Still not having the slightest clue about where I was, I woke up to blue skies and a beautiful, shining sun. Yay! The rough winds and lower temperatures of the North had stayed behind me and I was now enjoying the climate of the “South”.

I didn’t have to walk for long before I encountered my first interesting site: Topography of terror (Ps. It’s free!) Here I walked along about a hundred meters of the old wall. Before I knew it, I had spend an entire hour by the wall reading about the terrors of the Nazis. Actually, the very site itself gave me goosebumps when I saw the wall. (Check the pictures) After a couple of deep breaths, I moved inside the newly-built museum (Also free). This building actually sits on top of the site, where some of the most important institutions of the Nazi regime were housed. This included Gestapo, the Reich SS Leadership, the Security Service of the SS and the Reich Security Main Office. Amazing. In total I spent 1,5 hours there and it was worth it.

Then I continued up north through the Holocaust monument and the memorial to the homosexuals, who were persecuted during the Nazi era.

Berlin offers a lot of interesting experiences if you “get off the beaten track”. In its very literal sense this is of course difficult, however, taking a random right or left turn once in a while can yield some very nice experiences. One of these random turns got me to Mauer Park. This showed to be the coolest place to be on a sunny Sunday. (Berlin is completely shut down on Sundays.) I went through the “park”, which is actually more like a half-barren grass field, and immediately felt like I was at Roskilde Festival (except Mauer Park doesn’t smell like a dirty toilet). Moving on, I found myself in a market (usually on squares) again and again. This is apparently how the Berliners like to spend their Sundays, when all the shops are closed. (Really cool!)

Luckily, Berlin wasn’t completely demolished during the war. There are still many beautiful (old) buildings to visit. One of them is the Zionskirche, which is in very bad condition (inside – see pictures) but has a beautiful view from the tower. (Can be accessed for 1€)

Another of my random turns led me into a backyard, where a photo gallery was situated. I had just missed the gay exhibition but the place was still stacked with very very cool photos. (They were not all about gay people)

Berlin has much to offer. My current trip is about trying new things and following the flow. I don’t plan much and I trust in randomness. This way of life possible (and interesting) in Berlin. But the city also offers big shops, department stores, trendy cafés and restaurants, if that is the purpose of your stay. Berlin surely has a lot of diversity.

Here is a small anecdote about staying alert and not trusting too much in people:

I was approached by a young girl (probably 12-13 years old) who didn’t talk. She pointed to a block of paper (the ones you use when filling out surveys) and some text stating that she was from an organization of deaf/mute children. They would like a donation. I didn’t give anything and wasn’t sure if I was just being cheap and selfish. I walked on, but looked back and saw the girl being joined by two other youngsters. They talked to her and she answered. The girl continued on “asking” people for money, but quickly hid her block of paper, when a police car drove by. I guess sometimes the truth is just 20 seconds ahead.

Germany is really a cake and wurst country. They sell cake and German sausages everywhere.

I decided to go to Groningen (Netherlands) to visit a friend from the summer school in Helsinki. I felt like drinking a beer with a friend. After checking out I went to the area where “my” turkish place was, but I wanted to try something new. I went around the corner and found a place that served Nepalese food. I asked a guy, who was sitting outside, what he was having and he invited me to join him. On the evening of leaving Berlin, I had made a new friend. He even gave me a ride to the train station. Amazing how friendly and open people are sometimes!