The biggest party in Europe - Days 2 and 3

Our second day in Berlin started slowly. I was still feeling under the weather, although there was a definite improvement on the night before. We decided to go for a bit of a walk, first to see the Sony Centre (which we have to do in every city, of course), the Gallery of Contemporary Art and to have a better look at some of the things Maria had pointed out to us the day before. We got the train to save on energy and although it took us a little while to find the Sony Centre, we did eventually, much to our disappointment. It was less a Sony Centre and more a collection of buildings (owned by Sony, I assume) with a courtyard in the middle. There was a Sony shop but it wasn’t really a showroom to display all their technology (like we’d been to in Japan), it really was just a shop. The coolest thing about the Sony Centre ended up being Legoland. Not that we visited it, but there were some interesting sculptures around made entirely out of Lego. There was also an ‘Australian’ café there which had items on the menu like ‘Gold Coast Salad’. We were almost tempted to visit, but not really. The crepes and German sausages were far more irresistible.

Outside Legoland. The people standing next to it give you an idea of how big and impressive this plastic giraffe is.

We went back to the Jewish Memorial to visit the information centre, but it was shut. Then we half-tried to find the Topography of Terror, but failed. Then we really tried to find the Gallery, and completely failed. We went round and round in circles and eventually gave up. I was still not 100% so we admitted defeat and returned to our hotel room, via the supermarket again to pick up some lunch things. I remember a short, restless nap in the hotel and then Jude and Dave arrived to start off our New Year’s Eve. They seemed to think it was hilarious that we were in bed at 3.30 in the afternoon. Although we’d planned to have pink champagne and nibbles, due to illness it turned into some nibbles while Toby and I got ourselves out of bed and ready to hit the town. Jude and Dave had had a more productive day than us, including a visit to the Pergamon Museum and a trip back to the chocolate shop we’d seen the day before – they had been kind enough to buy us a box of chocolates as a thankyou for hosting them over Christmas, and I can say very confidently that the royals chose their chocolatiers very well. They were exquisite. It was extra fun trying them because the box was all in German (of course) and so you couldn’t really figure out what the flavourings were.

A random Berlin bear. These things were everywhere, all done up differently. The strangest one was one we passed on our first day. We referred to it as the Slutty Bear.

When Toby and I were finally ready, we got the train into Potsdamer Platz and headed towards the Brandenburg Gate, via the Sony Centre so we could show Jude and Dave the Lego sculptures and people flying down a ‘snow’ slope in rubber rings (it was hilarious). We had to pass a few guys who were letting off fireworks in the street just near the entrance to the Brandenburg Gate area, but there were lots of signs saying you couldn’t take fireworks into the party so we weren’t too worried. It felt a lot like your average show back home, with lots of food and drink stalls and a big stage in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

The big stage. One of the most annoying things about the night was that it was a 'live broadcast', so we had to listen to (and watch) commercials in between all the songs. Grrr.

Because we spent 6 hours there and the same sort of thing kept happening, I will use dot points to describe our New Year’s Eve.

• We saw the same bands performing over and over again.
• Those bands were not very good.
• We had never heard of any of them, although we’d seen Lemon Ice on MTV that afternoon.
• We didn’t know any of the songs. You would like for a big event like New Year’s Eve, you would want to play party anthems everybody knows. But no.
• We ate half metre bratwursts (well, Dave and I did anyway). Unfortunately they actually folded it in half to fit it into the roll, so it didn’t look as impressive as it should have.
• It was really, really cold.
• There was nowhere to sit.
• Jude and I went to get a cup of tea and they gave us chamomile. Weird.
• Toby bought a big gingerbread shaped like a heart.
• After a while, we were sick of standing around in the cold listening to the same bands and thought we could go elsewhere and return later. But by that time there was a long line to get into the area, so we stayed.
• I had my first experience with a portaloo (I have always been too scared before).
• Unfortunately there was no Kenny to be seen (and it cost me 20 cents).
• It was really, really cold.
• There was nowhere to sit.
• The crowd was very well behaved with very few obnoxious drunks or punk ass pre-pubescents.

At midnight we listened to everyone else count down in German and then got to see the most amazing fireworks I have ever seen. So all that standing around in the cold wishing I could drink alcohol was worth it in the end, even if they chose some odd songs to play with the fireworks (like Timbaland’s ‘Apologise’) which did not improve the party atmosphere.

Toby and his manly gingerbread.

Jude & Dave being all cute and keeping warm.

