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U-bahn, the underground |
I always knew that Germany is not one of the English-friendly countries but I never imagined things could be unsettlingly difficult to decode. The first taxi ride in the city – from the airport – lasted about 20 minutes and I did not spot even five words of English anywhere. The driver didn’t speak any English either and within the first 30 seconds we were down to good ol’ hand gesturing to communicate.
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Hauptbahnhof – at the platform it took me forever to find |
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During one of the walks when I was lost |
The other highlight of this language barrier was my interaction with a nurse at a hospital that I was visiting. T had been away for his surgery a little too long. So I went to enquire at the nurses’ station on his side of the floor. Again, little to no English.
The next day I started with a walk around Gendarmenmarkt, Franz Friedrichstadtkirche and Konzerthaus Berlin. It’s basically a neoclassical square in central Berlin with a royal (can I use that term to reference things outside the UK?) concert hall along with French and German cathedrals on either side. The historic structures were bombed during World War II but they were rebuilt and stand tall today in all their imposing glory.
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THIS IS CHOCOLATE! :O |
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And this too! |
After a long pit stop for food, drinks and hope for the sun to take it easy, I started towards the Brandenburg Gate and the German parliament building, Reichstag. The Reichstag was impressive. Well, I do have a weakness for perfectly symmetrical buildings and this one didn’t fail to amaze either.
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Saw that chocolate figure on top? Here’s the real one in selfie mode. Perils of travelling alone. |
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When Fanta was a different orange! |
Ah, Berlin. This city has SO much history, it makes me giddy! I haven't had the opportunity to visit yet, but the Brandenburg Gate and the Berlin Wall Memorial are things I dearly wish to see. I'm very surprised to hear of your navigational problems in Deutschland – in Munich and Frankfurt, everything was bilingual and in signature German style, very organised. Strange that Berlin was so different. Love the graffiti shots and the panorama – sehr schön 🙂
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So I'm told that Berlin is nothing like any other German cities. I haven't experienced others to know what's different, but maybe you should write about it when you visit. :)And danke!
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