Strasblog Part Fourteen: Interrail Part One

Hello All!

Sorry I haven’t been around a lot for the last few weeks, I’m back and completely settled in Strasbourg now for the next couple of weeks, so the Strasblog will return to its full function (yay!). As I promised in the last edition, this week I have plenty to talk about, mainly for my gallivanting around Europe on the Interrail!

It all kicked off last Saturday (the 12th January), when we had to get to Karlsruhe for our first train on the Interrail pass. In those few minutes I spent in Karlsruhe I managed to notice two things. Firstly, Germans are happy to speak English to people who are, like me, terrible at pronouncing German words. Secondly, I noticed a woman wearing mice (yes, mice) as a scarf. These mice were quite alive, so therefore that has to be one of the more "interesting" fashion statements I have ever seen...

Our first use of the Interrail pass was a night train to Berlin from Karlsruhe. My overall assessment of that night is this: sure I was pretty comfortable, but there was just one major thing wrong with my bed. It was on a train. I barely slept due to the incredible amount of noise, the constant movement of the sliding doors which were kindly placed right next to our compartment and, most irritating of all, the unbearable movement of the train carriage across the anything-but smooth rails. My recommendation to all you reading: take some earplugs, or just get an afternoon train that takes a couple of hours to get to Berlin. Anyway, we arrived in Berlin at about half seven Sunday morning, so that’s where our story will begin!

Berlin:

What struck me first about Berlin was how quiet it is. This is the capital city of Germany, one of the most successful countries in the world, and a city of history that can rival anywhere in the world. And yet, the gigantic expanses of space left behind from the destruction of the city in the Second World War are barely filled with anything, or anyone...

Having said that, Berlin is a fantastic city. The fact it has been the hub of the Nazi movement, destroyed by the Russians and split down the middle for around 40 years means that there is plenty for a historian like myself to whet their appetite with. We got to see this magnificent city and its history properly with the first of many Free Tours we would go on, given by a company that I rate very highly by the name of Sandemans New Europe. Essentially, the tour guides are encouraged to give the best tour they can because they are only paid in tips, which are donated by the tourists at the end of the 3/4 hour walk. It certainly pays off, because the tour guide took us pretty much everywhere we wanted and not only told us what the spot was, but brought it alive too. Checkpoint Charlie, The Brandenburg Gate, Hitler’s Bunker (which is a car-park) plus the site of the famous Book Burning as well the Reichstag and the Holocaust Memorial were just some of the places we ticked off on the tour. Separately, we managed to pay trips to the Pergamon Museum, the East Side Gallery and the magical KaDeWe Department store (seriously, it’s magical).

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Our hostel was also pretty cool, except for the one obvious flaw in that it was pretty much an hour-walk away from the city centre. This was obviously fine when we took the metro, but when we did walk it meant an extra-long exposure to some insanely cold temperatures! Considering I only bought a pair of Vans on the trip (here’s your chance to really have a good belly-laugh at me), any elongated time in the cold was not good for me at all...

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I really fell in love with Berlin. It’s easy to find your way around, there’s plenty to do and there’s just a nice feeling that you wouldn’t get in England’s capital city that means I will definitely have to visit again.

After three days in Berlin it was time to hit the trains again, this time to the capital of the Czech Republic: Prague!

Prague:

Prague is a very different city to Berlin when it comes to age. Of course they’ve both been around for hundreds of years, but Berlin has a high percentage of modern buildings whilst Prague is dominated by Gothic, Romanesque and Renaissance styles.

There are two main attractions to Prague, one being the biggest castle in Europe and the other being the ridiculously cheap beer. Seriously, 100 crowns is roughly the equivalent of just £3 (€3 approx. ), and a 0.5-litre beer is going to cost you no more than about 50 crowns! Considering most beers under 6% are considered laughable here, it’s no wonder so many of us Brits go to Prague on holiday and get well and truly slaughtered...

The first attraction I talked about, the biggest castle in Europe, is a bit more cultured. We hooked up with Sandemans again for a whirlwind tour of the city before embarking on the 4-hour trip around the fortification. It truly was an impressive thing, standing tall above the beautiful city below and emanating a sense of power from the enormous cathedral within its outer walls. It’s impressive when lit-up at night too, and we can have Mick Jagger to thank for that (seriously he paid for the lights, look it up if you don’t believe me)!

The whirlwind tour on the 16th allowed for us to take a more leisurely stroll across the city the following day, which I thoroughly enjoyed! This was mainly due to the fact that from Day One to Five I had spent my time charging about European Capital cities at 100 mph, and my weary legs (used to actually relaxing on holiday) were becoming a little bit worse for wear. All I could think about in the Irish Bar (Irish Bar in Prague very "local") on our final night in Prague was my bed, and a good night sleep...

So it’s time to leave it there! Look out for the next edition of the Strasblog where I shall be talking about my time in Nuremberg, Munich and Lucerne! Until then, à plus tard mes copains!

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