We had our alarms set for 6. But we got up at 7:15. Which meant frantic packing. We were supposed to be at the Reichstag at 8 for our 8:15 appt.
With lightening speed and grace we managed to pack up the room, check out and store our luggage in record time. Of course, it wasn't as early as planned.
8:05 rolled around and we still had one more connection to make, U55 from the Hauptbahnhoff stop. The train wasn't leaving until 8:15, which meant we were guaranteed to be late.
Fortunately for us, neither that nor the fact that I forgot my passport at the hostel affected our ability to get in.
Judson commented that the entrance/security pavilion had more guards than any airport. He was probably not far off the mark. It was packed with security. We breezed through (no visitor was there at 8:20am) and were led out of the pavilion into the building.
The walk up to the Reichstag is an imposing one. The towering columns loom over you, and the words "Dem Deutchen Volke" become illegible as you get underneath them. The details of the façade on either side of the entrance, which are the coats of arms of German rulers of old, come into view. Above you, three letters with roman numeral subtexts adorn the ceiling of the overhang; F(III), W(I) and W(II), no doubt for the corresponding Kaisers.
The inside of the Reichstag is totally redone and modern - it had to be rebuilt following its near destruction after WWII.
We were led through a glass double sliding door, and were stopped by a second one. Not until the first was closed and fully locked was the second opened to let us in. We felt just a little like VIPs.
A private glass elevator (with attendant) to the 4th floor brought us to the roof, where we were given an audio tour guide. We walked into the open air, then under the glass of the Reichstag dome.
It was breathtaking. We found ourselves walking up the spiral edge of the dome, listening to a very informative audio tour of our surroundings, and of the Reichstag and dome itself. Highly recommended for anyone coming to Berlin to reserve a spot in the dome for day 1 or 2 to get your bearings and an idea of the area. It's wonderful.
From the pathway, we could see down into the Bundestag chamber. Although there was no one in session at the time, it was a fascinating reminder of the German struggle for a more open government since 1945.
We left the Reichstag after about an hour, and made our way back to the hostel to get our daypacks. We headed to the Hauptbahnhoff to get out of town for a bit.
Yesterday we resolved to spend the next few days outside of Berlin. We debated between Munich, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Prague, and Hamburg. After much research, we had landed on Prague.
But plans change. Upon our arrival at the train station, we found that two round trip tickets to Prague were €255, well above our pre-determined €200 (total for both of us, round trip) absolute limit.
We looked at the other cities on the list, and while I was pushing Wroclaw, the cheapest by far came in at the 14:40 train to Warsaw, for €196, €49 for each person each way.
We got our tickets, then found internet in a Dunkin Donuts and found and booked a hostel. The directions to the hostel (as displayed on Hostelworld) are, in substance, as follows. I wrote it down so we'd have a reference when we arrive:
"Go in direction of the Old Town or Marszalkowski st. And Galeria Centrum shopping area. Exit the station and you will see palace of culture I.e. large palatial clock tower. Turn left on the street between this building and the station. You will have this palace on your right and big shopping mall "zlote tarasy" with hard rock cafe at the bottom and the intercontinental hotel on the left.
"Pass along the palace as long as you see a park next to it, then diagonally cross the park, along a green fence around the metro line construction, keep it to your left.
"When you reach the street with Tramways, you will see a McDonald's at the intersection of Marszalkowska and Swietokrzyska. Cross Marszalkowska street, turn left, cross the lights (now with a metro construction site) continue up Marszalkowska (50m) and take first street on right (Rysia) which leads you into a courtyard (with an Italian embassy). This is the cortex square. Look up and you see a neon sign with our name. We are the first building on a square (not the street) to the right with a bank on a ground floor and a second Oki Doki neon on a top.
"For lazy ones, take bus number 127 in front of Marriott hotel, two stops in direction of Centrim. Go out on stop Metro Swietokrzyska and from the McDonald's as above."
It was glorious. I want everyone from now on to give directions like this. How can anyone get lost? None of this "turn here turn there" bull.
Our train left at 2:46, 6 minutes late, from platform 11. We were in car 269, seats 33 and 34, both middle seats in a second class compartment of 6 seats facing each other. We both promptly fell asleep.
I was awoken at 3:10 by the conductor who, for the first time out of all the trains I've taken in this country, wanted to check my ticket. Good thing we bought them this time.
I don't know when we crossed the border (I was asleep). My phone registered a new cellular carrier around 4, so sometime near then, I guess. I do know they did not check our passports, and I hope that doesn't come back to bite us - though Poland is E.U. (not Eurozone), so I foresee no issue.
With an hour to spare I was getting hungry, so picked up some bruschetta in the dining car (I could have eaten even finer foods - the price was right - but bruschetta just seemed like a perfect solution to my hunger pangs). It was made to order in the kitchen, I watched the chef select and slice each ingredient. Only $4 or so. Based on the inflated prices so common on trains, Poland already holds promise for those of us on a budget. Besides, it was delicious! I, unlike some (I'm looking at you, Dad), usually only take photos of meals that were truly memorable, unexpected, or unique. This was all three. On a train. For less than the cost of a good beer in Berlin.
We arrived almost exactly on time. We searched, but couldn't for the life of us find old town, Marszalkowska street or the Galeria Centrum shopping area. Judson at one point said "screw it, let's go to McDonald's and ask for directions." but, as luck would have it, that McDonald's was the first McDonald's on our directions! From then on the hostel-provided directions were as perfect as could be. We found our way in no time, without getting lost.
We checked in and, having no Polish Zloty (PLN), I left my passport at the desk as collateral.
When I got my passport photo taken a few months ago, I did so on a random whim. But I didn't realize until I was in front of the camera that I hadn't shaved in weeks, and so I look in my passport like a cross between the unabomber and a creepy uncle. The man behind the counter at Oki Doki hostel had no end of fun laughing about it, even going so far as to call me "Kinky" for taking a photo that would guarantee a patdown at the airport. All in good fun, and I started enjoying Poland immediately.
We exchanged €180 for 800 PLN at an exchange place down the street, paid for our room, and got my passport back (though our new friend wanted to have a few more laughs about it -- the girls behind the counter said it looked fine and gave it back).
We settled into our room, occupied at first only by an older man of about 40, who went to bed very early, circa 10pm. Later, as I write this in bed, another guy showed up and not-so-quietly settled in around 1:30.
Each room in this hostel is themed differently, designed by a different local artist. Ours is the football room, a 6-person dorm room. It's only a tad confusing, as I pointed out to my kinky friend downstairs, because there's soccer balls everywhere in it.
Judson and I relaxed for a tad, then set out for dinner. We went to a place recommended by a push-pin wall of restaurants open late in the area. So we got to Ginger around 11.
A glass of Zywiec apiece, and two delicious meals later, we shelled out a mere $20. There went our one fancy meal - polish street food from now on.
Back to the hostel, we planned (sort of) our next two days here, then crawled into our respective bunks around 1.
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