Berlin: Cold Weather, Strange Streets, Great History!

*Pictures of Berlin soon to be posted!* I took almost 300 so bear with me...

Ok so Berlin! I took an excruciatingly early flight at 6:30am (that mean waking up at 2am people...) with my friend Brandon, who is a 4th year industrial design major. We were taking an early flight thursday morning and the other 4 girls who had classes that day were meeting up with us that night. However, they never made it - apparently it "snowed" (and I put that in quotes because we all know snow here is not actually snow) and all flights were cancelled. So, though we were sad our friends couldn't make it, we still had a good time!

First: we got to our hostel and at first we were scared - lets just say that one of the first streets we walked on was called "Karl Marx Allee" and it looked like we were back in communist time. Apparently our hostel was out in East Berlin, where not much is going on, but we didn't know that and we thought Berlin was a wasteland. But anyways - we got there in the afternoon and decided to explore a little, so after strolling down Karl Marx Allee we kept walking and somehow ended up closer to the actual city. We got lunch at a restaurant that had English menu's! It took us a couple tries to find one, but we did and had a pretty good lunch. We ended up accidently finding "Museum Island," the Berlin Dom (a cathedral) and we also were on the street the Brandenburg Tor was on - though we didn't know that at the time. It was pretty cold, and was flurrying - just like being back in Syracuse, actually. Later that night we wandered around and ended up finding this really little pub/bar which was basically a basement and the furniture was a mismatch of kitchen chairs and those wooden spool things for tables. Pretty cool place though, definitely had a "German" feel complete with an old grandpa figure as the bartender. We ended up talking to two students from Norway who were in Berlin for the film festival (there was this big film festival going on at the time), and they absolutely loved the fact we were from America! It's strange to imagine being so obsessed and knowledgeable about a foreign culture, yet that's what these people were. We were tired and didn't know how long the S-bahn (tube/subway) ran, so we headed back not too late.

The next day we were more prepared for the cold as well as exploring. We heard there were some free tours that were supposed to be good so we ended up taking one with Natasha, a girl in her mid-late 20s from Scotland, who led us around the main areas of Berlin for almost 4 hours. We started off at the Brandenburg Tor, talked about the Reichstag building (parliament), walked through the Holocaust memorial, saw where Hitler had his underground barracks (and where he committed suicide) and then headed over to the Berlin Wall. From there was saw old communist buildings, Checkpoint Charlie, Museum Island, the Berlin Dom, the site of the book burnings of 1933, and so much more I can't even remember it all! Midway our tour stopped at a really great cafe where I got a chicken sandwich and a sweet cheese strudel which was SO good - it was served with a tiny scoop of ice cream which made the combination soo good. 

After the tour we decided to find the Sony Center and then make our way to the Bauhaus Museum (we are designers after all...) and along the way stumbled upon a Mies van der Rohe building which was really cool. Oh and at one point I literally almost got run over by a biker. On the sidewalk there is a strip for bikers and it's easy to forget it's there.... 

Oh another thing - Berlin is not like most cities where you feel surrounded by skyscrapers and everything is congested. Instead, the sidewalks are sometimes over 10ft wide, and the skyline is not necessarily crammed with buildings. 

After that we went back to the hostel and grabbed a quick pizza nearby. The company that we took the free tour also offered a pub crawl, so we decided to do that Friday night. For 11 euros we got entrance to 4 bars and 1 club, plus an all-you-can-drink keg for the first 45 minutes. We ended up meeting 3 American students studying in Rome, so that was cool to have some friends to hang out with. The pub crawl was kind of ridiculous - I felt like I was a camper back at camp because we had leaders with backpacks that herded us around the city. But still fun. The first pub we met at was very alternative - graffiti all over the walls, loud music. Next one was smaller and nicer, but crowded. The third one was different - dark cement interior with various cement rooms for dancing.. def not something we would have in the US. Last one was more of a lounge. Oh and they love disco balls! Several of the pubs and the club had them! Last stop was a club which was actually interesting - the S-bahn runs above ground and therefore sometimes runs on a bridge overland. This club was underneath the tracks - seems to be a pretty common thing there, which I guess makes space - might as well use the space for something. It was very club like, but European, which is strange because they dance very strange it's kind of funny. So it was fun to jump around for a while but again we didn't want to stay out too late because we wanted to make the most of our last day.

Saturday: We got up around 9am and decided to go to Potsdam for the day (we did not originally plan this, but our tour guide Natasha said it was like the Versailles of Berlin... so we had to). It was about an hour outside of the city so we hopped on the S-bahn (oh another thing - apparently the whole subway system is an honor system - there's no barriers or doors that you have to swipe a tube card to get in. You can buy a ticket from machines on the platform and then validate it right there. So we bought one the first day and then when we realized there was no security we didn't the second day. hey we're students on a budget.....) 

