La route à Paris

I had two more days to go before I had to go home. I was planning on arriving in Paris on the eve of my 25^th day in Europe, spend a day in Versailles, another day in Paris and finally fly home on my 28^th day. But it didn’t exactly go as planned. Everything that could go wrong went wrong.

My (long) route to Paris

Day 25

It all started in Bruges… the buses were on strike. I was waiting at the bus station with some Argentineans who were also from my hostel and were going to the train station. After waiting for a while, we learned that the buses were on strike. So, we decided to take a cab. We learned that in Bruges, you can’t just hail a cab. You need to call for one, which would then arrive in about 20 minutes. Since it was still faster than walking all the way to the train station with our bags, we shared a cab together and I managed to get on a train to Brussels right away. There’s a Thalys train that goes straight to Paris from Brussels but since the train costs about 100€, I was willing to take a longer route to Paris.  My route included taking the intercity train from Brussels to Luxembourg. Then take the TGV from Luxembourg to Paris.  Ozi, a friend I’ve met a few weeks earlier warned me that going to Paris from Luxembourg might be tricky. I should’ve listened to him.

Gare du Midi, Bruxelles

From Brussels, the intercity train to Luxembourg was 15 minutes late. It was also confusing because the platforms kept on changing and all the announcements were in French. But I did get on the right train. There was, however, a problem with the train. The train was running very slow and it kept on stopping in the middle of the track. Eventually, everyone on board was asked to leave the train in one of the stations and get onboard another train. By the time I arrived in Luxembourg, it was two hours later than the estimated time of arrival. There were no more trains to Paris and the ticket office was already closed.

Fortunately, I did listen a bit to Ozi. I had earlier told him about my concern of not being able to catch a train to Paris from Luxembourg. He connected me to his best friend who lives in Luxembourg, Gafur. Gafur and Sky were already waiting (for a long time—sorry!) at the station when I arrived.

Day 26

Palais Municipal in Place d'Armes, Luxembourg

The next day, Sky dropped me off at Gare de Luxembourg.  But when I tried to reserve a seat for the TGV to Paris, there were no more seats available. I had two options: I could pay a 96€ non-Eurail ticket or take a series of regional trains. Of course, I wanted to take the regional trains (€0), which would include changing trains in Metz and Bar le Duc. But I was quite reluctant because the regional train was leaving 17:30. Having experienced such delay yesterday, I knew that if there was another delay, there were no more following trains. Determined to find other options, I went to the tourist information at the city centre to check if there were buses to Paris…. Nope! No buses. Worse, there was nothing I could do in Luxembourg while waiting for my 17:30 train out of Luxembourg. Don’t get me wrong, Luxembourg is a beautiful and green city. It looks like a nice place to live in but as a tourist, there wasn’t much to see other than banks.  

So, I went back to the gare and stared at the electronic board for a long time. Although the ticket office said that the train to Metz was 17:30, I found an earlier regional train and decided to just hop on that train. And I was just right to do so because when I arrived in Metz, I found Gare de Metz a bit confusing (it was big). I may not have been able to get onto the next train on time if I took the 17:30 train, which would only give me a few minutes to hop on and off the next train. A lot of trains were running late, too, including my train from Metz to Bar le Duc. In Bar Le Duc, I only had 5 minutes to jump onto the train heading towards Paris Est. But luck was finally on my side and I found myself on the way to Paris. Sitting on what was my last Eurail ride, I couldn’t help but laugh at the close encounter I had. Yes, I could’ve spent that day in Versailles. But experiences like these are one of those that are fun to tell.

My last train ride ended at Gare de l'Est, Paris

It was almost 10:00 when I finally arrived at Gare de l’Est, Paris.  It was already late when I checked in at the same hostel I stayed on my first day (AIJ – Paris). But I wasn’t ready to hit the sack just yet. I was determined to find some food (there was hardly any restaurant open at that time) when I met a local, Florent, near the hostel. I ended my day devouring a McBaguette (I know I shouldn’t be eating McDonald’s but it was the only place that was still open!) and drinking beer by the river Seine.

36 trains in one month… my trip around Europe was also railing experience. My well-planned first two weeks in Europe was fruitful and I was able to make the most out of my time. My spontaneous last two weeks was a tremendous Eurail experience, and getting lost or getting stuck along the way completed my unforgettable journey around Europe.

Tomorrow, my last day awaits me.  Bonne nuit, Paris!

Goedendag Brugge!

