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If there’s an award for being the latest in posting an entry, I’ll probably get it. This was our New Year’s trip to Japan to welcome 2016. Yep, two years ago. But for posterity’s sake and just to make sure I’m not breaking any promises that I will write about it (better late than never!), here it is.
The first time we went to Hamburg, it was for work. My husband was there with a team of chefs from the Philippines to promote our cuisine and I was tagging along so I could write about it and help promote the work the embassy is doing. There was so much to see but we only made it up to the old town on the way home as there was a lot of work to be done. Alvin made sure that we’d come back though because he had a must-visit place in this city – Miniatur Wunderland.
For people like me who get sleepy during long drives, a three-hour journey from Berlin to Hamburg calls for one pitstop. The place Alvin chose was Schwerin, the capital of the state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
While Potsdam is practically palace-central, there’s one that I personally think is the best. Schloss Cecilienhof is a history nerd’s dream. With the significant role it played in Germany’s recent history, and even way before World War II, the one hour tour is definitely worth it.
If there’s any award for having the most backlog, I’m pretty sure I’ll win it. So, here I am today trying to lessen my load. One article at a time. Today, I’ll be sharing about my visit to the Jewish Museum Berlin. My husband Alvin and I have been saving the museums for winter. We wanted to savour the sun all throughout summer (and what’s left of it in autumn) by exploring the city. However, when my friend Armi visited in August and said she wanted to see this museum in particular, I knew I had to go with her.
I recently wrote about the first event I attended organised by Wilkommen in Berlin (WIB). After that, I was able to attend a couple more before the diplomatic spouse club went on a break for the summer. The break is over and I’m still not done writing about the events before it. No surprise there. As per usual, my plate has become pretty full. One of the said events was a tour of the Schloss Bellevue – the seat of the German president.
When I told my husband about us getting to visit this particular schloss, he pounced on it as another awesome thing about being the diplo-spouse rather than the diplomat. “You get to do the fun stuff while I deal with the stressful bits,” he laughed. Come to think of it, I get to go on a tour of the palace before he does. Also when he goes, it’s going to be work. But I do the cooking and the laundry at home so I guess we’re even. 😛
On good, sunny days, we are often out and about enjoying some rare warmth here in Berlin. Those days are running out now. Most of the time, especially now and back in April when we first arrived, it could be quite nippy. On such days, indoor attractions and activities are on the agenda. Schloss Charlottenburg was one of the first on our list so one weekend, we took a short train ride over to this palace just within Berlin.
Like almost every other person in this planet with an extra X chromosome, I grew up having a thing for castles. So, naturally, one of the first places my husband suggested we visit outside Berlin was Potsdam.
We went during my mom and her boyfriend’s (who runs amazing tours in Amsterdam, btw) visit to Berlin so it was sort of a double date. Take note that we’re a family of walkers so this post is going to feature a LOT of walking. In fact, the only ride we took was the S-Bahn going from Berlin to Potsdam Hauptbahnhof then, to the station beside the Sanssouci Park. We originally planned to walk from the Hauptbahnhof but the weather wasn’t cooperating.
This piece first appeared on The-Binge.com and is published with permission.
Warm Sundays in Berlin are mostly spent outside, soaking up the sun and taking advantage of the rarity that is warm weather. However, we recently discovered that there’s a way to get some of that much needed Vitamin D while binge-ing on some amazing street food. All you have to do is hop on a train or bike to Kulturbrauerei on a Sunday. There, you’ll find some of the city’s best food trucks all parked in one spot.
Built in the 1800’s, this complex used to be the Schultheiss Brewery. These days, it’s a place fit for East Berlin’s cool crowd. With hip offices, a cinema, and being the ever Instagrammable event space, Kulturbrauerei has become a must-visit destination in Prenzlauer Berg.
Another place I didn’t get to take much photos of was the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). We were in such a hurry after our tour of the Parliament to make it to the V&A then all our other stops for the day which included the Tower of London and the HMS Belfast.
