Day 13 : Walking Tour of Berlin
Day 13: Berlin
| Date | Jan 15, 2024 ( Monday ) |
| Total This Camino: | 103 miles. |
| Total 2024 Caminos: | 103 miles |
| Total All Caminos: | 2103 miles |
| Lodging: | Martas Gästehaus @ $ 75 |
| Total Lodging: | $ 801 |
| Planes: | $ 1300 |
| Total Planes / Travel Insurance: | $ 1470 |
| Buses / Trains / Taxis: | $ 13 |
| Total Buses / Trains / Taxis: | $ 189 |
| Food: | $42 |
| Total Food: | $ 397 |
Weather: it was cold today, and in the middle of the tour we actually had a pretty good, pretty heavy snowfall for about half an hour.
Meaningful Moment
Finding the store that my godson really likes in some completely different part of Berlin than where I've been. And doing business in German in order to get him a book that he wanted from the store.
Berliner Zinnfiguren
Knesebaeckstrasse
Ernst-Reuter Platz ( U2 Subway line )
Random Thought of the Day
Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
Just checked the train schedule to the airport.
I have to get up at 4:30 in the morning on Tuesday.
Catch the 5:20 a.m. S9 train from the Hauptbahnhof to Templehof airport.
That gets me there at 6:10 a.m.
Boarding is at 9:00 a.m.
Since this is an international flight, they recommend arriving at the airport 3 hours before boarding.
In addition, I had processing problems with the flight over here.
Something about a name mismatch between my passport and the airline ticket.
So I want to get to the airport early in case I have more issues with checking in.
If I can check in online, that would be really helpful.
***
And hooray! I was able to complete both online airline check-in and baggage check-in. Whatever the problem was back in Rochester, it seems the agent there straightened it all out .
The airline has already solicited me to be a volunteer to accept a different flight for bidding for a flight voucher to be used for future travel. It seems the plane is overbooked.
I am checked in, but I must touch base with an agent when I get to the airport in the morning.
***
Confirmed that I'm leaving from terminal 1 according to my boarding pass. The S9 rapid transit line stops first at terminal 1 and then terminal 5. So this will be very convenient way to travel. I don't have to worry about terminal 5.
I did notice that I only have a boarding pass from Berlin to Newark. Perhaps this is why I need to see an agent. I'm guessing that after clearing customs and immigration in Newark, I will need to check in again for my boarding pass to Rochester.
***
Checked again later and I had both boarding passes for tomorrow's flights. Either. I simply did not notice it earlier, or something got updated but it doesn't make a difference. What does matter is that I'm now good to go all the way home.
And I definitely did have a message that I needed to see an agent. But that message is clearly gone now.
***
United check-in desk at Berlin Templehoff airport opens at 6:50 a.m. Now that I no longer have a message to see an agent, and that I was able to successfully get both flights with boarding passes, and that I was able to check my bag in online, all I need to do is drop my bag off.
That means I can sleep an extra 15 minutes in the morning. So I'm now setting my alarm for 4:45 a.m.
If I'm walking out of the Martha's Gästehäuse by 5:15, I'll be to the station by 5:30 a.m., which gives me 15 minutes to buy my ticket and get to the platform which I've already scouted everything out so I know exactly where everything is.
On the Road / Notable memories
Berlin is like a bridge without railings
Berliner Dom (Cathedral)
That's our guide, Jimmy, who came to Berlin from traveling around the world. He's originally from York, England.
He has his degree in German history and loves Berlin.
Museum Insel (Island)
Home to five different museums ranging from art to archeology etc.
I remember studying about this place in German class also.
At the time, I never thought I would actually visit Berlin and see this place.
Berliner Dom with the Berlin TV tower
Opera Square, Museum Insel
Josef Goebbels, Adolf Hitler's Minister of propaganda, led one of his speeches here that led to the Berlin book burning in order to suppress the writing of undesirables.
In Berlin 40,000 people gathered to hear German Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda Joseph Goebbels give a speech in Berlin's Opera Square. He declared "the era of extreme Jewish intellectualism is now at an end. ... The future German man will not just be a man of books, but a man of character. It is to this end that we want to educate you. ... And thus you do well in this midnight hour to commit to the flames the evil spirit of the past. ( PBS AMERICAN EXPERIENCE )
Intersection of Unter den Linden and Freidrichstrasse.
There are no markers or things that might end up causing this place to become a place of memories for former or present Nazis.
" The middle class supports our country; the three ruling parties are driving it into the wall."
And once again I ran into the big demonstrations that have been throughout Germany all this week. The farmers and the workers have been protesting all week long against government subsidization policies and other government policies.
You can't see it so well on this side, but on the opposite side of Brandenburg Gate, there is a huge demonstration going on.
According to news reports, there are 10,000 farmers and 5,000 tractors in Berlin.
There was a huge police presence, although not visible in this picture. The police presence was for traffic and crowd control. The demonstration was loud and raucus but peaceful.
I got close enough to be surrounded by people.
We ended the 4-Hour Walking Tour at Checkpoint Charlie which was still a disappointment and essentially a tourist trap.
Comments
Post a Comment