Berlin Journal Entries Potsdam, and another Restaurant story..

Donnerstag, July 3, 2008
Thursday

On Thursday, we decided to take a walking tour to Potsdam. This was a city that is outside of downtown Berlin, that has a lot of history: from Prussian Palaces to the setting for the Potsdam Conference, where Allied Powers decided what to do with Germany after World War II. The town also has an old KGB Prison, in the Forbidden Village - where NO ONE but the SOVIETS were allowed access for over 50 years.

The tour was really cool, but it was very long and very, very hot. Although it was weird to think about it being hot, AND say it was only 30 degrees.. Celsius. We were all dripping - it was gross. We had a break for lunch in Potsdam. We didn't know where to go but when we saw the word "Cheeseburger" and huge 1.0 Liter bottled drinks, we got excited. It was a Turkish Cafe. We ordered 2 hamburgers (they didn't have cheese), and bought a humongous drink for each of us. Yay.

When we got our hamburgers, I realized that the bottom bun was very hard. But I really thought that maybe Germans liked their bread that way? How was I to know? So I just ate it; we had walked for forever and ever and ever so it was good to just sit down and eat, and drink something. One of the workers, however, must have noticed that it was hard to bite and asked more than once if the food was good. I kept saying that Yes, yes it was good.. And explaining that I was just exhausted. They didn't buy it. Finally, he came over and took my hamburger out of my hand, and took my plate away. He noticed how hard the bottom bun was, even knocked on it, and showed everyone that I had lied about it. He said to Ashley, "she very big liar." He wanted to fix me something else. I wasn't sure what to say. He had me try some of the chicken Döner they had, and fixed me some of that. It was huge. We now had spent almost all of our break time and had to leave. We got our hamburgers for free, and only had to pay for the Döner, and the drinks. Maybe it's good for a budget to always act kind of dumb.

Me, with my Döner chicken and gynormous Coke.

Also, the Turkish man asked us where we were from and when we said the US he said "me too" But then he said the US was also another name for Turkey? No idea.

Sanssouci Palace, means "without a care" in French
(this particular Emperor, was obsessed with France & Versailles)

We then went to Sanssouci Palace, that was really pretty. Then our tour was over and we all got onto a crowded hot and stinky bus to the train station. On the bus a German man said "you look hot" and I did.. it was so so hot and gross! I just said, "Ja" DUH it's hot outside!

Brandenburg Gate

July 3, 2008

Once we got back to the Hotel, we laid around for awhile and then went to go see the Brandenburg Gate. There was a lot of security and red, white and blue balloons around. I had heard our guide say something about the US Embassy being reopened when we were on the train. Apparently, this is where it is. WE were still able to look at the Gate though, so that was good. We decided to goto the Reichstag nearby. The Reichstag is a government building with a viewing area on top, like a dome, you can go up for free and see the different buildings from up there. It was pretty cool.

View of Berlin, from the top of the Reichstag

We were then starving and left to find a place to eat. Ash had thought she had seen a Burger King by our hotel. But after a long walk, it turned out to be a sign for all the Burger Kings in Berlin. OH well. We decided to just have Eis (ice cream) at Dioiras, where the service apparently always sucks. The lady acted like she didn't understand me, after I was already halfway through my order. And she had understood the first half! But a nice English-speaking German man was there and explained to her I wanted two of the same, (of what I had already ordered!) cookies ice cream. Geeze..

For more of my pictures in Berlin, click here for my first album: Ich bin ein Berliner, and here for Berlin Continued or here, for my Berlin photo slideshow.

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Berlin Journal Entries Der Boss und Der Banderas Bartender

Me & Ash, in front of the Berliner Dom

Dienstag, July 1, 2008
Tuesday

We arrived in Berlin at 10:00 AM. We were exhausted, and then they lost our luggage. So that wasn't too fun. But they delivered it to us at our hotel the same day. The taxi man that drove us to the hotel almost killed us. He did a "U-turn" (like a 5-point "U-turn"), in the middle of an intersection, and then proceeded to giggle about it.
When we got to our hotel, we wanted to check in. But couldn't. We had to wait 2 hours before we could. So the girl let us keep our Luggage (just our carry-ons) at the Hotel, and we ventured out to find food. Still tired and unable to hear very well (from our ears popping on the plane), we found a place called Diomiras , an Italian place by our hotel. The man was a little strange.. and never really showed any kind of emotion. We ordered Spaghetti Napoli with a coke for me and a sprite for Ash. This was our first experience with 0,2 l drinks. They are so small!! Apparently, in Germany, this is how it is! Tiny drinks, no refills, no ice and no water on the table. OH, and not much service during the meal either ~ at least, at Diomiras.
After we ate, we went back to the hotel, and got on the computer in the Lobby, and after awhile was able to check in. We pretty much passed out until Wednesday morning. OH jet lag.

