Last Day in Berlin

The main reason for this trip to Berlin was to celebrate my birthday. Today I'm 34 years old. Bloody old! I don't know where all the years went.

My final day in Berlin was spent walking around Berlin, enjoying the sites, cafes, and speaking with the friendly German people. I really would like to live in Berlin one day. When I leave Paris at the end of this year I'm going to either move to Germany or back to Australia. There is not another option for me.

My birthday lunch was at a Turkish place where I had steaming hot freshly baked bread, every kind of meat they had, rice, potato, salad, drinks. The food was piled high and it was only 15 euros for the two of us. Delicious and a bargain!

Dessert was another kase sahne torte. I normally hate cakes, especially French ones, but I love German cakes! They really know what they're doing and again waaaayyy cheaper than what you get here at a patisserie.

Our Easyjet flight was slightly delayed but we managed to get the last metro and make it safely home. I loved Berlin and plan to go back in the summer when it should be even better. So far I've been to Cologne, Stuttgart, and Berlin, which just leaves Munich on my list of must see German cities. Hopefully I'll make it there this summer also.

Berlin Zoo

Berlin Zoo is supposed to be one of the biggest and best zoos around. I can accept that it might be one of the biggest but I'm not sure it's one of the best. Not that I've been to that many zoos in my time but I think even little old Perth Zoo is better than this. Well, not as far as the variety of animals go but in the way in which they are housed/caged.

Berlin Zoo definitely has some amazing animals, some of which I've never seen before. The number one attraction is Bao Bao, the giant Panda. Bao Bao is worth the admission price alone. Talk about cute!

Also amazing were the gorillas. I'm not sure if I've seen a gorilla before. There are at least 10 of them there and I loved them all. Their faces are so expressive. There are plenty of chimpanzees and orang utans too if you like that kind of thing, which I do.

There are lots of cats on show too - lion, lioness, leopard, puma, jaguar, tiger. Some of the cats seemed to have very small enclosures and they do that thing where they walk in repetitive circles which I hate to see.

The other star attraction is Knut the polar bear who is now all grown up. Very cute and very playful, he didn't disappoint the crowds.

One great thing about this zoo is that there are loads of babies around. Baby giraffes, elephants, lions, gorillas, chimps, bears, and more, so they must be doing something right if the animals are breeding.

Sightseeing in Berlin

Today I just wanted to go sightseeing and eat some lecker German cakes and that's what we did.

We took the same path as our first night here taking in the major sights and snapping lots of photos and video along the way. Places of interest:

• Checkpoint Charlie - where east once met west.
• The Berlin Wall - or what little is left of it.
• Potsdamer Platz - modern new Berlin.
• Holocaust Memorial.
• Brandenburg Gate - need I say more.
• The Reichstag - German parliament building, completely reconstructed after the war. The modern glass dome is a nice touch but not really worth the 1 hour wait to go up.
• Hauptbahnhof - the new super modern central station.
• Unter den Linden.
• Gendarmenmarkt - beautiful square with twin churches.
• Berliner Dom - beautiful cathedral, although it could do with a good clean.
• Alexanderplatz - visit the Fernsehturm TV tower if you have the patience to wait in the queue - I didn't.
• Martin Gropius Bau
• Topographie des Terrors - an open air exhibition on the former site of the Gestapo.

All that walking and sightseeing was followed by another great meal and my favourite German dessert, kase sahne torte. Happy.

Shopping in Berlin

Argh, I hate shopping. I must be one of the few girls born without the shopping gene. Ferbent on the other hand loves shopping and just wants to buy, buy, buy. I feel like a mother out with a small child when I'm with him. No son, you can't have that 5000 euro watch, it's too expensive. No son, do you really need another 5 pairs of jeans. No son, I don't think you're ever going to have the occasion to wear braces.

Let's see how our little shopping spree went.

Ferbent:

• 11 t-shirts
• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 pair of shorts
• 1 casual jacket
• 1 pair of casual shoes
• 1 pair of running shoes
• 2 pairs of socks

Andrea:

• 1 bag
• 1 pair of casual shoes
• 1 pair of running shoes

If I hadn't been around he would have bought 5 times as much. Who knows how we'll carry it all back home.

Places to shop in Berlin:

• Alexa
• Alexander Platz
• Potsdamer Platz
• Kurfurstendamm
• countless other places

Lecker

Today started well with a lecker meal in a German bakery. A huge sandwich, a berliner (although they don't call doughnuts berliners in Berlin), and a drink for 4 euros. I was so full I wasn't hungry again until 7pm!

We then took a very touristy hop on hop off bus tour which gave us a good overview of all the sights of Berlin. When the guide was speaking, I couldn't tell when he was speaking German and when he was speaking English - it sounded all Greek to me. We switched buses and then had a great guide so it turned out to be a lot of fun.

We then did a bit of shopping in Kurfurstendamm where I picked up some comfy Diesel shoes to replace the very uncomfortable boots I had on. Note to self: never go on holiday without my favourite super comfy Diesel shoes. All the regular shops are in the Kurfustendamm area as well as a couple of German department stores including Ka Da We, the largest department store in Europe, after Harrods.

