Berlin. I hadn't heard much about it and I had never had much interest in visiting before this trip. Because we arrived in Berlin so early, we were able to get a great head start on the day. We began our adventure in Berlin's main train station, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, not far from the heart of the city. We decided to check our luggage at the train station so that we could explore the city without the weight of our belongings. At 5 euro for the whole day, it was well worth it!

I look like this because I slept on a train the night before.

The agenda for the day: explore! We knew we wanted to take the 9am NewBerlin Walking Tour and all agreed that breakfast was necessary to sustain ourselves throughout the day. On our search for breakfast, we stumbled upon the Reichstag (Berlin's capital building). It is absolutely enormous. What we didn't realize at the time was that its incredible size would set the tone for the rest of Berlin. We were all struck by it's power and my excitement for this city began to grow.

For breakfast, we found a cute little street side cafe, not far from the tour's meeting place (pictured above). Everyone ordered something different and we all shared with each other. The hot chocolate was one of the best hot chocolates I've ever had; it was a perfect mixture of creamy chocolate. We cut it a bit close with breakfast and had to rush over to the tour, but were able to make it in time. As usual, the tour did not disappoint. Our guide led us to so many places and provided amazing historical insight into each stop. It was one of the best tours I've ever been on.

After providing a 10 minute history lesson, our guide took us to Berlin's Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe and had us walk through individually. I appreciate that she asked us to separate from our friends, family, and fellow tour members, because almost instantly we were lost from one another, losing friends in a single turn. As you walk into the center, the concrete pillars begin getting taller and you begin to lose site and sound of the city around you. Many criticize the monument for being ugly, but I think the experience is so powerful. The artist wanted people to have a glimpse into what it was like for Jews during the Holocaust to be lost and separated from all that was familiar and safe, and I think the monument captures a fraction of that feeling.

After a stop above Hitler's "final stand" bunker, we made our way through several Nazi built buildings that have been repurposed and continue to be used today (i.e. the German IRS building). We made a stop at a still-standing portion of the Berlin Wall and learned of all the methods authorities used to keep people from crossing (snipers, attack dogs, spikes hidden under sand, etc.)

Next up: Checkpoint Charlie! This was so fun to see in person. It was crazy touristy, but worth being able to say that I've been there. There was even a vendor that was offering to stamp passports with East/West Berlin stamps, but I didn't want to have to pay for a stamp. When I told my friend Julie about it, she said, "I didn't think I should have an unofficial marker in a government document". I didn't even think of that, ha!

After Checkpoint Charlie, we hit some major sites including, The Opera House, the Royal Court, the Memorial of the Unmarked Jew and Unmarked Nazi Solider, and Museum Island. The buildings continued to be huge and the history rich. Before we left, we made sure to ask our guide about recommendations on where to eat, neighborhoods to see, and places to skip. It's so great to get a local opinion so you can know what the true highlights are. I mean, as Rick Steves says, "Traveling is becoming a temporary local".

We gathered our things, some lunch, and then hung out at our apartment until Sarah joined us later that night. A sweet thunderstorm rolled in and we were able to rest up for an (unknowingly) long evening. After Sarah arrived, and we were able to share our stories with her, we headed to dinner. Based on our guide's recommendation, we ate in Berlin's Mediterranean neighborhood. The food wasn't great, but I really enjoyed sitting along the sidewalk, watching the city go by, and having conversation with my friends.

A band playing in a train station. Time: 3:00am!

See the sunrise coming in the distance?

Berlin is known for its House music and has a crazy nightclub scene that Ian wanted to check it out. Robbie did some nightclub research before we left for dinner and found a place called "Watergate" right along the river. As we made our way over, we could here House music pouring out of each bar and club. We were fortunate that our dinner ran late because most of the clubs didn't even open until midnight, with the last DJ scheduled to start spinning at 8am! Robbie and I left around 3am (yikes!), while Ian and Sarah stayed out until sunrise! I was a bit hesitate at the thought of going to a club so late, but I am SO glad we did. It was so fun to dance with our friends and be part of Berlin's culture, even if it was only for a couple of hours.

