Well, where to start!? Back in Germany about four days ago I suppose. I left off on a rather depressing post about my time visiting the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp...I promise this post will be a lot different then the last.
After the day at the Concentration Camp none of us really felt like doing much. Everyone else decided to go to bed early, but Adrian and I decided to head into Alexanderplatz so we could see the famous Berlin Square at night once more. We just walked around, talking and enjoying the environment. It was a really nice ending to a tough day. We were back at the Hostel by eleven o'clock and I was asleep not long after.
The next day our friend Meghan who is on a different rotation abroad came and met up with us. We all decided to do some last minute sightseeing around Berlin before our early morning flight on Friday to London. We started at Pariser Platz where the famous Brandenburg Gate is located.
After that we headed towards Topography of Terror a famous outdoor museum in Berlin that covers parts of the Holocaust, Nazi Regime and Hitler's Reign. It was very interesting, located right in front of part of the Berlin Wall. We spent a good amount of time there reading the various descriptions and learning even more.
On the way to the Topography of Terror we walked by a memorial to all the murdered Jews of the Holocaust. I have never seen a memorial of this kind. It was a maze you could walk right through. Large cement blocks all throughout. I walked through alone thinking about all those impacted by the Holocaust. It was an interesting prelude to the Topography of Terror museum.
After spending some time around the museum and memorial we headed towards Checkpoint Charlie a part of Berlin I really wanted to see. On the way to Checkpoint Charlie though we ran into another section of the Berlin Wall with a lot of people in front. We approached to see what was going on and saw a man dressed up like a Cold War Checkpoint Officer. He was stamping Passports with the actual stamps they used during the Cold War. Unfortunately, I did not have my passport with me, but Meghan was able to get hers stamped.
After some walking we made it to Checkpoint Charlie. For those that do not know Checkpoint Charlie was one of the most famous Checkpoints at the Berlin Wall in the history of the Cold War. It was used to check people trying to cross from East to West Berlin or vise versa. Checkpoint Charlie was a nickname giving to the Checkpoint. I overheard a tour guide saying Charlie was a common name in Berlin and that was why the Checkpoint was given that nickname. It is now a tourist attraction in an interesting location....right in the middle of a main road. I was able to get some pictures though, and they even had men dressed as the Allies out front with American Flags. I was also interested to see the famous, "You are now leaving the American Sector" sign located right next to the Checkpoint. The Berlin Wall and the entire concept around it absolutely fascinates me. While viewing Checkpoint Charlie I tried to imagine what it must have been like with the wall up. The history in Berlin between WWII and the Cold War alone is immense.
After Checkpoint Charlie we wandered around Berlin a little more. We saw a lot of the city that was much nicer then the previous areas we had seen. As I mentioned in previous posts a lot of Berlin seems abandoned, run down or graffiti has taken over. The area around Checkpoint Charlie was a lot more lively and Manhattan like.
Eventually, we headed back towards Alexanderplatz to get some food. On our way though we passed the Cathedral of Berlin. Th structure was pretty stunning. You could see the famous TV tower in the background. It was quite the site.
Lunch in Alexanderplatz was delicious! Famous Berlin noodle dish!
After awhile we all made our way back to the Hostel. Our flight was at 9am on Friday morning meaning we have to be up at 5am and out the door by 6am. We made good timing though! Adrian and I did not want to pay for a cab so we took the Metro to the Airplane and everyone else got a cab. We made it in record time though actually getting there before the cab did! It was a long morning overall, but I was beyond excited to get to London.
The travel went pretty smoothly overall. Our Hostel was a little outside of King's Cross Station in London (Yes, that is King's Cross as in the King's Cross Station in Harry Potter!) Despite being so thrilled to be in London and at King's Cross...the Metro was outrageously expensive!!! 4.75 pounds for ONE ride!! That equals EIGHT American Dollars!!!!!!!!! We decided to invest in a day pass for 7 pounds for the next two days. Most everything could not be walked to in a reasonable time frame from our Hostel.