We had dinner at what could have been a dodgy kebab place but turned out to be really lecker. Ferbent did manage to spill his beer over my coat, new Brontibay bag, and brand new Diesel shoes so now I smell like a drunk, but anyway, I had a good time.

Berlin

This is my first time in Berlin and have 5 days to explore the huge city. We arrived in the late afternoon, checked into our hotel near Checkpoint Charlie and Potsdamer Platz, and then headed straight out.

First stop was Potsdamer Platz, a huge square where you can see modern buildings, Europe's first traffic light, and remnants of the Berlin Wall. A short walk from Potsdamer Platz is the Brandenburg Gate. The first thing I notice is that it's much smaller than I imagined it would be but amazing to see nonetheless. It's then onto Unter Den Linden, the most famous boulevard in Berlin, where you pass the massive Russian Embassy, the heavily guarded US Embassy, and the modern British Embassy. Further along there are many historic buildings (often reconstructed after the war), museums, libraries, and Berliner Dom.

Over the river is Alexander Platz and the TV tower. A bit further along we stop for a tasty and very cheap Italian meal with a friendly Albanian waiter who is now Ferbent's best friend ;) We then made the long walk back to the hotel, taking in Friedrichstrasse and Checkpoint Charlie.

I always knew Berlin was much cheaper than Paris but was shocked that housing is sooooo much cheaper. The guy on reception at the hotel told me he pays 500 euros for a 60 sqm apartment and the Albanian waiter is paying 480 for a 70 sqm apartment. Both say they are in really nice areas in central Berlin. I'm paying over 1000 euros a month for 40 sqm. Something's not right!

Juno

One of the things I love about living in Europe is being able to watch the latest 'foreign' films which I'd never get a chance to see in Australia. Of course you can see European films in Australia, especially with the unbeatable SBS and World Movie channels, but it's just not the same. Here, especially in Paris, there are so many great and unusual films showing at the cinema.

Of course, there are plenty of crappy films showing too. However, most of them are American movies rather than European ones. So I tend to avoid Hollywood movies, even if they get a good review. 

I made an exception for Juno and I'm glad I did. It's really my kind of movie and was surprisingly funny. It was so well written, very clever, and then ending was just as it should have been. Worth seeing for sure.

Vans for €10

I happened to be walking past the Vans shop on Friday and couldn't control myself. I had to go inside. You know, just to have a look. I didn't spot anything I liked until I stepped into the little room at the back and what do you know, last seasons Vans for €10! Bargain!

These shoes are usually 40 or 50 so how could I turn that down? I got 2 of course. Other pairs were €12.50 but they didn't have my size. Otherwise I might have gone home with 5 pairs of shoes!

So if you love Vans or just want a pair of super comfy casual shoes then head off to the Vans store on Rue St Honore near Les Halles.

La Fabrique des Sentiments

Finally a semi decent movie after seeing a couple of crappy ones. La Fabrique des Sentiments is about a 36 year old single woman looking for love and struggling to find it:

Eloïse, la trentaine, a réussi sa vie professionnelle. Moins sa vie privée puisqu'elle est toujours célibataire et le regrette. Elle s'inscrit à un speed-dating, 7 hommes, 7 femmes, 7 minutes pour séduire... La solitude, l'indépendance, la séduction: les nouveaux modes de rencontres.

Sometimes I wish I was still single but at other times, like when seeing this movie, I realise what a nightmare it is for people in the thirties looking for 'the one'.

The woman in this movie obviously doesn't have a lot of luck with men but what I don't understand is why she did what she did in the end. I won't reveal the ending in case you are going to see it, but it didn't make sense to me. Some people will do anything to avoid being alone I guess.

The Smashing Pumpkins

I don't go to many music concerts, I never have done really but I'm glad I didn't miss the Smashing Pumpkins last week. They were amazing!!! I love Billy Corgan, he'd have to be one of my favourite song writers of all time.

I've been a huge fan of the Smashing Pumpkins since the early 90s and was pretty disappointed when they broke up in 2000. I hadn't even realised they had got back together until I saw an ad in the metro saying they were going to be playing at Bercy. See, the metro isn't all bad.

I admit I was much more interested in their old songs but I'm old, ya know, and that's how it is. What I really couldn't believe was the stamina of Billy Corgan. He played for 2 and a half hours non-stop! Not one break! Incredible.

Even the support band, Puggy, was great.

I'd love to see both these bands again in the future, maybe next year.

France Telecom Does it Again

I'm on a bit of a blogging blitz at the moment because I haven't had internet access for the last 6 days and so now I'm playing catch up.

I use Orange for my internet access and they showed once again that their customer 'service' isn't up to scratch. I know most telcos have a bit of a bad rep for customer service but FT seems to take the cake.

