Berlin

The next day was Easter Sunday and we had to leave for Berlin that night.  I was stupidly excited to get on to the next part of our adventure but sad to be leaving such a comfortable place.   I felt really great in Switzerland because of the clean air and clean environment.  I saw not a single homeless person or any trash on the ground.  Everything was just so nice there.  Johnny said the government tries really hard to take care of its citizens and I feel it really showed in the quality of their country.

As soon as Melody and I landed in Berlin, we knew we were in for a whole different kind of ride.  We went to the help desk to see how we go about buying a bus ticket and the man behind the counter was so rude to us.  I had even tried speaking to him in German to ask but apparently that wasn’t enough effort from an American like myself.  We got our tickets and stood confused trying to figure out which bus we were supposed to take to get to my friend Sascha’s house.  After what seemed like a very long time we finally got to Sascha’s.

We got to Sascha’s apartment after being very tired from our day of traveling.   That night he took us out for food (Sascha is a vegetarian too) and I had my first ever veggie burger. IT WAS AMAZING!  I was so shocked by how much I liked it!  After dinner we went and got a disgusting German beer and I witnessed a rat the size of a small dog run down the street.  We walked home through what I would call “the ghetto” but apparently to Berlin people it was just a typical part of the city.  There weren’t criminals… just lots of graffiti and broken glass everywhere.  Disgusting. DEFINITELY not like Switzerland at all.  When we commented on all the graffiti, Sascha said that wasn’t even that much because the government has really cracked down on it.  We were amazed because I had never seen such a filthy city.  I guess because of the Berlin Wall and the war it just left the city in ruins and anger.

The next day, as suggested by Sascha, Melody and I went out to an amazing vegetarian and vegan brunch.  On our way there we ended up getting lost and frustrated with the train system (again) but finally ended up at the right station and met a very interesting older man who ended up giving us an unopened bottle of beer just for the hell of it.  He was very kind and even though we didn’t end up drinking the beer, we were happy to have such a nice gesture offered from a stranger.  We ate at a place called Morgenrot, a restaurant that is now among my favorite restaurants for life. It had the most amazing selection of delicious spreads, pastries, cereals, granola, potatoes… I didn’t realize vegetarians and vegans ate this way!  It completely changed my outlook on vegetarian and vegan cooking.  My favorite spread ended up being a lima bean and lavender spread, Melody didn’t care much for it but I loved it!  This was also the first time on the trip where I felt relaxed and with like people.  My pink hair was not such a shock in this place!  Plus, I finally had the best cup of tea on the vacation  yet!

After we had our brunch, we set out on another train to see a very old Jewish cemetery .  It was gorgeous and so nicely done… every grave was huge and covered in fresh flowers.  They put a lot of care into the cemeteries there.

Weißensee Cemetery

Now here is where all the excitement started and how I ended up in the German Police Record!

On the train on the way back I managed to leave a cheap cell phone that Sascha had given me.  Once we returned to his flat he informed us that a 13 year old boy had taken the phone hostage and was wanting us to pay 20 Euros to get it back.  Sascha got on the phone with the boy’s father thinking that the Dad would have more sense than to make us pay the money but apparently the Dad wanted the cash too.  Sascha got really upset and called the police because in Germany when you find something and don’t return it to the police – it’s considered stealing.  So they basically set up a sting operation to meet at a gas station to get the phone back.  We got to the gas station and waited quite a while for the man to show up with the phone.  Finally he arrived and Sascha came inside to retrieve the 20 Euros and to stall while we were waiting for the cops to arrive.  While I was fussing with my jacket to collect the money I saw two tall and strong men all in black walking up to the gas station.  I knew right away that it was the police by the description Sascha had told me of what German cops look like.  THEY WERE HOT!  Sascha went outside and immediately the cops went up to the man with the phone and they all started yelling at each other in German.  It was insane so I went back inside all scared of what was happening.  Two more men walked up and I got extra freaked out since I thought the man had brought extra friends as reinforcements but they ended up being undercover police as well.  So there were four German cops, the bad guy with the phone and his friend, Sascha, and myself all over a very old cell phone and 20 Euros.  In the end the man got arrested for blackmailing us for the money but also because he showed up driving his car drunk.  BIG MISTAKE since Germany has a 0% alcohol tolerance for drivers.  So justice was served but it left me with not much faith in Berlin.

Once back at Sascha’s house he attempted to make us feel better by making a delicious  and traditional German drink called Feuerzangenbowle.  It’s made by heating red wine together with fruits like cherries and oranges with spices like cloves and cinnamon.  You then pour 80% proof rum over a sugar cone and set it on fire, allowing the sugar to crystallize and sweeten up the rum.  I was super appreciate of Sascha for making us this treat, it was so good and very cool to taste something so authentically German.

Feuerzangenbowle