We took the train from Prague central station.
Day 0
Travel woes
While train travel was largely pleasant, this particular journey was less than ideal. Our travels took over twice as long as scheduled due to numerous delays in Germany. To make matters worse, this was one of the hottest days of the year, compounded by a broken air conditioner in our train car.
We pulled into our last Airbnb of the trip, pleasantly surprised that the air conditioning, while janky, works as expected.
Day 1
Our first day Germany’s capital was a chill one. We saw popular sights like the unmissable TV Tower and Museum Island. While not nearly as colorful and vibrant as our previous stops, Berlin has an unmissable charm - the bright yellow trams, lush green trees.
Day 2
Overnight, the AC broke in one of our rooms. I’ve written a lot about Airbnb woes and this was no different. Our “hosts” could not accommodate a broken unit or even supply a fan for several days.
Nonetheless, this was a wonderful day of sightseeing. We started at the Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of unity. From here, we spent several hours meandering through the massive and lush Tiergarten, culminating in an ascent of the Victory Column.
We ended the day walking along a portion of the Berlin Wall, soaking up its history and direct contradiction of the Brandenburg Gate.
Day 3
We hit some rainy weather and spent the day at the Alte Nationalgalerie, a national art museum. This day was mostly marked by indulging on delicious Turkish falafel, gelato, and Indian cuisine.
Day 4
This was the last day of the trip for most of our family. We enjoyed this day winding down and soaking up some rays on a river cruise on the Spree.
After bidding our family goodbye, we checked out of the troublesome Airbnb and into the familiar comforts of a hotel. There’s something simple and gratifying about checking into a ready and clean room that is exactly as advertised. Not to mention the perks of air conditioning and a very helpful staff.
Day 5 - Farewell
On our final day of this trip, we walked around several shopping complexes and killed some time at the Berlin Spy Museum.
