If you haven’t done so, check out the beginning of my journey:
Part 1: First Day Jitters in Amsterdam
Part 2: Surviving the First Week
Part 3: Farm Life and Hague Life
Part 5: Old Art and a Freaky Robot
Part 7: Medieval Times in Ghent
The last day of our European adventure was filled with taking Ubers and wandering the city. I didn’t get the best start because the taxi app I had wasn’t working, and I was frustrated. Thankfully, my friend had her own app that worked, and we successfully traveled from the train station to our hotel. We didn’t realize this until we got to the hotel, but there were different sections of Berlin, and our hotel was about a 15-minute car ride to where we wanted to be. Despite this, this hotel was the best out of all the ones we stayed in so far. The bed felt heavenly, and the room was immaculate to the point that I felt out of place for being there. I was stunned to find out the cost for the hotel was about the same as most of the others we had stayed in so far.
After my friend and I ate lunch, we took an Uber to Brandenburg Gate and started walking there. It seemed most of the buildings were modern except a handful that still had the original architecture to them. We saw the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Berlin Wall. There was a historical abundance to the city that made it charming. We also went into the Palace of Tears, a small museum, to learn more about Berlin during the Cold War. It was fascinating to learn more about Germany and see the history before our eyes.
We spent the end of the day walking through an everyday Christkindlmarket (without any Christmas decorations). There were countless handcrafted objects and a variety of food, but I had my sights set on a real Bavarian pretzel. I got my wish when we stopped at a mall to get my treat. Even though I ate it about 15-30 minutes later, it was still soft and amazingly delicious. With our journey to an end, we prepared to leave the next morning for the six-hour train ride to Amsterdam. However, the fun doesn’t stop because studying abroad always has hidden adventures.