Here's a timeline of how things went:

• Saturday: Woke up to no internet access. Gave it a couple of hours before calling FT to be sure my connection wasn't coming back.
• Saturday afternoon: Called FT. Spent 45 minutes testing different things which determined it was a problem on their end, which I told them in the first minute.  Technician is to call me Tuesday between 12 and 1pm to fix it. Naturally they don't work on the weekends.
• 5 minutes later: FT girl rings back saying it's a general problem so it should be fixed much earlier.
• Tuesday afternoon: Still no internet access. Glad it was fixed earlier than imagined. Technician rings as promised. Performed the same tests as on Saturday and 45 minutes later confirms the problem is on their end. Makes appointment for a technician to call between 4 and 5pm Tuesday.
• Tuesday at 6:30pm: Technician calls and spends 45 minutes doing tests which confirm the problem is on their end. Glad we sorted that out. Promises a technician will call first thing Wednesday morning to fix the problem.
• Wednesday afternoon: Still no internet access and no call from FT. I call them and customer 'service' says it's only 3pm so I shouldn't be worried - if they say they'll call, they will. Ok, I believe you.
• Thursday afternoon: Some guy calls to see if I my connection is working. It's not. Says the technician is working on it at that very moment and he'll call me back within 30 minutes.
• 3 hours later: I'm back online.

Thanks France Telecom/Orange, you're the best.

Promets-Moi

Asterix isn't the only crappy movie I've seen lately. Last weekend I saw Promets-Moi by Emir Kusturica. I generally can't stand his films but I didn't realise it was by him until the film started. Then it was too late to escape.

I just don't get that kind of humour. It's just silly. I didn't laugh at all. All I could think about was when I could get out of there. I'm surprised I managed to sit through the whole thing. I would have left early if I had been alone, that's for sure.

Astérix aux jeux olympiques

I was physically forced (dragged by my hair) to see Asterix aux Jeux Olympiques the other day, by a friend who has completely different taste in movies to me. I like to see art house films like De l'Autre Cote and Le Grain et le Mulet so you can imagine how much I dreaded seeing Asterix.

So was it it any good? No, OF COURSE NOT, it was complete rubbish! I didn't even laugh once. That's 2 hours of my life I'll never get back. My friend didn't enjoy it either so that's something but now he wants me to see Cloverfield with him. Umm, I'm gonna say no.

Shopping in le Marais

My husband and I have kind of a mixed up relationship where he likes to do girly things like shopping, trying the latest skin care products, taking long hot baths, and shopping (I mentioned that twice for emphasis if you didn't notice).

Me, I like to do stereotypically boy things like play computer games, read geeky internet marketing and computer programming forums, and hang out at the gym.  Oh, and I HATE shopping. Especially during the evil soldes.

A couple of times Ferbent dragged me along to the sales and it was utter hell, especially in the first few days when there were like a billion people shopping at once. He bought a few things and I bought nothing.

Shopping in le Marais on a Sunday is like shopping in the sales because the shops there are the only ones in Paris which are open on a Sunday, so every man and his dog is there.

Ferbent the shopaholic dragged me there last Sunday but at least this time it was worthwhile because I actually found something I wanted, a gorgeous bag from Brontibay. I don't think they have anything I don't like. Thankfully I found out about them from The Late Bloomer.

I also found a cute little store where Ferbent bought a gorgeous jacket at 50% off.  That wasn't too painful.

How to Tip a Hairdresser

I found out just the other day that you're supposed to tip the hairdresser when you have you haircut in France. I had no idea! I'm so hopeless at this kind of thing. It's just not in the Aussie culture to tip so I don't really know how to do it or how much to give.

Ok, so I admit I had a suspicion that you're supposed to tip or I never would have asked the question but now that it's been confirmed I really should figure out how to do it. So if anyone can help me...

1. How much do you tip?
2. Do you tip the person who washes your hair or the person who cuts it or both?
3. Do you give the tip when you pay at the end or when they finish washing your hair or somewhere in between?
4. Help!

Blogs I read

I used to read quite a few expat blogs but I've narrowed it down recently to just my favourites.  I probably should update my blog template to link permanently to these blogs but I'm too lazy. So here's the current list:

• An Aussie Lass
• The Bold Soul
• Le Tigre in France
• Family in Paris
• La Coquette
• The Late Bloomer
• Malaysian in France
• Misplaced
• Ms Glaze
• My So Called Life
• News From France
• The Paris Blog
• Paris Breakfasts
• Paris Musings
• Peregrinations
• Petite Americaine
• Petite Anglaise
• Sam de Bretagne
• Stepping Stones

Facebook

I wasn't really that interested in Facebook when I first stumbled upon it but now I'm kinda hooked. I'm back in contact with friends I haven't seen in over 15 years which is pretty amazing, I think. I'm now chatting with people I haven't seen since primary school! It's kinda weird but fun.

It's also a great way to meet new people. I've met a couple of Aussies who are also living in Paris, a Moroccan guy who lives just down the road who I met through the Neighbourhood application and a French guy who is now my gym buddy.

Add me as a friend if you like and we can chat.