We took the second day in Berlin at a much slower pace. We slept in a bit (or napped for Ian and Sarah :) and then headed out for an authentic German breakfast. Ian found an amazing place online called, Anna Blume. It had great reviews, is favored by locals, and is located in the super cute Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood. We all loved the big trees and Ali thought it reminded her of Willow Glen (a cute neighborhood in San Jose). Breakfast was delicious. We shared their special, had more food than our table could hold, ordered sweet juices, and couldn't even finish everything! It was probably one of my favorite meals of the whole trip.

After breakfast we went to a local flea market (another recommendation from our guide) held on Sundays. It was huge, full of people, with a ton of variety to browse through. It was crazy crowded, but  full of locals. The whole morning felt how a lazy Sunday afternoon that would be spent if we actually lived there.

At this point, we decided to split with Ali and Elijah. The four of us decided to take a second walking tour and they wanted to hang at the flea market a bit longer. Things got a little crazy from here. We were a little pinched for time and could have made it no problem, but Robbie jinxed us by saying, "We'll definitely make it unless we have crazy bad luck". We barely missed our first tram from the flea market, which then lead us to miss the train. In a rush of trying to get on the right train, we went in the wrong direction completely! We found ourselves totally lost in an unfamiliar train station, with Robbie frustrated at himself, and Ian, Sarah, and I running around like crazy people wherever we thought we should go. Since we missed our tour I suggested that we take the West Berlin Walking Tour, and everyone jumped at the idea. Once we arrived at the meeting place, we realized that there isn't actually a West Berlin tour, it's just a separate meeting place for the East Berlin tour we took yesterday! Tours were not in our cards that day, but we were able to make light of the whole situation. I mean, what's a trip if you're not getting a little lost?!

For dinner that night we decided to go to the oldest Beer Garden in Berlin, Pratergarten. It is located in in Prenzlauer Berg and a quick tram ride from our apartment. I really, really liked spending time here. The food was actually really delicious and the atmosphere was surprisingly family friendly. Kidlets were running around while their parents enjoyed conversation; I loved how they continued to include their children in their lives and didn't just suspend their lifestyle completely.

The next morning we made sure to see the last of what we wanted before we left for Prague. Robbie, Sarah, Ian, and I decided to explore Berlin's huge park, the Tiergarten. Two main things to know about the park: it is HUGE and it is beautiful. It used to be the hunting grounds for the Royal Family, so it was created to have loads of space for animals to roam and men to shoot. As you go deeper into the park, it feels more and more like a forest; tall trees, green meadows, and serene lakes. You can very easily forget that you are in such a massive city. Leave yourself plenty of time to explore; it took us over an hour to get from one end to another, at a pretty quick pace.

Overall, I think that Berlin was one of my favorite stops on the whole trip. I was so surprised by how large the whole city was, but not intimidating. Robbie and I have already agreed that the next time we visit, we want to be here for at least a week.

Have you been to Berlin? What was most surprising for you?

(More photos after the jump)

Berlin Loves You

Unfortunately, I was not able to finish up the full Berlin post for you today. But have no fear! I'll be back with a full-fledge, kick-ass post for you tomorrow (in all seriousness, I'm really excited about it :). I hope you had a great "hump day" and are starting to get excited for the weekend!

Copenhagen, Denmark - Europe Trip 2012

Since Copenhagen is only a 30 minute train ride from Malmo, we decided to head over for a day trip.  Our goal was to make it to the Sandeman's New Copenhagen free walking tour so that we could get a feel of the city. Luckily, we arrived early enough to start our day with some delicious Danish pastries from a bakery called Lagkagehuset. Seriously, the Danes don't mess around with their danishes, they were some of the best we have ever had; so fresh and fluffy.

