Germany, Part 1: Berlin

We have Laura to thank for this year’s incredible family trip to Germany, at least partially. When she learned that Clare would be studying in Berlin for 6 weeks, she immediately announced, “I want to go to Germany!” Given that a year ago, she was hesitant to go just about anywhere, we seized on this enthusiasm and made it happen.

Berlin doesn’t get as much promotion as a can’t-miss European destination as Munich, etc., so we figured a couple of days there would be plenty. Upon review, I think we would all agree that it’s a highly underrated city, and we enjoyed it much more than we expected.

Thanks to flight issues, we wound up taking a train from Amsterdam to Berlin, arriving in the evening. After dropping our bags at the hotel, we found a nearby Italian restaurant with a lovely outdoor patio, and thus promptly settled into vacation life.

The next day we got up, enjoyed the hotel breakfast buffet at an alfresco table, and headed out to explore some Berlin highlights. We started with Brandenburg Gate, which was walking distance from our hotel. From there we made the short walk to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which was somehow both simple and complex, and definitely powerful. 

Right across the street from the memorial was the Tiergarten, where Clare had mentioned that she and her roommate rode bikes, etc. It was lovely, though we didn’t spend a ton of time there. We had hopes of checking out the nearby Reichstag Building, but tickets were sold out for the day. So, after hydrating we hopped on the U-Bahn and headed to the East Side Gallery, which is the longest continuous section of the Berlin Wall still in existence. It was pretty fascinating to tour a piece of history that Tim and I remembered actively from our youth. 

We made our way to Alexanderplatz for lunch, and a close-up look at the Berliner Fernsehturm, a.k.a. the Berlin TV Tower. By now it was definitely time for a rest (or a 2-hour nap that we would come to regret that night, but oh well). Ever the top-notch travel planner, Tim had made dinner reservations at a place that essentially served German tapas. It was located in an interesting part of town, and was a fun, unique way to try some quintessential German fare with an amusing waiter. We gave their dessert offerings a thumbs down, however, so opted to set out for a better option - AND to stalk Clare. As it was her last night with her program friends, we had largely left her alone, knowing we would link up the next day for the duration of the trip. But thanks to the wonders of Life 360, we found her on Alexanderplatz and made a quick visit before setting off in search of suitable sweets.

Saturday, after quickly receiving a sleep-deprived Clare and her roommate Elena (whose flight home was canceled), we once again opted for the hotel breakfast before making our way to Charlottenburg Palace. The ornate interior and extensive gardens made for an impressive tour, although we all left wondering why the royals needed quite so many antechambers…

We found a cute Italian cafe not far from the palace and enjoyed some pizzas on their front garden patio. We soon found ourselves chatting with the man at the next table, who recognized our American accents. He’s a NY native who’s been living in Berlin for 30 years as a professor. While he visits NY every year, he really loves living in Berlin, and it’s not hard to see why.

We vowed to not make the napping mistake of the previous day, so regrouped at the hotel and then set out to explore a bit more. While Clare did laundry, we visited Museum Island and soon found ourselves climbing to the top of the Berlin Cathedral. The panoramic views were pretty cool, although Danny opted to head back down almost immediately. It was fairly warm that day, but we did find a refreshing locale in the shade along the river where we people watched for a while, before going on a quest for gelato. We managed to find some that was served by a rather rude clerk, but it sure tasted good!

For our final night in Berlin, and knowing that Clare would be joining us (with the bonus addition of her roommate Elena, who couldn’t fly out until the next day), Tim had found a really nice Indian restaurant. But first we walked around the corner from our hotel to a biergarten in the nearby Gendarmenmarkt, where we enjoyed an alfresco beverage (and we were amused to watch Clare and Elena drink beers). Dinner at India Club was delicious, and the location allowed us to make an evening visit to Brandenburg Gate and a stroll along Under den Linden. It was a gorgeous evening that afforded a fond farewell to Berlin for all of us, especially Clare and Elena.