I've heard a lot of praises about Bruges, so I had high expectations coming to the city. All the cities that made an impression to me were cities that I did not expect to like so much.  Bruges was the city that I entered with high expectations and still, it exceeded my expectations.

Day 24

Picturesque houses in Bruges

After waking up late in Amsterdam, I contemplated on which Belgian city I wanted to go to… Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels or Ghent. I was thinking of stopping by Brussels then spending the night in Bruges. But since all I wanted to see in Brussels was the Manneken Pis statue, I decided to just go directly to Bruges. As I rode the bus to my hostel, I couldn’t believe my eyes... The red-brick houses with crow-stepped gables and the medieval buildings were so photographic.  It was incredibly cute, it hardly seems real.

Lovely canal with
Church of Our Lady

I stayed at St.Christopher’s Inn at the Bauhaus. The hostel was very youthful; the walls were plastered with postcard-filled wallpaper and finding my room was like going through a maze. The hostel was cheap and since I like Bruges, I was thinking of spending another night but the shower was too cold that my toe nails turned blue.

After I settled in at the hostel, I decided to have my dinner first before exploring the city. I had a 3-beer sampler (free with the meal) at the hostel’s restaurant Sacre Coeur. Belgium is known to brew really good beers and I was happy with my 3-beer sampler.

After a huge dinner, I strolled around the cobbled streets of Bruges.  Known as the Venice of the North (although Amsterdam is also considered as Venice of the North), there are a number of canals around the city. As much as I would like to use another adjective, the best way to describe Bruges is romantic. The buildings and houses were medieval, the canals were picturesque and the streets were quiet.

The Belfry of Bruges

Bruges is very small, it easy to just walk around. Hardly consulting a map or my GPS navigator, I passed by the 83-meter high Belfry. This 13th century bell tower is a famous landmark of the city and now leans over 1.5 meters. I also stumbled upon the Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk (Church of our Lady). Standing 122.3 meters, this tall church houses Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child sculpture.

Even without a tour or entering one of the medieval structures in Bruges, I was very much contented with my night in Bruges.

Day 25

Sint Janshuismolen

I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to climb the Belfry, visit the chocolate museum or see some of the wind mills. I decided to visit two of the four windmills nearby, the Sint Janshuismolen and the Bonne Chiere windmills. Then I re-visited everything I passed by the night before, while having some chocolate waffles. Belgium is known for their chocolates and Bruges has the best chocolates in Belgium. Being a chocolate lover, I went chocolate hunting and bought a lot of chocolates. Imagine how I managed to stuff all the chocolates in my backpack.

Vlaamse frieten!

Then, on my way out of Bruges early in the afternoon, I made it a point to grab some Flemish fries before my long road to Paris.

Ending the night in Amsterdam

An airplane, a ferry and lot of trains… More than 1500 Kilometers travelled... From 7AM to 9PM, I travelled from Helsinki to Amsterdam by air, water and rail. 

Day 23

I took the 7AM flight from Helsinki to Copenhagen by Norwegian Air. It was the cheapest flight available (64€).  I considered spending the day at Copenhagen and then taking the night train to Amsterdam. I would have made the most out of my time and it was the most sensible thing to do. But I was so sleepy that when I arrived in Copenhagen, I just wanted to jump on a train and sleep (Lesson learned: sleep well!). I must’ve been quite lethargic that I got lost at the Copenhagen airport, trying to find the train to the central station. I went through immigration by accident. 

Eurailing from Copenhagen to Amsterdam

From Copenhagen, I took a long train ride to Amsterdam... snoozing most of the day. By the time I was in Amsterdam, I was sluggish but wide awake. I got off at Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA station around 10PM, where my hostel, Hostelle, was located nearby. The hostel was quite far from the city center (15 minutes by metro) and I found it a little bit scary at first, but the hostel itself was nice. And cheap (19€). It was clean and all-female. I met two South Americans—Emma and Melissa—who were students in Germany. We were all tired but we also wanted to experience the red light district and go to a coffee shop.

A night in Amsterdam

We left the hostel around 12 midnight and waited for almost an hour for the right bus that would take us to the red light district. Night buses don’t come as often as day buses. With the night bus having a lot of stops along the way (20+ stops), it took about half an hour before we arrived at the Red Light District. Despite the long wait, Melissa and Emma were a nice company.  Chatting with them had been enjoyable. When we finally arrived at the Red Lights, a lot—if not all—the bars were closed, except for one. All the coffee shops were closed, too (I think they all close before midnight). But we were able to observe a lot of er... women at the red light district and got to drink a beer at a bar. 