Once the tour got started, we made our way around the city fairly quickly. Copenhagen is a large city full of beautiful architecture and friendly people. Most of it looks hundreds of year old, but it is actually newer than you may think. Apparently Copenhagen has suffered a long history of fires and has been forced to rebuild several times. We walked through the Royal Roundabout, passed a spy's hideout, and strolled along the picturesque harbor. The colorful building were so cheery in the warm, sunny weather.

After the first tour ended, we split from Ali and Elijah. They headed back to Malmo while Ian, Robbie, and I signed up for an additional harbor tour. We visited the famous Little Mermaid statue (Ian actually sat in her lap!), Christian's Harbor, and Christiania.

The second tour was great because we were able to see much quieter areas of Copenhagen, away from the crowds of tourists we were fighting earlier. It was so peaceful watching the boats glide along the water and I even found my self a bit jealous watching Copenhageners eat their dinner along the water's edge. I would love to enjoy dinner with my guy, after a long day of work, taking in this scenery.

At the conclusion of our tour, we visited a city within the city called Christiania. Christiania is a total hippie commune and Robbie loved every single minute of it. They are a communist community (everything is passed through 100% consensus. everything) and people have to go through an application process before they are approved to live within the community. If you are visiting for the day, you don't have to worry about that, visitors are more than welcome! There are three rules in Christiania to take note of:

1. No photos (hence, I only have one from the outside)
2. No running
3. No hard drugs

Photos are not allowed because soft drugs (i.e. marijuana) are and they don't want photo evidence of people participating. People are allowed to run within the commune, just not anywhere near "Green Ally" (a main thoroughfare that hosts bars, merchant stands, and hangout areas). People are not allowed to run because if people are running, that indicates that a police raid is coming and that everyone should ditch their drugs. You can imagine the frustration that would case if it was a false alarm. Lastly, Christianites do not want their community to be a haven for drug abuse. It is a rule that they have all agreed to and all work to protect.

The second tour group was much smaller, so we were able to get to know our fellow travelers a bit better. We met a couple of ladies from Ireland, a Network Engineer from Houston, and two study abroad students from Argentina. One of the best things about traveling is meeting people from all over the world, it's an extravert's dream!

Have you visited Copenhagen? What was the highlight for you? 

(More photos after the jump! And, in case you missed it, I added more photos to my Malmo post :).

Malmo, Sweden - Europe Trip 2012

We've been back in the states for two weeks now, but it seems like forever since we were backpacking through Europe. Luckily, lots of pictures were taken and I am so excited to share them with you this week! I'll be posting a different place each day, and sharing our stories along the way. I hope you enjoy them. First stop: Malmo, Sweden!

Malmo is a city in the very south of Sweden, right along the coast of the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Sweden and one of the largest cities in Scandinavia. When visiting Malmo, travelers actually fly into Copenhagen, Denmark because it has a large, international airport, and is only a 20-30 minute train ride to Malmo. We chose Malmo because Alison's parents are currently living there, they've visited before (and they would know where to take us), and who doesn't want to start a trip with a free place to stay?!

Since Sweden is so far north, the sun stays out much longer in the Summer. We only experienced nightfall from 11pm to 4am. Every hour between had enough sun to light the sky (the "sunset" pictures above were actually taken around 10:30pm).

We spent our first day in Malmo walking all over the place! We made sure to see the Turning Torso (the tallest building in Scandinavia), we hung out along the Baltic Sea, and strolled through an amazing park. Since the sun doesn't come out as often, people soak it up in the summertime! People were sunbathing all over the place; parks, waterfronts, restaurants, anywhere they could be outside. It made me realize just how spoiled I am here in California.

After a long day of exploring, Alison's Dad, Curt, treated us all to dinner at a great outdoor restaurant. It reminded some of us of a restaurant in Santa Cruz called Shadowbrook because it had multiple levels and lots of vegetation among the tables. It's only open during the summer months and had a great vibe throughout.

