Berlin, GERMANY
I met up with German girl I'd met while volunteering in Greece for a few nights at a hostel. We went to a random anarchist underground techno rave that was raising money for queer & trans youth...Dit is Berlin (simply put, 'that is Berlin', but typed in a Berliner accent). There were a lot of quirky things I noticed in the German capital: fashion, garden objects, ATM locations, exclusive nightclubs, etc. If you notice anything unusual, don't overthink it because Dit is Berlin.
I did some exploring the next day. The German Historical Museum is under renovation, but I walked to the Brandenburg Gate (city's entrance), Jewish monument (very emotional), German Spy Museum, Checkpoint Charlie (a Berlin Wall crossing), Mauerpark (lots of music and markets), and East Side Gallery (featuring artworks from 1990 (Germany's reunification) on remaining fragments of the Wall).
I would highly recommend the free indoor/outdoor Topography of Terror museum. Photos and text are displayed on an old part of the Wall. Seeing and touching the Wall felt so real and it was extremely hard to process what had happened from 1961-1989. 136 people lost their lives at the Wall. I also learnt about the how in 1939, the Nazis were ordered to kill the 'incurably ill' which included homosexuals, Gypsies, and Jews. And about some of the law changes that were made for the 1936 Nazi Olympics.
While in Berlin, I drank Club-Mate (carbonated tea) at a Berlin Späti which is like a corner store open until late. I also had a wurst ('sausage') at the Oktoberfest in Alexanderplatz.
I caught up with another friend I'd made in Greece to go rollerblading along the river.
The next day was rainy, so we went to the Berlinische Galerie for modern art. I also did some personal admin at a local library.
I spent a fourth night Couchsurfing. Then I caught up with an old school friend who I'd ran into earlier in Albania. From hers, I took a cheap, 4.30am Flixbus to Denmark. It was a long trip.
Copenhagen, DENMARK
Copenhagen is beautiful! The city was super colourful and felt very flat. The people were also super fit and well dressed.
I caught up with a friend from Australia who now studies there. They had a pretty wild college party while I was staying.
We ate lunch at the psychedelic Folkhuset Absalon which is a lively community centre where you can eat, work, talk, and play games. They have events organised everyday, but make sure you book a seat for one of their community dinners!
We also went to Freetown Christiania which is a commune from the 70s in which the police turn a blind eye towards cannabis and the residents don't pay tax!
I climbed up the Spiral Ramp of the Round Tower which is home to the oldest astronomical observatory in Europe. It was erected in 1642, and stands 34.8m high. The observatory is still in use and can be accessed by the public.
I also walked through Kastellet which is a star-shaped fortress and a current active military area. The surrounding gardens were stunning. I passed an old church and saw the 1913 'The Little Mermaid' bronze statue inspired by Hans Christian Anderson's fairy tale.
Notes:
- I noticed the shift on the streets from cigarettes to snuss when I entered Denmark; there were hardly any smokers from here on up, just strong tobacco pouches...
- I don’t think I ever saw anyone pay for public transport in Berlin... Alternatively, the train card in Copenhagen costs 180 kroner, so be prepared to spend a lot. I did, however, find that the bike rental was cheaper and opted for that instead.
- Unlike the hyped up German expenses, I didn't find Berlin to be all that different price-wise to what I was used to in Western Europe. Copenhagen, on the other hand, is extremely expensive.
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