The night bus to our Hostelle had almost 40 stops that  the sun had started to rise when we finally nestled back to our own beds in Hostelle. Spending the day in Copenhagen would have been a more practical (I could have done more than just sleep on the train during the day) but I was glad to have experienced this night in Amsterdam. Less than 24 hours ago, I was saying moi moi in Suomi. And now, I was saying goedenacht in Amsterdam.

Tere Tallinn!

Exploring the medieval old town of Tallinn

I had never heard of Tallinn before. My uncle suggested that I visit this city for a day trip and he bought me a round trip ticket to Tallinn, Estonia (Thanks Tito!).

Day 22

I took the Tallink Silja Line’s Superstar ferry, a two hour ride from Helsinki to Tallinn.  There weren’t any seat reservations in the ferry. Most passengers were at the café, some were sitting in a corner and there were even a few who got drunk and were lying on the floor. Since I was still sleepy, I opted to buy a coffee and stay at one of the tables.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

When I arrived at the port, I didn’t know where exactly to go. Did I need to take a bus? A tram? I found a liquor store near the port and I went there and asked how to get to the old town. The cashier told me that it was just a quick walk—I just needed to go straight until the buildings look old.

With the GPS installed in my smart phone, I headed towards Toompea Hill, which I marked from my Google maps the night before. I was quite doubtful if Toompea Hill was located accurately in my map (it wasn’t!) but I knew that the Aleksander Nevski Katedraal was nearby. I wasn’t sure where I was going, but after 30 minutes to an hour, I found the Aleksander Nevski Katedraal, a Russian Orthodox Church. I really wanted to visit this Church because it’s very different compared to the other cathedrals I’ve been to for the past three weeks. I was particularly fond of its onion-dome, which I found very Russian.

Cobbled steps in the Medieval Old Town

There are several churches in the old town. Just a few steps away from the cathedral, is the Toomkirik (Dome Church /Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin). It is the oldest church in Tallinn and used to be a Roman Catholic church. Today, it’s an Evangelical Lutheran church. I also passed by Niguliste Kirik (St. Nicholas Church) or what is now Niguliste Museum. Today, this old church is used an art museum and a concert hall.

The night before, my uncle checked the weather forecast and the chances of rain in Tallinn was 100%. Nevertheless, rain has never stopped me from going anywhere. So, I just prepared an umbrella. When I finally arrived in Tallinn—the weather was good. It wasn’t sunny and it wasn’t raining either. The weather was just perfect for strolling around the cobbled streets with medieval houses and alleys. After walking some more, I found myself in Raekoja Plats, a square in the middle of the city with a lot of cafes and restaurants.

The Great Coastal Gate and
the Fat Margaret tower 

As I sauntered along Pikk Tänav  I passed by another church, Oleviste Kirik (St. Olav’s Church). This Baptist church had once been the tallest building in the world. It has a very tall steeple which had been hit by lighting several times. Then, continuing until the end of Pikk Street, I reached the Suur Rannavärav (Great Coastal Gate) and the Paks Margareeta (Fat Margaret tower). The gate here is one of the remaining gates of the old medieval town of Tallinn and the tower now houses the Estonian Maritime Museum.

View of Tallinn from ferry

Tallinn is incredibly fascinating and probably one of my favorites. I did not expect to like Tallinn so much. Just walking around the medieval old town seems to bring you to another century. At 5PM, Tallink Silja’s Star ferry took me back to Helsinki and with a scenic view of the city, I bid Tallinn Nägemist. 

Hei Suomi!

Day 20

At 10:30 AM, I arrived at the port of Helsinki in Katajanokka, where I met my uncle. My uncle’s apartment was just a good walking distance from the port, near a Eurohostel. My uncle was a consul at the Philippine embassy in Helsinki, so he was quite an expert in introducing me to the country.

Uspenski Cathedral

When my uncle left for work, I studied the map of Helsinki and decided to simply explore the city by foot. So, armed with Lonely Planet’s Guide to Helsinki (which I borrowed from my uncle), I headed towards the Uspenskin Katedraali or the Uspenski Cathedral. This Russian Orthodox cathedral was just a few minutes away from the apartment. Opposite this church, you can see from afar the green domed Helsinki Cathedral or Helsingin Tuomiokirkko / Suurkirkko, an Evangelical Lutheran church.

