A Weekend In Berlin: Day 1

Our journey to Berlin began with a sketchy Uber to the Salzburg Hauptbahnhof. Taxi drivers always get lost on Monchberg - it's genuinely hard to find a taxi driver to go up and down the mountain because they're so unfamiliar with it, getting lost is inevitable. I've also noticed that taxi and Uber drivers in Europe are substantially older than back in the States. It's like sitting in the back seat while your partially blind grandfather who just so happens to have "fast" reflexes drives you around.

We made it to the train and boarded our train in time. This was technically my first Eurorail trip - I didn't have any expectations. We sat in a nice private cabin - imagine the private rooms aboard the Hogwarts Express. I was paranoid about being kicked out but the ticketer and patrol never said anything. It was easily the comfiest train ride I've ever had - cushioned seats that reclined, accessible electric plugs, and a generally quiet train car. Our transfer in Munich was 5 minutes of straight panic, running through the train station trying to catch our next train.

Our 4-hour train ride to Berlin from Munich was broken up into 3 phases - 3 different seats due to our inability to locate the proper seat. Initially, we sat in a section that looked as nice as the train car that we were just on the last train. Turns out it was 1st class so we had to move a couple of cars back till we found seats in 2nd class. We had to actively search and spread out to find seats. Get past Nuremberg where we were delayed half an hour and a couple approached us, spoke in German, and pointed at a sign posted on our seats. Some of us were sitting in the Premier/Frequent Travelers portion of 2nd class - apparently, that's a thing. Yet again we move even further down the train a few cars. We came upon a train car the was significantly quieter and less crowded. The final leg was extremely mentally challenging. Maps on my phone couldn't seem to keep up so it always looked like we were farther away from Berlin than we actually were.

Arriving in Berlin was a breath of fresh air. We caught an UberXL to our hostel - he tried to get us to pay more than was listed on the app. Cars, in general, are much smaller in Europe so our UberXL was a small car that just so happened to have seats in the trunk that could be opened. We packed into the vehicle like sardines with our duffle bags and backpacks on our laps. Checked into our hostel - ONE80 Hostel: Alexanderplatz - and then went on a search after 10 pm for a bite to eat.

Alexanderplatz is centered around the TV Tower and is listed as a city center despite the fact that Berliners consider there to be 3 city centers. Alexanderplatz is the former city center of East Berlin. With outdoor shopping, restaurants, an S-Bahn station, and the remnants of a festival, Alexanderplatz was still busy late at night. Right outside of the train S-Bahn Station we came upon a Kebab stand - Döner & Drink (52.520878,13.411811). As a Berlin staple, I ordered a Döner Kebab mit Pommes - a crispy bread filled with meat that had been roasted vertically, tomato, lettuce, cucumber, onions, and various sauces. I'm a bit obsessed. It's so good. No words to explain it just don't forget about Turkish food.

The wind was blowing, a chill had set into the air, and live musicians were bundled up prepared to withstand the elements to perform for the late-night frolickers in Alexanderplatz. My cherry on top was a bag of chocolate-covered gingerbread pretzels that I found at a convenience store next to the Kebab place.

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