Speaking of our Hostel.. we stayed at the Hostel ; Clink 78. It was one of the top rated Hostels in London and though it looked nice...located in an old renovated Victorian house... it was 1. expensive 2. the rooms were very crowded 3. we had to put our own sheets on our bed 4. the showers did not work 5. there was one toilet for about fifty people 6. there was no free wifi! I may sound a little spoiled, but things just were not up to par...thankfully it was only for two days and we made it work!
Right in front of our Hostel though was the famous London telephone booths!
After we got settled into our Hostel Adrian and I decided to take the three mile walk to the center of London as opposed to taking a four Pound Metro ride. I am glad we did though, not only because we saved money and got our exercise in, but because we also stumbled on some pretty interesting stuff on the way. Including a little park. This park looked absolutely beautiful as you will see from my pictures below, but the description of the park was not so pretty. This park actually used to be a grave yard....but that's not all it was. The description explained in the 1780's the land was a burial ground that could house up to about 3,000 bodies. The man that owned this graveyard and would bury the bodies was a rather interesting man. Each and every night when the rest of London was asleep he would dig up the recently buried bodies and burn them...coffin and all. He did this to make room for new bodies...so he would make more money. He was able to burn the bodies and exhume them because his house was also built on the property and it blocked the view of everything. In the years this burial ground was in use 80,000 bodies passed through the graveyard that was only built to house 3,000. Soon though, Mr. Bird the man that did this, was under suspicion. On several occasions he was caught red handed when neighbors thought his house was on fire, when actually he was just burning bodies and coffins. Neighbors and residents near by also began to become very sick because of the remnants coming from the chimney of his burning room. Mr. Bird was eventually found out. The "Bone House" still remains today in the center of the park. People were just casually in this park when Adrian and I stumbled upon it...they were eating lunch, skateboarding, laying out and chatting. We were VERY surprised to say the least.
Before we finished our walk Adrian and I stopped to get dinner. We really wanted an authentic English dinner so we decided to go to an English pub. I got the best glass of wine I have ever had. It was a White Zinfandel and I got Fish and Chips. The Fish and Chips were unfortunately disgusting :( They looked delicious, but after I found my third bone inside along some black scales...I was finished. It was a great experience though!!!
Next we ventured towards the heart of London...where everything is located!! I never realized London is so compact and everything is all together. You can see the majority of London in a day! We started at the London Eye and to our surprise there was a festival going on! Adrian and I just wandered around observing and taking photos. I loved the environment so much.
Right across the river is Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and the houses of Parliament!
After soaking in the festival environment and some people watching Adrian and I crossed the bridge to see Big Ben at night...the sun was just beginning to set. I have seen this structure so many times growing up from photos and movies. I remember being in third grade doing a project on London. It is so cool to actually see these structures in person. Big Ben was stunning and so was the Parliament which it is connected to it. I honestly was astonished such structures like this can be built. You do not see these sort of buildings in NYC. Here is just one picture of Big Ben at night...many more photos during the day to come!
The London Eye at night across the river
The next morning we were up fairly early. Nora had an evening train to catch and Meghan had a plane so we all started our day off at different places. After getting breakfast, Dana, Sean, Adrian and I were on a mission to find the train platform Harry Potter would use in the movies to catch his train to Hogwarts. It is Platform 9 3/4 located in King's Cross Station. It was put up after the movie was created right between Platform 9 and 10. They even have a cart that goes halfway through the wall just like in the movie! We all had a great time taking pictures and seeing the famous Platform. As a Harry Potter lover I was totally geeking out!
Right next to the Platform a bookstore is located. It has all the copies of all of the books. Some are hardcover and some are softcover. The books in England are a little different than the ones published in the US. Some words are different, the covers are different and even the titles are different!
