Our first cruise, but first…

A stop in Berlin.

Our cruise departs out of Rostock so we thought we would take a little detour to Berlin. We booked a hotel that was kinda like a hostel and was close to the train station. Um, we should have checked the weather and amenities first because, boy was it hot and the a/c was actually just a little knob to turn that is supposed to bring the temp down a few degrees. Never heard of something like that before but that’s what we got.

The upside is that it was cheap and close to the Bundestag and the Tiergarten. So, we did what we always do and just started walking. This trip became the trip where we ate foods that were named after the place (Berliner in Berlin, danish in Dänemark… ). We searched high and low for a Berliner and could not find one. Turns out, in Berlin, they are called Pfannkuchen. Ok.

After the sugar jolt we walked all over with a little rest for an early dinner near Hegelplatz. It was the only place open with a/c and we were ready to sit down. Our son’s hair was so salty from sweat it stood straight up after he ran his fingers through it. Yuck.

We went to all the typical things people go to in Berlin and headed back for a night of sweaty rest.

The next day we had reservations for the Bundestag. That was something that a coworker recommended and we were happy he did. So interesting and not something you typically find when you search for things to do in Berlin. A surprising part was seeing Hitler’s box along with those of the other members of Parliament. It was vandalized but otherwise just like all the others. Kinda creepy.

Our feel of Berlin was mostly that it was heavy and a bit depressing. There was history everywhere you turned but it ended up relating to WWII and Hitler. It’s a lot to take. Of course, we didn’t see the partying and wild side that it is also known for because we are always back to the room in time for showers, stories, and bed for the kiddos.