Emperor Alexander II statue
and the Helsinki Cathedral

The Helsinki Cathedral was less than a kilometer away from Uspenski but I arrived there more than an hour later, after getting lost along the way. I strolled along the park, Esplanadin Puisto and after attempting to use a map, I succumbed to my GPS navigator. I got a bit perplexed because there were two names in most street signs. I later learned that the names of the streets are actually the same but one is in Finnish while the other is in Sweden. This is probably because Helsinki, which was founded by King Gustav Vasa of Sweden back in 1550, used to be part of the Kingdom of Sweden.

A symbol of Helsinki, the Helsinki Cathedral is found at the Senate Square. A statue of the Russian Emperor Alexander II stands in front of the Cathedral. He was considered as The Good Tsar in Finland for instigating reforms for Finland’s autonomy from Russia.

Helsinki Olympic Stadium

The next on my list was the Helsinki Olympic Stadium or Helsingin Olympiastadion. From Krunuunhaka, I went towards the Taka-Töölö neighborhood. The stadium was all the way up north of Helsinki but I kept on walking, passing by Helsinki’s central railway station, Rautatieasema and the park along Töölönlahti bay, Hakasalmenpuisto, until I reached the stadium . The stadium was originally built to host the 1940 summer Olympics but it wasn’t until 1952 that Olympic Games were held here. 

View from the Stadium Tower

The Stadium Tower, a 14-storey high tower, is another attraction itself. A €N elevator ride to the top of the tower is a must. Aside from a nice view of this Nordic city, the top of the tower offers a brief history of the stadium with photos from the past. I was lucky enough to be the only person on top of tower, so I was able to enjoy being on top of Helsinki for quite some time.

Sibelius Monument

The last in my list of Helsinki-tourist-attraction-to-see was the Sibelius monument or Sibelius-monumentii at the Sibelius Park (Sibeliuspuisto). This monument was created by 600 steel pipes that were welded together, like pipes from an organ epitomizing the music of the Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius.

Suomenlinna Church

At around 5PM, I met my uncle at the Sibelius Park and we took the tram to Market Square to take a 15 minute ferry ride to Suomenlinnan Linnoitius (The Fortress of Suomenlinna). Origninally named Sveaborg, Suomenlinna is a sea fortress off the coast of Helsinki. Because of its unique European military architecture, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1991.

My uncle toured me around the fortress. We passed by the Suomenlinna Church, a church which also serves as a lighthouse. It is an Evangelical Lutheran church, although it was originally Russian Orthodox.

The King's Gate

Then, we visited the King’s Gate, the symbol of Suomenlinna. A monumental site, this entrance gateway gives you an 18^th century feeling.

Finally, we visited the sand banks and guns of Kustaanmiekka. The Russians built sand bank walls and guns at the coast as a defense line of the fortress. We weren’t alone in the island but the place was very tranquil. My uncle said that Finnish people are generally quiet.

Sand banks and guns of
Kustaanmiekka

At around 11PM, the night sky has yet to fall. It was almost summer time in Helsinki, so the sun was quite abundant. Just a train ride away from Santa Claus, Helsinki isn’t just all ice and snow.  Being quite far from central Europe, I had been reluctant to include Helsinki in my trip. But my uncle’s warm welcome and the city’s pleasant atmosphere was a breath of fresh air. With influences from its neighbors Sweden and Russia, Helsinki is a quiet but modern city that is worth the distance.

Day 21

Turu Linnan Esilinna

I woke up late and since I didn’t make any plans, it wasn’t until after lunch that I’ve decided to go to Turku. Turku, the oldest city of Finland, was the country’s first capital until the Russians moved the capital to Helsinki.

Turku is 2 hours away from Helsinki by train. Using my Eurail pass, I hopped onto the 2 PM Inter City train from Helsinki to Turku. It was already 4 PM by the time I arrived at Turku (lesson learned: Plan day trips the night before). But it was alright since there was actually just one thing I wanted to visit in this historical city: the Turun Linna or the Turku Castle. From the Turku train station, I walked towards the Tourist Information where I asked for directions on how to go to the Turku Castle. I took the bus number 1 to Turun Linna and arrived at the castle just in time, before they stopped selling entrance tickets (€4.5 for student) for the day.  