After a great time at Platform 9 3/4 Dana and Sean went to find Abbey Road and Adrian and I headed to Buckingham Palace! I was so excited to see the palace where my new favorite Princess now lives...but I was a little let down when I got there!! Buckingham is not extravagant at all! It basically just looks like a bigger version of the White House :( and the guards were not even outside of the gate, but instead inside the gate by the entrance. It was a little let down, but it was so neat to see the palace. I kept trying to look in the windows to see Prince William or Harry...sorry all...no such luck!
Once we passed by the memorial we had reached the famous Wellington Arch. Much to our surprise there was some sort of ceremony going on honoring Veterans. Adrian and I ventured into the crowd taking some pictures and listening to them play all sorts of instruments. We saw some people taking pictures with Police Officers so we asked if we could join in! The officers were delighted!
Right by the Wellington Arch and St. Jame's Park is the first ever Hardrock Cafe. Adrian and I were not looking to buy a twenty-pound Burger there, but we wanted to check it out because it was where the idea originated. It is much smaller then the Hardrocks I have seen and experienced, but it was still very packed.
After viewing the Hardrock Adrian and I were soooo hungry. We decided to head into Soho, London that seems more like the Times Square of London. We bought a 7 pound day pass for the Metro so it was easy to get to. It was so lively and loud in Soho and had so many American Restaurants such as; Friday's, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and so on.
Rumor had it there was a Chiptole near by...a US Mexican Restaurant for those that do not know. I had been dying for some American food and so was Adrian...Chiptole in London...nothing sounded much better than that.We had a LOT of trouble finding it though and ended up wandering for a good hour! We got to see a lot in the meantime, but when we finally found it we had definitely earned our burritos.
Our day pass on the metro also included the bus. Adrian and I wanted to go see some of the famous London Bridges and the Metro system was down near the bridges because of construction for the Olympics. We hopped on a bus and made our way through the streets of London....traffic in London is just as bad as NYC!
Here is a view from our bus of the famous St. Paul's Cathedral of London!
The first bridge we wanted to see was Tower Bridge. If you have ever seen photos of London often times this bridge is featured. It is a gorgeous structure. It is located right behind the Tower of London which is a famous Castle.
The bridge
Adrian and I spent a good forty-five minutes at the bridge taking pictures and admiring its beauty. I have never seen a bridge of this nature before.
Our next goal was to find London Bridge!!! Lucky for us it was the bridge located just next to Tower Bridge. The bridge was NOT much to look at!!! We almost walked right by it!
After our bridge adventures we were wiped out! We headed back for the Hostel. It was about 9pm when we got back and I fell asleep around 9:30. I had every intention of getting back up, but I was exhausted and slept all the way until morning!! It was probably a good thing that I caught up on some rest and I was completely fueled for our last day in London! Adrian and I got up early and headed back towards the London Eye and Big Ben. We had seen the major tourist attractions in London and wanted one last little taste before our flight. We started at Big Ben, Parliament and Westminster.
One of my favorite statues I have seen yet is this one in front of Westminster of Winston Churchill.
Houses of Parliament
St. Margaret's Church next to Westminster Abbey
Parliament
And finally...Westminster Abbey!
Adrian and I were able to sneak a little bit inside even though mass was going on. Westminster is not a tourist attraction so people are not allowed inside to take pictures of the actual Cathedral. It was so beautiful on the outside though. After spending a lot of time at Westminster we decided to head back towards the London Eye. I got a few great pictures of everything on the way.
Adrian and I then grabbed a bite to eat and before we knew it it was time to make our way back to our Hostel to pick up our luggage. Spring Break was officially coming to a close. In order to get to Luton Airport in London we had to take a train from St. Pancras station located next to King's Cross. It was also featured in Harry Potter...here is a picture.
There was also the Olympic Rings hanging over the platforms...a reminder the summer Olympics will be held in London.
I am not sure if I mentioned earlier, but on the way to our Hostel on the bus from the airport we passed all of the construction for the summer Olympics in London. It included stadiums, venues and massive artistic sculptures. It was so cool and got me so excited!!! I wasn't able to get any clear photos because we were on a fast moving bus, but I can say first hand this summer Olympics is going to be great!
