72 hours in Berlin: Part One
Waking up for a super early morning flight (aka 3:00am) is not an ideal way to start the day, but this was one flight that I was stupidly excited to take...
A long time ago, my amazing dad was raised and lived in Berlin with my grandparents, aunty and uncle. He live on an army barracks, as my grandad was a sergeant major and left when he was 6 years old to come back to the UK.
Speaking fluent German, it took him a while to learn the English language, but now - sadly - he remembers none of the language he once knew. He's also never been back to Berlin since our family left in 1971 and so, as he approaches the big 5-0 me, my mum and my husband all decided to surprise him and bring him back to the city that he once knew and grew up in.
Speaking fluent German, it took him a while to learn the English language, but now - sadly - he remembers none of the language he once knew. He's also never been back to Berlin since our family left in 1971 and so, as he approaches the big 5-0 me, my mum and my husband all decided to surprise him and bring him back to the city that he once knew and grew up in.
We took an Easy Jet flight from London Gatwick and a private Hoppa into Mitte so that we could be dropped off at our beautiful hotel, the Holiday Inn at Alexanderplatz.
With a quick 30 minute transfer (airport to hotel) we arrived at the reception at 11am - a little early for check in - and so we dumped our bags and decided what we wanted to do (given that we were very sleepy from an early morning flight).
With a quick 30 minute transfer (airport to hotel) we arrived at the reception at 11am - a little early for check in - and so we dumped our bags and decided what we wanted to do (given that we were very sleepy from an early morning flight).
After getting a quick upshot selfie next to the iconic TV Tower (which was also right next to our hotel) we then decided to grab a Starbucks and plan our afternoon. We decided to walk to the Brandenburg gate and stop off for lunch along the way.
The distance probably took us around 45 minutes to walk as we stopped off at numerous buildings along the way, to admire the breathtaking architecture. I really do love just walking around cities and admiring the buildings.
When in New York, we would walk for hours just admiring the sights, and Berlin was also no disappointment for this. From integrate carvings to golden statues, everything along our walk appeared to have a luxurious beauty about it.
Passing landmarks such as the dome, we continued straight down the road until we could see the iconic Brandenburg Gate - a place which my dad used to see everyday from the balcony of the apartment that he lived in. So for him, this was a special and nostalgic moment.
The distance probably took us around 45 minutes to walk as we stopped off at numerous buildings along the way, to admire the breathtaking architecture. I really do love just walking around cities and admiring the buildings.
When in New York, we would walk for hours just admiring the sights, and Berlin was also no disappointment for this. From integrate carvings to golden statues, everything along our walk appeared to have a luxurious beauty about it.
Passing landmarks such as the dome, we continued straight down the road until we could see the iconic Brandenburg Gate - a place which my dad used to see everyday from the balcony of the apartment that he lived in. So for him, this was a special and nostalgic moment.
Once we had taken in the remarkable sight, there wasn't actually too many places for us to grab a quick bite to eat. With our check in time approaching, we jumped in a cab from the Brandenburg Gate back to Alexanderplatz; costing €8.50 in total this was much cheaper (and easier) than the four of us paying €2.70 for a single ticket on the Berlin underground.
Within the tram/ train station, there were so many places to grab a quick lunch on the go. But it would be a Taylor travel tradition, if we didn't opt for a classic, quick McDonalds. (Don't judge me 🙈 I promise I didn't eat American food for the whole 72 hours of my trip!)
Once we checked into the hotel, we decided to relax and recoup a little after such an early morning start and so we met for beers at 7:30pm and ate at a local restaurant close to the TV tower.
Once we checked into the hotel, we decided to relax and recoup a little after such an early morning start and so we met for beers at 7:30pm and ate at a local restaurant close to the TV tower.
Our ambition was to also go up this, but it was so foggy you couldn't see thing. In the end we opted for a night cap at our hotel bar and a good nights sleep.