Passing through the narrow
hallways of the castle

While the first castle I visited back in Germany (Day 14) was a fairy tale castle, the Turku Castle is a medieval castle that was originally a military fortress. A tour of the castle brings you to several rooms including the King's Hall (Kuninkaan Sali), the cathedral (Turun Linna Kirkko) and the bower (Rovaintupa). There was also an exhibit showing several modern games that were inspired by medieval wars.The dark and narrow corridors of the castle were quite fun to explore.

Turku Cathedral

I passed by the Turku Cathedral (Turun Tuomiokirkko), an Evangelical Lutheran Church by the river Aurajoki. In almost three weeks in Europe, I had already seen more than 10 churches, chapels or cathedrals. So, I didn’t cross the river anymore to get a closer look at the cathedral.

I arrived at the train station 10 minutes before the 19:00 intercity train back to Helsinki. On board, the conductor didn’t accept my Eurail pass, so I had to pay €29.00. The train had free wifi, so I immediately sent an email to the Finish railway and to Eurail about the incident (I received an apology and about €19.00 for refund a month later). I wasn’t so happy about it but hey, railing Europe wouldn’t have been complete without the bloopers. 

I only spent a few hours in Turku but I had a nice time exploring this historical old capital of Finland.

Traversing the Nordic Region: København to Helsinki

Day 19

What I really wanted was to take the train all the way from Copenhagen to Helsinki, passing through the Arctic Circle. But I didn’t have the luxury of time to do that. So, I decided to travel by ferry to Helsinki. I spent the entire day travelling… soaking up the view of the Scandinavian countryside while on the train.

 I took the 6:40 train from København H to Malmö C and then the SJ Snabbtåg train (65 SEK) from Malmö to Stockholm. From Stockholm, I took the Viking Line ferry to Helsinki. Stockholm-Stadsgården, the port of departure was two metro stations away from Stockholm Central Station. I had to exchange some Euros to Swedish Kroners so I could take the metro to the port. Sad to say, the metro was practically the only part of Stockholm that I got to explore. From T-Centralen T-bana, I got off Slussen T-bana and walked about a kilometer to the terminal.

At 4:45 in the afternoon, M/S Mariella, my ferry, left the harbor and I found myself at the top deck, overlooking the view of Stockholm. There were plenty of things to do at the cruise ship but I opted to rest at my 2 person cabin with showers and bathroom ensuite (55€ with Eurail Pass discount).  When I woke up, I was energetic and ready for Helsinki!

Hej København!

København. Copenhagen.

There was only one reason why I wanted to go to Copenhagen: I wanted to meet my Faroese friend, Elin. We met at a summer camp (CISV) back in 1998… 14 years ago.  Months before, when I learned that Elin was in Copenhagen, I told myself that I will definitely visit her during my Europe trip. I hadn’t planned my last two weeks in Europe so I wasn’t able to set the exact schedule for my trip to Copenhagen until a day or two before (sorry Elin!). I originally planned on departing from Amsterdam (but I couldn’t book a hostel in Amsterdam) which led me to Berlin. So, after some online research using my tiny smart phone and consulting with the Eurail timetable, I finally found myself en route to meet my old friend in Copenhagen.

Eurailing from Berlin to Copenhagen

Day 17

Heilige Dreieinigkeits Kirche

From Berlin, I took the train to Hamburg. Given that a lot of transports interchange here, Hamburg is a gateway to several cities . I had about 1.5 hours to spare in Hamburg. So, after grabbing a snack at the bustling Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, I walked around the block near the station. Although an hour and half may seem a long time to wait at the station, it wasn’t enough to tour Hamburg. Nevertheless, I was able to see the Heilige Dreieinigkeits Kirche (Holy Trinity Church), a baroque church which is also known as St. Georgs Kirche (St. George’s Church).

Ferry-riding train

My train ride from Hamburg to Copenhagen was quite interesting. The train was fully packed but I was comfortably seated at the window, where I gradually fell asleep. When I woke up, I found myself in view of a body of water--perhaps the Baltic Sea (?) ...I wasn’t really sure where we were. At one point, I noticed that the rail tracks were actually on a bridge. Then, when we were in Puttgarden, the train entered a ferry. All passengers had to go to the upper decks of the ferry until we arrived at Rødby. While most of my fellow passengers look like they were already used to this, I was utterly delighted to see our train inside the ferry. Haha! 

When our train arrived at Hovedbanegården (Copenhagen’s Central Station) at 8PM, I was exhilarated to finally meet Elin. The last time I met Elin, we were still 11 years old. After fourteen years apart, I was anxious that we wouldn’t be able to recognize each other. But when I got off the train, I immediately recognized her and I couldn’t believe that we were actually talking face to face. It was exhilarating!

