Two very large buildings were visited on our first day in Berlin. The first was the Charlottenburg Palace which was created for Queen Sofia Charlotte. I found it interesting that she loved Chinese antiques so we ended up seeing a bunch of old Chinese antiques in and old German palace.
The second place we visited was the Reichstag, basically the German parliament building. There is high security all throughout the building and we had to go through an airport like security screening to get in. As we waited to get in the sunny day we were experienced turned cloudy and it started to rain. While everyone was looking for some form of shelter I elected to go outside to document what was happening before me. I little rain doesnt phase this Vancouverite!
Our second day began with a walking tour, which I really enjoyed. The tour was free, though tips are greatly appreciated by the guides as they arent paid by the tour company. Our guide was a very knowledgable and passionate Irishman. Below you will see photos from the Brandenburg Gate, The Memorial of the Murdered Jews of Europe, and old Nazi building which is now the Tax building for Berlin, and the Berlin Wall. One of the most fascinating things for me to see though can be seen in that picture of an apartment courtyard. Below this courtyard is Hitlers Bunker, where he committed suicide towards the end of the war. All entrances to the bunker have been filled in with concrete, but it felt like such a historic place to be around.
The next stop was the Neues Museum. Neues translates into new in German, which I thought was funny because the museum itself is over 100 years old and it's full of Egyptian and Roman artifacts. I really enjoyed seeing all the pieces from ancient Egypt as I find the history on it to be really fascinating.
Next we visited the Berlin Cathedral. I was kind of reluctant to go inside because from pictures on google it didnt look as epic as the other churches we had visited, and there was an entrance fee. Well I'm very glad we did go inside. The church is massive! I've been to a good number of really tall churches, and really long churches, but I've never been to one that was as wide as it was long. The church also had a massive crypt in the basement which held the tombs of over 80 Prussian royalty, including Sofia Charlotte who was mentioned earlier. Our day was capped off with a walk along the East Side Gallery which is a portion of the Berlin Wall that is covered in graffiti.
Last day in Berlin. Last day in Germany. What a journey this has been! It was only appropriate that I spent it at the airport, but not just any airport. I was so happy to be able to meet up with my friend Jenn from Vancouver, on the other side of the world in Berlin. We spent the morning walking around Tempelhof Airport which is an old abandoned airport that has since turned into a park and community garden. We then went to a really cool hipster cafe for some tea and then it was off to the airport for real.
5 hours later we found ourselves wandering the dark and crooked streets of London. If you can put aside how freaking hard it is to navigate the London streets at night, the city views are truly beautiful. I mean I've seen photos of all the major tourist buildings in London thousands of times before and yet, I still had an "Oh shit, I'm actually here" moment. The night was short lived however as we had to head to bed. The next day would be an early one.
Up at the literal crack of dawn and we were off! Arriving at Mcdonalds at 6AM I had to end my no Mcdolands streak at 6 years. I mean what else would be open for breakfast at 6AM? My stomach did not miss Mcdonalds at all, but we had to head out to start exploring. If you are a morning person, I would highly recommend waking up really early to explore. No tourists! It was amazing to have these massive tourist attractions to ourselves.
We arrived at the British Museum for opening and took a quick stroll around for some photos and we were off again. When we arrived people were just starting to gather. When we left, less than 45min later the place was packed. We went for our essential English lunch (I had bangers and mash + scotched eggs) and were off to join the hoards of tourists at Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. After giving the Queen a holler we made our way back to the airport.
24hrs in London was over, and so was our trip. I really wish we could have spent more time in London. It's such an amazing city. I'll be back for sure, though I'm not sure exactly when. Hopefully sooner rather than later. Maybe I'll get to shoot a wedding in the UK!
To find a defining highlight of this trip is unthinkable. That's like asking me what my favourite photo is from any given shoot. There isnt one. It's impossible to choose. They say a picture says a thousand words. If that's true then each city I went to had it's own unique story to share and learn from. The best way to learn is through experiences and I cannot wait until the next adventure!