birdofpassage: 11.05.2011 Berlin = BEAR-lin, get it, GET IT???

"Why are there bears everywhere?"

"Because it's called BEAR-LIN!"

".....OH, ha ha... ha!"

But no, seriously that's why.

Today, I met up with a friend of a friend. We took the Ubahn and the Sbahn and a bus. I think one of the first few things to getting to know a city, is understanding its transport system... and maybe language. But I'm pretty sure people can get by without actually having to learn to speak the language of the city. Not that I'm implying that I shouldn't try to learn any German...

I'm really glad I found a person to take me about today. Not that I couldn't do it myself, but it is nicer and makes the city less daunting all at once, like the first day of my arrival. I think on my first day, I concluded with, "What have I done! Why/how am I in Berlin!" in my head. Plus it beats having to talk to myself aloud, or taking dead end trams that changed their routes because of construction, or taking pictures with one hand.

This post is mostly pictures, but I can't upload pictures for some reason using the hostel lounge wifi. How smart. Anyway in brief, I saw, PotsdamPlatz, which has their gas/water tubing above ground! The Reichstag, a part of the Berlin wall, haufbanhof, and I ate doner? That turkish sandwich stuff that I never knew could be vegetarian. Apparently Berliners are crazy for that stuff.

Later, I met his housemates, one who spoke British English, but was actually German, and the other who spoke mostly German and very little English. We grabbed dinner at this really amazing vegan restaurant called Yoyo. Actually, I would eat there weekly if I could. Only, I can't remember where it is located... places like that need to exist in Toronto. I think if it did, it would beat out all the other vegetarian restaurants downtown. (That's how good it was)

Oh! I finally met the people in my room. There are three guys from the states taking a World Architecture course in Florence. I was curious to know what they were going to check out in Berlin, but I was too shy to ask and they leave tomorrow. There's also another girl who is also from the states, but is an international student in Ireland, visiting her friends in Berlin. She's super perky and exaggerates all her comparative and superlative adjectives.

Doner - pronounced doon-ner

Berlin Haufbahnhof (Central station)

"The U-Bahn is yellow, that's how you know," "Then, what colour is the S-Bahn?" she asks.

"Also yellow..." "..but a different kind of yellow!"

So here, let me show you. That is U on the left and S on the right.

The Reichstag...meh! Unfortunately looked much better when it was wrapped up by Christo and Jeanne Claude

Neighbouring office buildings. Don't these look cool (totally stole the show)! Reminds me of StarWars...

straight. clean. geometrical. lines.

new subway station for tourists. 3 stops only

You know how I feel about ghosts, so you can imagine how I felt when I was brought to see this station with this sign. I was totally ready to skip out when I continued reading and it just referred to the empty stations the S-bahn would skip over because of the divide.

1.The Brandenburg gate, 2. I'm crossing over! Did you bring your passport?

more fancy glass buildings at Potsdamerplatz

Stars walkway of fame? Sister to the one in NY? LA?

We so cool ya. Rubbing elbows with famous German people.

The best thing at PotsdamerPlatz. These pink pipes carry water or gas to the buildings in the area. ISN'T THAT SO COOL? It's above ground! Boy was I super duper fascinated.