Mittwoch, July 2, 2008
Wednesday

We were up bright and early, and decided to goto the Museums. Which has always been the reason we always wanted to visit Berlin: The Nefertiti Bust and the Ishtar Gate. While we were getting ready we watched the Cosby Show, dubbed in German. We spent forever in the Pergamon Museum, it was really cool. We took a lot of pictures, but then when you get to where the Ishtar Gate is they say "keine fotos" - no photos. :( So we had to buy postcards instead.

Nefertiti!

At the Ägyptisches Museum we saw NEFERTITI! It was awesome. The people who work at the Museum are a little paranoid though. You have to hold your purse, in your hand, down at your side.. It can't be on your shoulder. Strange!
After the Pergamon Museum we were hungry. There was an Italian place right there that looked good so we tried it. That was an experience... It was called Restaurant San Marino, and they had pizza and a place to sit down, so we liked it. A man that's later known as "Der Boss" (aka: Tony Soprano), came and took our order. When we told him we were from the US, he thought we meant Chicago.. Crazy Man. We got Margherita Pizza, with a coke and sprite. These drinks were also only 0,2 l, which Ashley read as 0,21 l, so she thought they were just a little bit bigger. haha. No refills here either (at least at first) , but we were so thirsty!

The Banderas Bartender said, "Alles Gute?" (meaning all is good?)
We said, "Ja, ist gut"
He replied with, "Gut, like you"

We laughed at the Antonio Banderas looking man and kept eating our pizza.. that had not come pre-sliced. Later, "Der Boss" walked by and winked at us. Eh, we just wanted our ticket. After the meal, the Bartender Banderas asked if we wanted coffee or cappuccino, we didn't want either but I decided to ask about water since we were both still thirsty...

I said, "Do you have water?"
He said, "No." with a grin
so I said, "Really?"
and he said, "yes we have water" in his Ger-Talian accent.
SO I thought we had understood each other.
But then he said "With gas?" which I heard as "with a glass?"
I replied with "with a glass? I'm confused.. "
He said "gas" again, and I finally thought that I had understood that he meant carbonation.
(However, after going to the Fuldners, and having their version of water with gas, I'm not so sure). But at this moment, I said no. I just wanted water. But it came carbonated anyway.

Then, he asked us where we were from. We said "The US." and he said "Yes, I like the US, for the cigarettes." Later, he walked by and said, "smoke" as he went to smoke. We still didn't have our ticket. I tried to tell Der Boss that we were done, and he finally brought us the ticket. When he did, he said something about "he bring fanta" (the start of our Berlin fanta addiction)
Der Banderas Bartender then came back and gave us fanta, "from Der Boss." He kept talking to us, and he said "How we make fun tonight?" We laughed. Then he said, "I no be here at 7." I acted confused.. as he kept asking. I tried to think of an excuse. I said, "We have to meet our friends," he said, "no, leave friends, come with me." I replied, "I don't think so." He told us to think about it, and went back to the bar. We chugged our very good, free fanta - the waters were also free, we later realised, and left quickly.
After Restaurant San Marino, we went to see Nefertiti, and had to use the bathroom. We asked for the toilette, and went down the stairs to use it. After, when we tried to leave the bathroom, I attempted to open it. It seemed LOCKED. We looked at each other in panic, and glanced over at the window. I tried again, and was able to open it. We were terrified for a few seconds. On the way out, I tripped on the stairs, and Ashley's AMAZING reflexes caught me. Yay for Ashley!
We then went back to the hotel exhausted.

For more of my pictures in Berlin, click here for my first album: Ich bin ein Berliner, and here for Berlin Continued or here, for my Berlin photo slideshow.

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