I've finally decided to start blogging about my weekend adventures to various cities around Europe, which I have been meaning to get to for about a month now (so sorry!). So I'll start at the beginning, with the first trip I took with my lovely friends to Berlin, Germany. We decided about a day and a half before we left that we wanted to go, so of course we set ourselves up for a very stressful night of last minute planning with the bus tickets and hostel booking, but it was worth every panicked second.
We booked our bus ride (about 5 hours) on a student discounted bus line called Student Agency. I highly recommend this bus line if you are ever traveling in Europe! I was beyond impressed with the service and the things included with our ticket. Aside from being cheaper than regular bus lines, each seat has own it's touch screen TV - where passengers can watch movies, television shows, play games, or listen to music. It was like a high-class airplane on wheels. The best part of the ride was the fact that the stewardess came around (twice!) and offered each of us a complimentary hot beverage (tea, cappuccino, or hot chocolate). Yes, free hot chocolate!!
(Purchasing our public transit tickets upon arrival in Berlin!)
Once we arrived, we were immediately disoriented and had difficulty navigating the public transportation system in a completely new city. However, after heading in the wrong direction for 20 minutes, we finally backtracked and found our way to our hostel. The hostel was a funky, homey building that had a great little lobby/bar area where all of the young travelers hung out, used the wifi, and grabbed a drink. The cafeteria seating set up made it really easy for us to sit with other foreigners and make conversation with them. We even met a couple girls who were also studying back in Prague!
(Locks of love!)
There was quite a few of us CET students in Berlin for this weekend trip, because of the 2013 Berlin Film Festival. Most of the tickets were already sold out, so while everyone was busy watching movies a couple of us girls set out to wonder the streets of Berlin. Although we were horrible tourists who failed to visit any of the famous attractions, we had an amazing time wondering and getting lost in an unfamiliar environment. I think that's what excites me most about traveling, being pulled out of your familiarities and experiencing new neighborhoods and areas without any preconceptions of where you are. If I could, I would travel to a new city every weekend.
(An adorable little girl riding a wooden bike)
I absolutely loved the street art in Berlin, all of the buildings were covered with murals, graffiti and installations. It was like no other city I've been to. I only wish I captured more of Berlin's unique creativity during my stay.
One thing that I definitely felt was that Berlin was a city for the young-hearted. It's a great city for artists the thrive in. While we were walking around, we came across an entire area that looked like it was sectioned off and dedicated solely to street artists. We walked around the gritty area filled with eroded stone walls, empty warehouses, and buildings that were perfect canvases for the local graffiti artists. It was actually pretty amazing!
(David being David, and Sophia being my lovely model!)
The last morning before we left, Kacey, Kendra, and I went to one of the most amazing street markets I've ever been to (in Mauer Park) - if you ever visit Berlin, I hope you check this market out (every Sunday), you don't want to miss out on it! It's filled with vintage clothing and antique vendors, as well as booths selling various souvenirs, and of course, amazing local street food! I wish I took more photos of my surroundings, but I was too busy shopping!
After our weekend in Berlin, I've realized a couple things about traveling in Europe:
- PACK LIGHT!! It really sucks to lug around heavy suitcases when you are walking from the bus to the hostel, and around the city. So I'm very glad that all I had was my backpack.
- Be ready to expect anything when staying in a hostel. Especially if you are staying in a room with 6+ beds in it. That's why it's better to book with a larger group, or else you will get stuck with an old man for a hostel-mate that is already asleep and snoring by 9pm (it has happened to us twice already).
- Bring your own towels, padlocks, and shower essentials. If you don't, they charge you for everything you ask to use (most of the time, some hostels are more generous than others). I especially recommend bringing your own padlock if you are staying with travelers you don't know.
- Don't be afraid to ask random strangers for directions! It's better than getting lost and wasting 30 minutes!
That's all I can think of right now, but if anything else comes to mind, I will let you all know! Look out for more posts about my trips to Vienna and Barcelona in the next couple of days.
Tschüss!! (Good-bye)
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