Germany - Berlin 2015


Postdamer Platz, Berlin Germany
     
This was the first time I'd travelled during the Christmas period. I was dead against the idea given that prices are extortionate, but my girlfriend at the time (and still close friend) convinced me. It even became our tradition. We stayed in Alexanderplatz at the H4. It's well connected, has a great view of the nearby TV Tower, and most importantly, serves a good breakfast. For me Berlin had no immediately striking features, everything was either concrete or under construction. But as the days progressed the city grew on me. I particularly enjoyed Postdamer Platz where you can take the, "fastest elevator in Europe," for excellent views from Panoramapunkt (the Germans seemed to obsess about the speed of their elevators). I also enjoyed the Reischtag with its showpiece glass dome. Our intention was to celebrate New Year's Eve close to Brandenburg Gate, and to see the fireworks display in the nearby park. However, we set off too late and couldn't even get close. The main road leading to it was packed and all the side roads were cordoned off by the police. To add insult to injury many people were letting off fireworks amongst the crowd, making it quite a dangerous place to be. It wasn't my favourite change of year. Before leaving we visited several Berlin Wall sites including the East Side Gallery. This area had much more character, and it would have been nice to discover it earlier on.

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