One aspect of the city that really stood out for me was the architecture. There is so much older architecture living among new/ modern technology. I thought the city did a great job of merging the two, without compromising either style.

Our last day in Malmo was much more relaxed than our first. We woke to rain falling on the sky lights and spent the morning window shopping through the city. Since we were carrying everything in our packs I didn't want to make any purchases, so I grabbed the catalogs to my favorite stores instead. The design and style in Sweden is so simple and inspiring; I definitely walked away with a mind full of imagination and creativity.

We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring a couple of parks and having a picnic near a lake. The sky kept threatening to rain, but it held out just long enough for us to get home. Once home, we packed our things, had one last dinner with Curt, and then caught our over night train to Berlin...

To be continued...

(More photos after the jump)

Olympic Predictions

As my tribute week to the Olympics comes to a close, I've decided to send you off with some of my predictions for the Games, the athletes, and the Rio Games in 2016. Enjoy!

• The U.S. is going to finish on top of the medal race, with over 100 medals 
• The U.S. Women's Volleyball and the U.S. Men's Basketball team take gold
• Missy Franklin will return to Rio as the female version of Michael Phelps 
• Michael Phelps will be included in the next two Olympic Games (at least) in some sort of capacity or another
• Kerry Walsh will return to Rio, but I don't think she'll make it to the gold medal stand (sorry!) 
• Ryan Lochte will get a gold grill

What are your Olympic predictions?

The Face of Diving

Diving is one of my favorite sports to watch during the Olympics. It seems as though it may be boring, but it captures my attention and leaves me at the edge of my seat. The judges are able to pick apart the smallest mistakes while I'm left wondering if I need to make an optometry appointment. This need for perfection forces athletes to focus on every movement their muscle makes and creates unfortunate facial expressions. Here are some of my favorite shots from the Olympic Aquatic Center (past and present)...

Do you watch diving in the Olympics? Now, try and watch it now without noticing their facial expressions throughout the dive. 

Olympic Fun Facts

Did you know that the first Winter Olympic Games were not held until 1924? I had no idea. Or that Norway is the country that has won the most medals at the Winter Games (263 in total)? As I did some digging, I found quite a few fun facts: 

• In the first modern Olympics, Athens 1896, first place winners were awarded silver medals and olive branches. Second place contestants were awarded bronze medals and third place finishers left empty handed.
• First place winners in the 1900 Paris Olympics received paintings instead of gold medals because they were considered to be more valuable.
• The first Olympic city to award Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals was St. Louis in 1904.
• A record 202 countries participated in the 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens.
• Three continents – Africa, South America, and Antarctica – have never hosted an Olympics.
• The United States has won more medals (2,189) at the Summer Games than any other country.
• China did not win a medal until 1984. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics alone, they received 100 medals including 51 gold.

Would you rather receive a painting or a gold medal for your first place finish?  

The Olympic Athlete's Village

As the best athletes in the world come together in one place, they all need places to stay. The villages are built to house the participating athletes, trainers, and officials, with each person getting a roommate. Family and friends are allowed the visit, but have to go through extensive security checks while the media is completely banned. There are crazy stories of wild parties as each event wraps up, but I don't want to soil my view of the Olympics. ;)

Here are some shots from the Olympic Athletes Village in London:

Have you ever seen the inside of an Olympic Athlete Village? I would love to stay with an athlete from a different country! You can view more of the pictures here.

Everything Olympic

As you may know, I absolutely LOVE the Olympics; I don't even want to admit how many hours I've dedicated to watching global competitions in the last week. My love for the Olympics, in addition to waiting for some of the pictures from my trip (ahem, Ian and Sarah... :) I've decided to dedicate my posts this week to the greatest sporting event that (only) happens once every four years. I'll be sharing some insights, theories, and anything Olympic related (I hope this doesn't drive anyone away).

I'm going to kick off the week with my top Olympic destinations after the jump...