So Many Hamburgers

Our Germany adventures started with a day in Dresden, where we met up with a friend of mine who's studying there. Having a native with us made all the difference. She took us to a great restaurant, showed us the fun, non-touristy area of the city, and found us cheap bus tickets on an all-German website. Dresden felt a little like Boston, full of students and great shopping. After a day of wandering, we got back to the station just in time to hop on the bus to Berlin.

Berlin wins most interesting city award, at least in my book. The complicated politics and history make for a city you can't simply stroll around in and get a feel for. It took two walking tours and a long visit to the German History Museum for me to begin to grasp what Berlin is all about. We took the classic walking tour, led by an ex-history teacher oozing with love of sharing history with us. He took us mainly to major sites of the Holocaust. I stood over the bunker in which Hitler committed suicide, and a few steps later saw the site where his body was burned. Ironically, a child's slide now sits in that very spot.

We also took a tour called Alternative Berlin that explored the street culture and graffiti art that began largely after World War II. Much of the artwork is spectacular and easily missed without a guide to point it out.

The torrential downpour made it tough to take lots of pictures, but I promise it was really cool. 

If you're ever in Berlin, go to a place called White Trash Fast Food (WTFF). This bar/restaurant/music venue couldn't even be called a room - it's more like a large covered space lit with vintage chandeliers and candles held in liquer bottles. We ate awesome veggie burgers, drank much beer, and listened to a band described as "pop/funk/theater." As strange as that sounds, it's exactly what they were. 

Alana and I left the hostel early the next morning, her for the airport and me for the bus station. I slept most of the way to Hamburg, and was greeted by my good friend Jan as I stepped off the bus. He goes to university a little ways outside the city but came home to Hamburg for the weekend to hang out with yours truly. Despite the wind nearly blowing us away, we managed to hit most of the major sites in Hamburg. 

The best part, though, was realizing that the name for one who lives in Hamburg is legitimately Hamburger. I couldn't stop picturing the food kind of hamburgers hobbling around the streets. 

The awful weather eventually scared us away. We spent the evening drinking wine I can't pronounce, sharing music, and reminiscing about New Zealand. His wonderful mom went out of her way to make sure I had everything I needed, and it felt so nice to be in a home instead of a hostel. Now I'm off to Amsterdam for five nights. The forecast looks very wet, so I see a lot of hiding inside in my future.