Once the fireworks were over we joined the hordes of people swarming out of the party down towards Potsdamer Platz, and that was where things got really interesting. It may have been well behaved at the Gate, but the streets were full of drunken yobs letting off fireworks. And not just the little baby fireworks we have at home on the Queen’s birthday, but full-on, should-never-be-let-off-by-a-drunken-amateur fireworks. The streets were full of smoke and broken glass and people trying to get home and other people trying to stop them by exploding things. It felt like a warzone, what with the sirens and smoke and what-not. We couldn’t believe it, coming from such a civilised celebration to what felt like something you would see on TV as an example of poorly considered cultural traditions. We had been planning on avoiding the trains and walking back to our hotels instead but with the streets in that condition we decided we’d be safer on the trains. We skipped the first train and the one we got on a few minutes later was very calm and not at all crowded, so that was a good decision. I think we were all a bit shaken by what we’d just walked through, as we hadn’t been at all prepared for that. The train was where we said goodbye to Jude and Dave, as the next day they were heading off to Frankfurt to fly back to Oz.

When we got off the train near our hotel there were still some groups of punks around letting off more fireworks but we got back to our room without losing any eyes or limbs and got to sleep easily. Needless to say it was a strange way to end New Year’s Eve and I think Garema Place will be looking very tame from now on.

The next morning we slept late and while we were getting ready to leave it started snowing. Properly snowing. We tried not to think about what it would mean if our flight was delayed or cancelled, and instead headed off to see the biggest shopping mall in continental Europe, famous for its 6-floor food court. The plan was to walk around, buy something German, have a nice lunch, and get the train to the airport. Unfortunately our plan was foiled because the mall was closed. We wandered up the road with the rest of the confused tourists and ended up seeing a church, which was partially destroyed in the war and had been left that way as a reminder, similar to the Peace Dome in Hiroshima. Underneath the church were some Christmas markets so we browsed through there for a while and then stopped for another bratwurst for lunch. Even though German sausage has to be one of the best things about visiting Germany, we both agreed that we wouldn’t be eating sausages for a while after this trip.

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, partially destroyed.

It was still snowing but we got the train to the airport anyway and amazingly enough our flight wasn’t even delayed. We got into Glasgow around 5pm, and that was when the real fun started.

I knew there was a bus that went from Glasgow to Edinburgh but given the lack of information at the airport about it, we decided an easier and quicker way for us to get home would be to get the bus into Glasgow’s train station, then the train home. All up it should take two hours, we reasoned. We managed to get the bus into Glasgow and were dropped off at Central Station. Which was shut, completely. So we walked the ten minutes to the other train station, on Queen St., in case the trains were only running from there as well. This one was also shut. Things were not looking up. There was a security guard there who helpfully told us there were no trains running, but ‘maybe’ there would be a bus. For some reason, instead of asking where the bus station was, we thanked him and walked away and spent the next half hour or more trying to find the bus station. Our alternatives were not tempting: a taxi ride, which would cost 100 pounds or more, if we managed to find someone to take us, or a hotel room for the night which would probably cost the same, and come morning we’d still be in the same predicament. The bus station, when we eventually found it, was almost deserted and we were not hopeful. By this time it was 7pm and we were hungry and annoyed at the Scots who take their public holidays so very seriously. Luckily there was one more bus leaving for Edinburgh that night, at 8pm, so we bought expensive tickets and then went to a bar next door. Even though we were both still fighting our flu, we couldn’t resist and got a wine and a Guinness, and shared a pizza as well. It was one of those nights.

Toby on the train to Berlin airport. Note the filthy jeans of the man passed out on the seat behind us. I have no idea what he could have done to get so dirty, but it's nice to know that treasured sights like unconscious people riding public transport on New Year's Day can be found anywhere in the world.

I got lucky on the bus and found a seat where someone had left a trashy magazine, so the 90 minute trip flew by for me. Toby was not so lucky. We got into Edinburgh around 9:30pm, and unlike Glasgow, it was hardly a ghost town at all. There was plenty going on, and even better, the local buses were running and we only had to wait a few minutes before one came along to take us home. The fun wasn’t quite over though, and when the bus stopped and no one got off, the driver obviously decided to ignore all other requests to stop and finally dropped us off 4 stops later than we needed. So, finally, about five hours after arriving at an airport 45 minutes away, we were home.

After that beginning, 2008 has proceeded fairly quietly. Toby returned to work on 3 January (the 2nd is also a public holiday here) and I had 3 interviews lined up. The first was for a job I was really keen on, and luckily I got it so I started on 7 January and didn't have to go through any more interviews. I am working in the NHS Education for Scotland, in the psychology assessment team, which is clearly up my alley. I’m an administration assistant for a project they’re working on to look at how psych trainees are assessed during their placements. The people are nice, I finally have internet and email access, and best of all it’s less than 10 minutes’ walk from home. The position is meant to last for a month but the team is hoping they will be able to continue it for a few more months, which would suit me. Our current projects include planning trips to Prague and Turkey, looking forward to visits from parents, and making arrangements for our final holiday before heading home. Until then it’s a matter of coping with the dark, cold weather through lots of movies, trips to the pub, and Wii games. (And yes it is dark - very - and cold - we even had snow last week. Proper snow.)