But anyways, we get to Potsdam and again are a little scared. Berlin needs to work on their impressions. But as we walked further into the little town we decided we really liked it. There are several large architectural buildings that were under construction, but further in there are cute little streets with lots of shops and food places. We ended up going to this really great cafe for lunch - though there was no English menu we figured we couldn't get in too much trouble so we tried it out. Unfortunately, what we pointed to was breakfast not lunch, but luckily the waitress could speak limited English. She said the words chicken soup and we were both sold - it was cold out yet again. The soup was absolutely AMAZING - more like a stew, with chicken, vegetables, potatoes, and lots of spices including paprika. I also got a really great cappuccino. We both were so happy - it was the best meal of the whole trip! 

Further into the little town, we ended up stumbling upon these gates that ended up leading into Frederick the Great's summer estate. Basically, it was a lot of woods and unpaved roads and there were amazing buildings at every corner. We saw some of his palaces, an old working windmill, churches, gardens, fountains, ruins, literally it just kept going and going and going.... indescribable but I will put my pictures up. It was really great to get outside of a city context and just walk around in semi-nature. 

After a long but fulfilling day of walking around, we headed back to Hackescher Markt (a lively place with pubs and restaurants etc) for dinner, and then headed over to the Reichstag (parliament) because we wanted to go inside. Basically, the old building had a fire and then was partially rebuild by a FAMOUS UK architect, Norman Foster, who designed this modern glass dome to fit inside the old architecture. Inside, there are spiraling ramps that bring you up to the top. Along the way you have a great view of the whole city, and it was designed over where the governmental people meet so that they can always look up and realize who is really in charge - the people. The design is hard to explain but I have pictures. Basically, it's always free to go inside so we really wanted to do that because a). Norman Foster is cool and b). we wanted a cool view of the city. We ended up going at night because it was soo busy during the day, but it was still to cool to see the whole city lit up. After we ended up just walking around for a bit searching for dessert but we couldn't find anything we liked. So, with our trip nearing the end, we ended up at a bar in the S-bahn station (really weird, but they have practically malls in their subway stations. and this one had a bar!) because we had yet to try the traditional drink Berliner Weisse which is a beer with a flavor shot - either rasberry or a green shot that apparently lacks a name. It's served in a wide mouth wine glass with a straw - so weird! But tasty. The green shot tastes like angel food cake! Anyway, after our single drink we decided to head back to the hostel so we could get up early for our flight. 

IN CONCLUSION: We did not get a very good impression of Berlin at first (communist land, really cold) but it began growing on us when we found the populated section! It has really great architecture and sculptures and there are so many neat things to come across. It was interesting to be in a country that doesn't speak your language, though a lot of people did speak English. It would be great to go back, though I suggest going in the summer! We kept saying - this would be so pretty in the summer! 

PICTURES

Pictures have finally been uploaded - check them out! And I promise I will soon take more pictures with me in them...

http://community.webshots.com/user/aglackie

England + snow = CHAOS

Our snow day on Monday was great, but school opened again on Tuesday. However, there was still lots of snow and ice everywhere, which wasn't so good considering I didn't have snow boots or anything. Wednesday I went on a field trip to the Tower of London with one of my art history classes led by "Stormin Norman." It was cold and wet, but overall enjoyable. We saw the crown jewels which were amazing! You stand on this moving sidewalk that slowly brings you in front of all the crowns, and it was so beautiful that a bunch of us went back and drooled over them again. We also learned about the White Tower and how it has been used as a prison, palace, armory, etc. 

After that I grabbed lunch with some friends at Itsu, a healthy eatery/Asian food chain that seems to be pretty popular with young working professionals. I had "Detox" soup which was miso soup with tofu, noodles, and veggies. Then I headed over to St. Pauls cathedral where we were meeting for my design history class. We didn't go into St. Pauls but we walked all around the area and saw some old architecture as well as new architecture such as the Gherkin Building and the Lloyds Building. We also stopped into the oldest pub in London - apparenly it's not abnormal for classes to end up at a pub? - but by that point I was so cold and wet that it was hard to retain anything he was saying and I just wanted to go home. 

Later that my roommates and I went down to Leicester Sq, a popular place for going out, and ended up at this little tapas bar that was not quite a pub but more like a quiet bar. The interior was cool with dark wood tables and ornate details in the architecture, and it was a great place to just hang out for a while. 

Thursday I slept in a little, worked on some homework, and then went on a Jack the Ripper tour, led by an ex-policeman and expert on the Jack the Ripper. It was an evening tour to add to the drama, and we were brought to the places where the 5 victims were murdered/where there bodies were found. Really gross and creepy! We also walked around the area where the movie about Jack the Ripper ("From Hell") was supposed to be set (it was actually filmed somewhere outside of the UK). The whole story is pretty crazy - how people saw the killer and his victims when they were alive but no one saw them leave or heard screams. It was also interesting learning about the two police corps who patrolled London and how their was an invisible boundary between the two territories, which was influential in how Jack the Ripper got away with so much. The tour was fun, though I am glad I don't have to do it again! 

