Sep

Webtogs – Berlin 04.08.09 – 08.04.09

seb

Berlin Trip – 04.08.09

Having been back in Luxembourg for the last couple of weeks, I decided to go on a short trip to visit a friend in Berlin, and take the opportunity to immerse myself in German culture for the first time. Along with the various sightseeing activities (the Berlin wall, the Reichstag etc…) and of course clubbing, the plan was to;

1.) Try a selection of different Wursts (yes, there is more than one type)

2.) Eat a Doner Kebab (the vast Turkish community in Berlin means that Kebabs are actually nice – nothing like the dog food you find in the UK)

3.) Purchase some lederhosen

4.) Drink copious amounts of German lager

5.) Go dance around to the brutal rhythm of “Die Oompah Band”.

We were unfortunately unable to carry out tasks 1. (this will be explained later), 3. (the band were not available to play) and 5. (Lederhosen are surprisingly expensive)

I travelled to Berlin with the train (8 hours from Luxembourg) and equipment-wise, I decided to opt for a 35L daypack by Haglofs, the LIM 35. The Haglofs LIM 35 Daypack is a super light, minimalistic backpack that, simply put, is incredible – words cannot express just how awesome it is. With more features than the average Samsung phone, it includes several compartments and spaces, a hydration pouch, a multitude of pockets, clips, zips, hooks and a state-of-the-art shoulder strap system which eliminates pressure points and provides excellent load distribution. Pretty much everything is adjustable, making this backpack extremely comfortable to carry for long periods of time (indeed, my bag ended up being quite heavy, partly due to the rather large quantities of Jagermeister I decided to bring back to enjoy at a later date).

Overall Berlin was a great place, one I would highly recommend visiting (sooner rather than later). The nightlife is fantastic, the food is awesome and the people are incredibly friendly, open-minded and easy to talk to. Everything is pretty cheap as well, especially in east Berlin and transport is quick, cheap and efficient – which in my opinion proves the benefits of having a state-owned transport system rather than the privatized nightmare that currently exists in the UK.

My only regret was that I was actually incapable of eating a single Wurst whilst over there, due to an unfortunate episode of food poisoning (I blame the Kebab, delicious as it was).