Berlin Day 2

Our second day in Berlin was perfect weather. 70s and sunny. I did not expect Germany to be like this.

We wake up early and... wait around. Unlike when I stay with friends at a hostel, we have one bathroom and everyone needs to look good (Meghan)with their hair did and make up on. I am not used to this after traveling with just a backpack for 8 months now. Nobody chooses a curling iron over an extra tee. Oh well. Instead of waking up, showering and heading out (or evev skipping the shower now and again and just smelling a little), I wait around, yearning to. Go explore Berlin more.

Finally we are on the road! We stop at this little pastry shop and I eat the best apple strudel I have ever had. I guess waiting around a little bit can be fine. We then catch a metro into town to meet up for the free tour at Brandenberg gate.

Like usual the free tour was great. Our guide was really informed... although he did have an abundance of awkward pauses. I think he thought this helped the really heavy stuff sink in a little. And there was definitely a lot of heavy stuff said. After the tour I said that Berlin had a lot of history, more than a lot of cities I have seen. This isn't really true since Seville, London, Madrid, Barcelona are all much older places. I think I got this impression because all the history was so tangible. World War II, the Berlin Wall, the Iron Curtain. It all happened so recently and its impacts are still felt.

But on the tour we saw a lot. Brandenberg Gate, the wall, Chechkpoint Charlie, Hitler's bunker, the Holocaust Memorial, Humboldt University where Einstein was once a professor, gendarmenmarkt and Museum Island. There was so much history and sites, I was tired. We ended with a beer behind Berliner Dom with our guide and the Richards. A perfect introduction to Berlin.

Hungry, we found a German restaurant and finally I ate some good beef. Sorry Spain, you just don't cut it when it comes to beef. We then walked Dow, to the Reichstag and the Teirgarten for sunset and headed hom tired and satisfied.

The next day: Potsdam.

One disappointment, I found out that we will have class following Semana Santa, instead of the class going on field trips which means no Portugal. Sad.

Off to Ireland

In a spur of the moment flurry of decision making, I will be headed off to Ireland in April! That's right! The Green Island will not know what is coming.

You may ask yourself, but why isn't Zach going for Saint Patrick's Day? Wouldn't Dublin for St Patty's be awesome?

Well, yes, I suppose it would be. But the flight would also be 4 times more expensive and the streets would be filled with 10 times more obnoxiously drunk travelers. No, April will be the perfect time. I will get to see my old tandem partner Ruth. I will see the Cliffs of Moher in better weather. I will drink my Guinness in an authentic Irish pub in relatively more peace. Yes, Ireland will be great in April.

La Lista de Deberes // To Do List

Tenemos mucha tarea, prelims y clases, pero todavia tenemos tiempo para viajar. Pero, necesitamos hacer reservaciones primero. Lugares que queremos visitar pero todavia tenemos que finalizar:

29 Octubre - 1 Noviembre

Oporto, Portugal

12 Noviembre - 14 Noviembre

Bilbao y San Sebastian, España y Biarritz, Francia

2 Diciembre - 7 Diciembre

Tangier, Marruecos y Seville, España

We have a lot of homework, prelims, and classes, but we still have time to travel. But we have to make reservations first. Places that we want to visit (or are actually planning on visiting) but still need to book:

October 29th - November 1st

Porto, Portugal

November 12th - November 14th

Bilbao & San Sebastian, Spain and Biarritz, France

December 2nd - December 7th

Tangier, Morocco and Seville, Spain

august 12. 2010.

I think tomorrow is my last day of my internship. I am not sure. I know that it is supposed to last until the 20th, but both of the other interns will have stopped by tomorrow. I'll find out I guess, but the suspense is kind of killing me. One good thing, though, is that there is a pizza party for the interns tomorrow because it's the Parks Intern and the Planning Intern's last day, too. I'm guessing this means I'm done.

Besides my internship winding down, I got together with Jamie and Kim and we booked a tour of Stonehenge, Bath, and Windsor Castle. My goal is to get into a bath at one of these places, preferably Bath (but I would accept a bath in Windsor some type of achievement by itself). We also looked up the best night clubs in London. There are some pretty gigantic places or interesting places which struck me:

1. Fabric - 25,000 sq ft (over half an acre) with 5 sound systems and 3 bars

2. Club Aquarium - 5 rooms including a pool and jacuzzi

3. Pacha - a stained glass ceiling with a balcony

4. Egg - Outdoor balconies with fake grass and, again, a swimming pool

So those are just a few that I found and thought would be fun. I'm guessing I will only go to one, so maybe vote or suggest another?

Besides my London plans, there really hasn't been too much to talk about. I'm not making it to Montreal after all, which is probably for the best because the French are awful. The French Canadians are probably worse.

I'm not sure there really is anything else to write about.

Oh wait, I promised Jamie I would link to her blog, so take this suggestion, and follow her blog on Cornell's website: Copenhagen Without a Helmet (it might be With a helmet but her title is in Danish, which I haven't mastered yet) and find the link somewhere on this page, or below her profile picture on Facebook!

Two weeks and I am in London! Cheers!