Day 18

Canal tour starting at Nyhavn

Vor Frelsers Kirke

Elin toured me around Copenhagen. We passed by Christiania, a hip neighborhood in the midst of Copenhagen with a unique status. I am not sure if it’s legal, but weed is tolerated in this area. Then, we went on a canal tour, an excellent way to explore this city. The canal tour started at Nyhavn and had a live commentary in 3 or 4 different languages. How the guide switches from several different languages throughout the tour was incredible.

Oparaen

We passed by several attractions, including the Oparaen (Copenhagen Opera House) and Vor Frelsers Kirke (Church of Our Saviour) at Christianshavn. There is an urban legend that the architect of the Vor Frelsers Kirke jumped off the church when he realized that the spirals on top of the church were going on the wrong direction. Is it real? I’ll leave that up to you to find out.

Of course, we also passed by Den Lille Havfrue… or in English, The Little Mermaid. I was already warned to expect a small statue... after all, it is called the little mermaid.  While this icon is a major tourist attraction, the locals see it as the statue that frequently loses its head. It had been vandalized several times.

The Little Mermaid

After the tour, I wanted to try something Danish, so Elin treated me with a hotdog from a Pølsevogn. These hotdog stands can be seen around the city and they serve sausages in a bun with a unique dressing. I was particularly fond of the fried onions that were topped on my sausage.

A private dock for the royal yacht

I spent the rest of the day (and night) chatting with my friend. I planned my next stop, which was in Helsinki (where I could visit my uncle) and since I did not make any train reservations, I had to leave early the next morning to catch a ferry in Stockholm. Elin and I talked until 6 in the morning, just right before I had to leave for the train station. I was really sad that I had to leave so soon but at the same time, I was happy to have met my friend again. I had such a great time in Copenhagen... Tak, Elin! 

Hallo Berlin

Brussels?

Hamburg?

Berlin.

My travel mate Angela and I bid each other goodbye and while she jumped onto the Thalys train to Paris, I was left in the middle of Amsterdam Centraal Station, undecided where to go next. The entire morning, I was choosing between Brussels and Hamburg and after a long time of staring at the electronic board, I decided to go to Berlin.

Day 16

I figured that if I couldn’t get a hostel from Berlin, I could take a night train from there. But I did find a place to stay in Berlin—the most expensive one I’ve stayed (41€ - discounted price). It’s usually more expensive when you’re a walk-in than when you book online.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof

I arrived in Berlin 17:20. The first thing I did was to look for a hostel. I found Meininger hotel just across the train station. After sending emails and researching a bit about Berlin, I found myself wandering in the cold and raining streets of Berlin. Strolling around under an umbrella in a gloomy Berlin afternoon… it was exactly the kind of weather that I liked.

Just a few minutes away from Hauptbahnhof, I stumbled upon the Reichstag, Germany’s parliament building. With an umbrella in one hand, I took a photo of this historical building. Berlin is a modern city but I found a lot of placards, providing information (including historical information) about the buildings, plazas and parks. Since it’s written in several languages, it helps tourists like me to appreciate Berlin.

The Reichstag

I continued walking and about a block away, I found the Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate). It stands west of the cobbled Pariser Platz. Symbolizing the division of Berlin, Brandenburger Tor is one of Berlin’s famous attractions. Back when the Berlin wall was still standing behind it, it was one of the 18 gates that were a portal to East Berlin. Today, the reconstructed Brandenburger Tor is the only gate that remains.

The famous Brandenburger Tor

In front of the Brandenburg Gate is a small plaza called Platz des 18 März. March 18 marks the date of the revolution in 1848 and East Germany’s first free parliamentary elections in 1990. The Platz used to be called Platz vor dem Brandenburger Tor (Place in front of the Brandenburg Gate) until in 2000 when it was officially named Platz des 18 März.

Traversing the streets of Berlin

When night fell, I was a bit reluctant to leave the hostel. It was drizzling and it was coooold. But I knew I would be having a train-ful day on the morrow, so I was quite determined to see more of Berlin. Luckily, I made friends with one of my roommates at the hostel and we went somewhere in Friedrichstraße where I had a Berlin Pilsner.

Day 16 was the start of my 2-week train adventure. I had no itinerary and I was open to taking loooong train rides for the rest of my trip. I couldn’t have made a better decision than starting my spontaneous travel in Berlin.

Until then, Guchte Nacht!