We moved to Berlin last year and in the last one year, we have been lucky to visit a number of places in Berlin & rest of Europe. Trust me, I am completed overwhelmed with all these amazing experiences and indulgences that I have had. Right from planning the trips, researching must-visit places, making sure everything is within the budget & finally organising the pictures for memory, every bit has kept me on my toes. And I must say, travelling is absolutely thrilling. In fact, everything has been happening so fast that I have often felt like putting a pause button to first write it down and then move ahead. Now, I know how do travel writers/bloggers feel. I am inspired too and I have decided to share some of my beautiful moments that I spent with my family in these spectacular locations. To add on, I would also like to give some practical suggestions that will come handy when you plan your next trip to Europe. I am starting with something really simple and my title goes as ‘4 places that will really refresh your childhood memories’. Here is an attempt to discover little pleasures of life. Things that we often miss out on our tight travel itineraries.
Manjulika’s blog Pendown had to be the first choice for sharing these stories because she has been after my life to piece them together. Also, when it comes to food and travel, I have been coming to her blog since long and I couldn’t help but share my first travel story here.
I was born in Assam, though spent most of my life in Vadodara, Gujarat. So I know the comfort & peace of living in a small city. And I also know the kind of adrenaline rush you look for in a big metropolitan like Mumbai, where I spent most of my work life. We moved to Berlin last year and in a way Berlin is a very good amalgamation of all these Indian cities that I have lived in so far.
Nature brings peace & tranquillity, perfectly co ordinated public transport system and not to forget the ubiquitous bicycles on the road (even my banker husband uses it happily for his daily commute) brings so much convenience and pollution free atmosphere. Being the political & start up capital of Germany & Europe respectively, Berlin offers exposure, opportunity and basically everything in perfect balance.
Despite my love for good Indian meals or a Hindi movie! Yes, I am a sucker for everything Indian, this European city has won my heart. As of now, I call this my home.
Here are 4 things that we did this summer in Berlin. Something that normally tourists wouldn’t do, but worth giving a try if you happen to have extra days in Berlin.
1) Going to a Zoo
Berlin’s Zoo or Zoologister Garten is pretty much a junction point, part of the mega green zone Tiergarten and often a check box destination for tourists. Of course it is not considered as important as other war memorials, but if you have time, give it a try. It has some amazing collection of Pengiuns, Kangaroos, Chimpanzees, Girraffes & Zebras. The very spacious zoo calls for an entire day and you will truly rejoice the backdrops in which you see the animals and some special shows meant for feeding them. If you have a kid, you just can’t miss this one.
Tip1: Skip Aquarium –There is also a fairly large aquarium inside which requires an additional ticket. But I would recommend you to keep the day light and not try to do too many things.
Tip 2: Bring your food – There is a large supermarket called Ulrich (one of the very few chains that remain open on Sundays), grab a few drinks and snacks to keep you going for the entire day. The restaurants inside are expensive and way too crowded.
Entry Ticket: 14Eur Adults, 7Eur Kids
2) Visiting a museum
We all know, Germany is a technology leader, world’s auto & manufacturing leader. In fact until word war 2, it was a super power. From locomotives; steam engine, aeroplanes to be the pioneer in the communication age by making the first computer. A visit to Berlin science & technology museum will amaze you with its rich history.
Entry ticket: Normally 10Eur Adults, Kids free
Tip 3: We went on World Museum day 21st May, wherein most of them had free entry.
3) Watch a circus show
I wouldn’t say our Great Golden circus or Rambo circus is any inferior to this one that we saw in Berlin. But the fact that we actually went to see a circus was completely a different experience. One thing, however, was little different and kind of a shocker was lot acrobatics were done “under water”.
Entry ticket: Normally pricing varies with seats you select (15 – 25 Eur)
Tip 4: They have a family day on Thursday, which has flat ticket rate of 10Eur for everyone.
4) The gorgeous Tulip garden
Never ever in my life have I seen something so heavenly as this! A very specific period in the month of May is when these tulips bloom and loved spending a beautiful sunny day here. If you research about Tulips you will find some of the world famous places to catch these beautiful flowers. But we made use of some perfect timing here in Berlin and spent an amazing day with our friends here in Britzer garden.
Entry ticket: 3 Eur Adults, Kids, 1.5Eur
Tip 5: Take your food and things to play like ball or badminton/table tennis rackets for a perfect picnic day.
If you love tulips, read this too.
Germany is one of the countries on my bucket list and you just made me want to hop on a plane and go there at once. Been dying to see those pink and yellow tulips in full bloom. You might also want to check out other interesting places such as the Bavarian Alps or the Black Forest