4 Days in Berlin - Day 2, 3, & 4

Date of Travel: 25-28 Jan 2014

Cycling in the snow, at the iconic Brandenburg Gate

Day 2
We kinda wasted today doing nothing much. After a superb hotel breakfast, we headed to the Trondl Market but found nothing much selling. Only later did we find out that today was a special festival day, where malls are only open from 1pm - 7pm today. Since our friend was really cold, we headed to our favourite outdoors-gear shop called Globetrotter to buy gloves. There was a sign at the door, but we could not read German! So we shopped at a mall nearby and hung around there till after 1pm, hoping that it would open. But luck wasn't on our side today. After heading back, we were just too cold and tired to go anywhere, and basically had dinner next door at an Italian restaurant called Marinelli.

My yummy hotel breakfast

4 Days In Berlin - Day 1

Date of Travel: 25-28 Jan 2014

Day 1

Continuing from my previous post in Barcelona, we decided to visit Berlin because it was a convenient stop on our journey towards Tromso, Norway. Also in my previous post, I had acquired a knee injury on my left knee. HH was really worried that I could no longer walk for the rest of the trip, and she had searched and emailed a contact to rent a wheelchair for me in Berlin. I have always been impressed by the efficiency and precision of Germans. True enough, when we landed, there were several missed calls from that company, and they had emailed a reply saying that they can promptly deliver a wheelchair to our hotel, for our 4 days here, and collect it back from the hotel before we depart. The cost was €50.00 nett for the entire duration. Not bad at all.

4 Days In Berlin - Intended Itinerary

Date of Travel: 25-28 January 2014

This was a very detailed itinerary planned by HH. However, she did not predict the weather to be -15°C and snowing most of the time. Perhaps it can still be usable on warmer days.

25/1    BCN-BER    1055-1345
28/1    BER-TOS    1135-1935

Sat 25 Jan (Group ticket ABC: Euro16.70 )
- Arrive Berlin Schonefeld 1:45pm
- Walk to S station Berlin Schonefeld Flughafen
- Take S45 11 stops to Berlin Sudkreuz Bhf
- Walk to S Sudkreuz Bhf station
- Take 2 stops to S Anhalter Bahnhof
- Checkin to hotel
- Take bus M41 3 stops to Sony Centre
- Take U2 towards S+U Pankow 2 stops to U Stadtmitte
- Walk to Augustiner Restaurant
  Address: Charlottenstraße 55, 10117 Berlin, Germany
  Phone: +49 30 20454020
  Hours: 10:00 am – 1:00 am
  Recommended: Weiner Schnitzel, pork knuckle, veal sausage (kalbsbratwurst), potato soup (kartoffelsuppe), big pretzel (brez'n) and beer (Edelstoff), potato dumplings(klopse), fried potatoes (bratkartoffeln), roasted pigs legs (hinterhaxe), beef goulash
- Walk to Unter den Linden, take bus 100/TXL towards S+U Zoologischer, 1 stop reach S+U Brandenburg Tor
- Take S25/S1/S2 towards south, 2 stops to S Anhalter Bahnhof. Reach hotel

Best of Travel 2011 with CrazyDigest

A summary of the best of 2011 with Crazy Digest

1. Best city to go for sightseeing:
Nominees: Munich, Chiangmai, Paris

Winner of Best city to go for sightseeing: Paris

Paris offers an all-rounded experience of having many sites to visit in a small area, with an easy-to-access transportation network. Rental bicycles are the best!

2. Best single sightseeing spot:

Winner of Best single sightseeing spot: Deutsches Science Museum, Munich

We had 4 hours of great fun in this place. Models are life sizes and split in half for you to see inside.

Europe 2011 - Day 10,11,12 Dedicated to Munich (Part 3 of 3)

Eating in Munich
Date of Travel: 16-18 April 2011

Of my entire trip in Europe, here in Munich lies my utmost favourite joint. I dedicate this post to only 2 restaurants in Munich, which left such a lasting impression on me.

1. 2ponti Caffe & Bistro
This small joint is located between the Isator Station and Deutsches Museum. It serves fabulous italian pasta and desserts for a very small price. The host is very hospitable, who will try to please you though he doesn't speak much English. I hunger for their pasta and Limone dessert, till today. Their official website is http://www.2ponti.de/index.php?site=pasta

Set Lunch came with a free salad with balsamic vinegar. Simple and delicious

Europe 2011 - Day 10,11,12 Dedicated to Munich (Part 2 of 3)

Date of Travel: 16-18 April 2011

Shopping in Munich

When I asked myself, what is there to buy from Germany, I didn't have a clue. I tried thinking of all the stuff in my house that is German made but I came up blank. Slowly but surely, things started to emerge. What do people buy from Germany?
- Pots & Pans brands like WMF and Silit
- German kitchen knives and anything made of German steel
- Army knives
- Jigsaw Puzzles by the original Ravensburger
- Outdoors equipment, like the brand Deuter
- Chocolates like Kinder, Milka and Ritter Sport

1. Globetrotters
Head to Isator for a huge Outdoors shop called Globetrotters. They sell anything from hiking, canoeing, to biking and camping gear. Even if you can't bring anything home, it's great seeing all the cool stuff they have over there.
Items bought:
Army pocket knives, Meru Brand: €4.99 each x 4 pcs (cool souvenir)
Water proof bicycle seat cover: €6

Europe 2011 - Day 10,11,12 Dedicated to Munich (Part 1 of 3)

Date of Travel: 16-18 April 2011

Sightseeing in Munich
 

Schloss Nymphenburg Castle - most visited tourist site in Munich

1. Schloss Nymphenburg Castle
This venue is supposedly the most crowded sight in Munich. Took tram 17 that led directly to the front, but be prepared for a long walk through the gardens to get inside. After all, what's a castle without a humongous garden. Very picturesque, but I wasn't into history. Entrance fees are €8.50.

No photos inside the castle - we didn't enter LOL!

Europe 2011 - Day 9 Guten Tag Munchen

Date of Travel: 15 April 2011

Munich Marienplatz Cathedral

It's time to head to Munich for some beer and pork knuckle! No more crowded, stinky, kiasu airports for us. It's time to take the lovely trains.

Prague to Nuremberg = Bus ride, exactly 3 hours 47 minutes
Change to Trains = 11 minutes time given
Nuremberg to Munich = Train ride, exactly 1 hour 11 minutes

You gotta love the Germans' precision on time. You are given exactly 11 minutes to get off the bus with all your luggage, and lugging them onto the right platform and right train on time.

Buses from Prague to Nuremberg, Germany