Friday my friend Sarah and I went to Covent Garden, about 20 min away from my flat but only 5 from school, to take a dance class at Pineapple Dance. They have about 12 studios (!) and tons of classes to pick from every day of the week at all levels. You pay a membership fee - a day, week, month, 3 month, or year - and they pay for each class as you go. We took an all-level jazz class to get back into dance again and it was really fun! The studios are small and there isn't much space, but it has a city studio feel. It's definitely something I would like to do once a week or so, especially since it's so close to school and everyone there is a local. After class we walked around the area and stopped into a Cafe Nero, which is kind of like a Starbucks but not as expensive, to get cappuccinos and croissants. After that Sarah and I split up and I headed down to Oxford Circus, a main street for shopping, to check out the area. I ended up finding a cool pair of wine colored skinny jeans for £9! They also had a student discount which was great. My mission to become more British is slowly coming along!

So far today has been nice - got up around 9:30 and headed to South Kensington, 2 tube stops away, to check out a farmers market I saw an advertisement for. It was on a small street and wasn't a huge market but had a stand for meats, seafood, eggs, vegetables, bread, and some fruits. I picked up an assorted bag of about 10 apples and a bag of mixed greens for £1.50 total. I would definitely go back to get some eggs and fresh bread but I didn't want to carry a ton of stuff home. From there I wandered around the area, turning streets wherever I felt like it. It's a really nice area that's residential but also has really nice restaurants and more high end shops. I stopped into a couple furniture/homey shops and then all of a sudden I was in front of Harrods! So I walked in there for a couple minutes but that place is crazy - you need time to wander around and check it all out - I had already been walking around for over an hr so I didn't stay there long. It was cold this morning but turned out to be a nice day with blue(ish) skies and not very windy. Now I'm going to work on some homework before going out to dinner with some friends. 

Feel free to leave some comments and check out the pics!

LOVE LONDON Weekend

This weekend was a "Love London" weekend that is put on by SU London. There were a bunch of activities for all different interests, including a football game (...aka soccer...), Harry Potter walk, and beachcombing by the Thames. Thursday night I went to the Philharmonia Orchestra to hear some Berlioz and Tchaikovsky, which was great. Our seats were interesting - the "choir" section behind the orchestra (guess that's why it was free....) but the interesting part was that we could see the conductors face.. something kind of unusual but very entertaining. Friday we were supposed to go to Windsor Castle but accidently missed the bus.... whoops. No worries though, Jenni and I walking around some of the Royal Parks and checked out Buckingham Palace - which doesn't really look like the palace. We didn't even know we were looking at it at first - looks like any building in Washington DC. But still cool. We also brought along our cameras for our photo class so we got some good shots. The royal parks are beautiful, we walked through James Park and Hyde Park and saw lots of birds. Not only do they have weird trees in england, but they have a variety of birds I've never seen. Also the squirrels are very friendly - we saw on more than one occasion people feeding them off their hand! Later on we went to a local pub with friends, O'Neills. 

Saturday morning I signed up for a bike tour with Jenni (if you haven't gathered by this point she's one of my roommates...) which was very cold, but really fun. There were about 30 of us and we were led on a tour around London by a guy named Gunter. We went through Hyde Park, past Buckingham Palace, through Chinatown (which was disastrous - it's the Chinese new year), through Leicester Square, past Westminster Abbey and along the Thames. Pretty scary though at parts - we had to bike along the main roads, even over a bridge, while riding on the left hand side. Crazy! As the buses went by you could practically feel them passing you. 

After the bike tour I came home and got ready quick for the ballet, then headed over to a friends flat for a pasta dinner. We went to the Royal Opera House and saw three smaller ballets in one show - Seven Deadly Sins, Carmen, and "Danse a grande vitesse". I hated the first one - too theatrical and I not much dancing, but the second one was humorous and was very modern. I saw a lot of variations of moves Ive done in class so I could follow it. The last one was probably the best, it had more classical routes but also had a different twist. The costumes, lighting, and set were really cool and the dancers were so good! Very well worth 10 pounds. After, a bunch of girls and I went to a gelato place in Leicester square, which was really good.

Sunday I got up early and worked on a group project for one of my design classes before heading to Cirque du Soleil, Quidam at the Royal Albert Hall. The theater was really cool - round with a circular stage that could rotate. We were high up but had a good view. The show was amazing - indescribable, with a combination of dance, singing/music, and acrobatics. Some of the performers had to be under age 10. Very cool though, would love to see another Cirque again sometime. After that worked more on the group project, though I have to say - fitting in school is very inconvenient when there are so many more interesting things to do than sit in front of a computer! No worries though, we had a snow day today so we didn't have to present anyway! We also just got an email that class might be cancelled tomorrow too. 

Big news - just booked flights to Rome and Florence for March 27-29! Not that expensive either so that's good. We are also trying to plan Greece for spring break and then signing up for an adventure weekend in Wales that includes sea kayaking, mountain biking and hiking. 

Found out a new way to post pictures -- wait for it...

SNOW DAY!

Stop the bus - (literally, all bus services are cancelled...) we have a snow day! haven't had one of these in a while. It looks like we got about 6in since yesterday evening. Its a good thing class was cancelled because I left my snow boots behind along with the Syracuse weather. It's a little before 8am here and I was getting up for my 9am class, so this means time to go back to bed and catch up on some sleep - then maybe we will run around in the snow.... hmm. 

Outside my flat at 7:45 this morning