Day 31-Germany, Berlin

So little time to experience Berlin but today I think I made significant progress. Our morning was spent enjoying the Old Master's Collection in one of the largest museums I've ever been to. It was like a maze. I don't think I ever really got lost, it was just disorienting at times trying to navigate and blissfully enjoy the paintings. Never have I seen so many of my favorite paintings from masters like Rubens, Rembrandt, Raphael, Titan, Botticelli, Velazquez, Tintoretto, and I could go another 10 or so names. It was a truly thrilling experience that reminded me just how passionate I am about art. I love it!

After a short 3 hours, I had to tear myself away to join with some other girls who wanted to leave in search of food. We ended up back in the same mall as I was in yesterday to order some delicious bagel sandwiches that were divine. It was so good that before I even realized I needed to document its delicious nature, it was already gone. Guess I'll just have to describe it instead: think softened cream cheese generously applied on a warm onion bagel with just enough lettuce and tomato to make it seem healthy ;) It was perfect.

The next part of our day was definitely an adventure. With our goal being to find a concentration camp on the outskirts of Berlin, we put all out trust in google maps and our hotel clerk only to be led accidentally to some gardens on a different Britzen street than the one by the camp (to get to the gardens, we switched lines about 3 times, caught a couple of buses, and walked a little further). I ended up asking this guy at the gardens where the camp was (he turned to another man and mentioned we wanted to go to the Nazi place...so awkward) and then followed his directions (along with some help along the way) to the right stop. By this time, the three of us were walking at a brisk pace because our expected hour trip had now turned into a 3 hour ordeal and we needed to somehow clear 500 meters in less than 20 min. About 150 meters in we "decided in a very practical way" (we never gave up) it wasn't possible for us to make it in time before it closed so we caught a train that took us back to where we started out entire adventure in literally less than 15 min. Explain that one to me...haha.

Through it all, I never once regretted anything partially because I had wanted to see more of the city (we reached the very outskirts of Berlin) which totally happened, and also because I can say we probably ventured the furthest out of our group. Ending the day with a delicious bratwurst and perusing an exciting African fair thing seemed like a great way to end our last night in Germany :) Tschuss!