Germany

Berlin: Two Days, One Big Bus, and a Reindeer Burger

Berlin was a two night stop, and I started the same way I start most new cities—with a Big Bus tour. It's the best way to get an overview without wearing yourself out on day one, and it helps with jet lag since you're moving but not overexerting yourself.

The city layers a lot of history on top of itself in a way that's hard to ignore. The Brandenburg Gate, the East Side Gallery, Checkpoint Charlie, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe—these aren't just tourist stops. They're reminders of how much this city has been through and how far it's come, and standing in front of them, you feel the weight of it without needing anyone to explain it.

Museum Island is worth an afternoon if that's your thing. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site with several world class museums in one place, including the Pergamon and the Neues Museum. The street art scene in neighborhoods like Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain are also worth wandering through. There are murals everywhere, and a lot of them are genuinely good.

One thing I noticed pretty quickly is that restaurant service in Berlin operates differently than what I'm used to. Servers aren't hovering or checking in. If you need something, you have to flag them down. Once I understood that was just the culture, it stopped feeling like indifference and started feeling efficient.

I also had an interesting cab ride while I was there. The driver wanted to talk US politics, which I don't do when I'm traveling. That's a hard pass for me regardless of where I am. He eventually moved on and started telling me how similar German is to English, which was actually interesting. Then he mentioned that college is free in Germany if you can learn to speak the language. I'm still trying to convince one of my kids to learn German and just go. The opportunity is right there.

All in all, Berlin is a city that rewards curiosity. Two days gave me a solid introduction, but I left knowing there was more to dig into.