Spring Break was amazing and a trip I am going to remember for the rest of my life. I actually get emotional thinking about it. I got to cross three major things off my Bucket List... Ireland, Germany and London. I saw the Cliff of Moher, Dublin, Galway, went to an authentic Irish Pub, heard an Irish Band play my favorite music, saw Trinity College, toured the Capital of Germany, saw an actual Concentration Camp, visited Alexanderplatz, learned more about the Cold War and WWII, saw the Berlin Wall, touched the Berlin Wall, went to the Capital of England, saw Big Ben, Westminster, Buckingham Palace, the original Hardrock Cafe and parts from the movie Harry Potter. I fulfilled many of my dreams in just a week. By far I can hands down say my favorite place was Ireland and probably my favorite place in Europe so far too. I am determined to get back to Ireland and see even more of it. When I say touring Europe is my trip of a lifetime...I almost feel like it is an understatement. I cannot fully put into words my experiences here and how much they mean to me. Adrian and I joke one day we will be telling our Grandchildren all about what we have seen together. I just picture explaining to my children and grand-children the opportunity I was given and if they work hard they can have opportunities like this one too.
Once again I want to thank my awesome parents for this experience...especially Spring Break. Spring Break was above and beyond and more then I could have ever imagined. Your support financially and emotionally is more then I could ever ask for. I love you both so much and thank you for working so hard for me to have this opportunity. When I have my own job and kids I will remember your sacrifices and the opportunities your sacrifices provided me with and I know it will all be worth it.
When I came home from Spring Break and walked into the Paris Campus this Easter Card from my parents and sisters was waiting for me at my dorm. I was bumming a little Spring Break was now a memory and this made my night. Once again, thank you so much Mom and Dad.
Spring Break was amazing and a trip I am going to remember for the rest of my life. I actually get emotional thinking about it. I got to cross three major things off my Bucket List... Ireland, Germany and London. I saw the Cliff of Moher, Dublin, Galway, went to an authentic Irish Pub, heard an Irish Band play my favorite music, saw Trinity College, toured the Capital of Germany, saw an actual Concentration Camp, visited Alexanderplatz, learned more about the Cold War and WWII, saw the Berlin Wall, touched the Berlin Wall, went to the Capital of England, saw Big Ben, Westminster, Buckingham Palace, the original Hardrock Cafe and parts from the movie Harry Potter. I fulfilled many of my dreams in just a week. By far I can hands down say my favorite place was Ireland and probably my favorite place in Europe so far too. I am determined to get back to Ireland and see even more of it. When I say touring Europe is my trip of a lifetime...I almost feel like it is an understatement. I cannot fully put into words my experiences here and how much they mean to me. Adrian and I joke one day we will be telling our Grandchildren all about what we have seen together. I just picture explaining to my children and grand-children the opportunity I was given and if they work hard they can have opportunities like this one too.
Once again I want to thank my awesome parents for this experience...especially Spring Break. Spring Break was above and beyond and more then I could have ever imagined. Your support financially and emotionally is more then I could ever ask for. I love you both so much and thank you for working so hard for me to have this opportunity. When I have my own job and kids I will remember your sacrifices and the opportunities your sacrifices provided me with and I know it will all be worth it.
When I came home from Spring Break and walked into the Paris Campus this Easter Card from my parents and sisters was waiting for me at my dorm. I was bumming a little Spring Break was now a memory and this made my night. Once again, thank you so much Mom and Dad.
Well, it is midterm week in Paris and I am swamped!!! Sorry it took so long to post this Blog...hopefully I will have time this weekend to catch up on writing...I am going to the Louvre today with my Art Class!! As usual thanks for reading :) Have a nice weekend and enjoy the warm NY weather...Paris is freezing still! :)
XOXO
Shann
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