Berlin & Rijeka

July 2022

Jeff’s Victorious Outing to the Croatian Open Read more

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- Jul 13, 2022, 6:00am
- ⛅ 23 °C
- Altitude: 152 m
- United States Hawaii Honolulu County Palolo 21.302374, -157.78372221°18’9” N 157°47’1” W
Day 1
Prologue
July 13, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Like many other people my age, I grew up fearing nuclear annihilation, communism, and a host of other perceived existential threats. Of the many theatres in which the Cold War played out, no other city fueled my imagination as much as Berlin did. My imagination was further colored by an eclectic mix of films such as Cabaret, Atomic Blonde, The Bourne Supremacy, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, as well as Marillion’s somewhat melodramatic track Berlin. More recently, I've been fascinated by how Germany seems to be looking forward without denying its past, and how Merkel, with her understated leadership style, seems to have steered Germany into becoming a beacon of liberal democracy as the United States moved in the other direction under Trump.

My main goal of this summer trip was to accompany Jeff as he competes in the World Masters Diving Championship in Rijeka, Croatia. Rijeka isn’t exactly an international hub, and only a small handful of leisure-focused airlines operate seasonal flights there. Looking at my options for intermediate stops, one stood out: Berlin! I gleefully booked our flights to Berlin hoping to connect with the city that shaped so much of my world view as a teenager and young adult.Read more
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- Jul 13, 2022, 7:00am
- ⛅ 24 °C
- Altitude: 19 m
- United States Hawaii Honolulu County Mokumoa Island (historical)Honolulu International Airport 21.334517, -157.91899121°20’4” N 157°55’8” W
Day 1
Honolulu to Los Angeles
July 13, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
American Airlines AA1480 | HNL/LAX
First Class
N400NA | Airbus A321NEO
ATD/0721 | ATA/1553
Lounge: Sakura Lounge

We stopped by the Sakura lounge for a quick breakfast before heading to the gate.
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- Jul 13, 2022, 4:00pm
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: 34 m
- United States California Los Angeles County Westchester Los Angeles International Airport 33.941864, -118.4069633°56’31” N 118°24’25” W
Day 1
Los Angeles To London Heathrow
July 13, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
American Airlines AA134 | LAX/LHR
Business Class
N723AN | Boeing 777-300ER
ATD/2110 | ATA/1513+1
Lounge: Admirals Club Flagship Lounge

This flight was delayed and so we misconnected to Berlin. AA was unable to rebook us on the next flight from Heathrow to Berlin so we had an involuntary overnight stay in London. The lounge staff attempted but were unable to book a layover hotel for us.

The reason for the delay was because at least one of the cockpit crew was flying in from DFW, and flights from DFW were delayed due to bad weather.Read more
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- Jul 14, 2022, 4:00pm
- ⛅ 25 °C
- Altitude: 32 m
- England Hillingdon Heathrow Heathrow 51.472324, -0.4560651°28’20” N 0°27’22” W
Day 2
Involuntary Layover at Heathrow
July 14, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
When we arrived at Heathrow, we went to the American Airlines service counter. The agent there checked us in for the next day’s flight and told us that the Ibis Hotel at Bath Rd was “expecting” us, and she hand wrote our names on a sheet of paper. She then told us to ask for directions to the hotel bud at the information counter.

What the agent didn’t tell us was that we had to pay our own way - both for transport (£20 for the Hotel Hoppa bus) and accommodation (£189). We had a rude shock when we arrived at the hotel and we were told that American “holds” the rooms but there is no arrangement for them to pay the hotel directly.

AA only reimbursed us in miles when we wrote to them asking for reimbursement. Fortunately we purchased travel insurance and we received cash reimbursement later.Read more
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- Jul 14, 2022, 5:00pm
- ⛅ 24 °C
- Altitude: 18 m
- England Hillingdon Harlington 51.490345, -0.4349151°29’25” N 0°26’6” W
Day 2
Harlington
July 14, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
Our involuntary layover was at the Ibis Hotel near Harlington Village immediately north of Heathrow. From the hotel, we walked up the High Street, ate dinner at a pub called The White Hart, and then explored the village church and its graveyard. The pub had a nice outdoor garden.

Despite the short layover, I enjoyed reconnecting with England, and experiencing the little things that make England tick.

https://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-….Read more
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- Jul 15, 2022, 7:00am
- ⛅ 14 °C
- Altitude: 32 m
- England Hillingdon Heathrow Heathrow 51.472301, -0.456151°28’20” N 0°27’22” W
Day 3
London Heathrow to Berlin
July 15, 2022 in England ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
British Airways BA990 | LHR/BER
Economy Class
G-EUPO | Airbus A319-100
ATD/0742 | ATA/1039
Lounge: Galleries Lounge North

We took the first Hotel Hoppa shuttle to T5, and ate a quick breakfast at the lounge before boarding via a remote gate.Read more
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- Jul 15, 2022, 11:00am
- ☁️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 32 m
- Germany Brandenburg Schönefeld Selchow Berlin Brandenburg Airport 52.362442, 13.50467452°21’45” N 13°30’17” E
Day 3
Arrival in Berlin
July 15, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Our arrival at Berlin was inauspicious. The machine dispensing train tickets wouldn’t accept credit cards and would only accept €5 and €10 bills. Jeff had to get change. We then went to the machines on the other side of the stairs and those accepted cards.

After purchasing the €9 monthly pass, we made our way to Alexanderplatz station. Hackescher Markt, which is the station next to Hotel Zoe by Amano, was closed, and so we had a bit of a trek through the unseasonably cold streets of Alexanderplatz to our hotel. Hotel Zoe by Amano turned out to be a real gem for the price we paid. It was centrally located, it had a cool vibe, and we had a rooftop lounge with great views of the city!

https://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-…Read more
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- Jul 15, 2022, 1:00pm
- ☁️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 44 m
- Germany Berlin Friedrichstadt Checkpoint Charlie 52.50742, 13.39039152°30’27” N 13°23’25” E
Day 3
Checkpoint Charlie
July 15, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
After a quick freshening up, we made our way on foot to nearly Simon James Park, crossed over the Spree River, walked past the museums and Humboldt University, and then over to Checkpoint Charlie. Our first impression of Checkpoint Charlie wasn't great - the hut itself was preserved, but it was surrounded by fast food joints and souvenir shops. A long line of tourists waited to have their pictures taken. Some of them made gun gestures with their hands while posing for photos. Overall, the vibe was similar to Time Square. I was a tad disappointed that the checkpoint wasn't more respectfully preserved.

https://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-…Read more
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- Jul 15, 2022, 1:25pm
- ☁️ 19 °C
- Altitude: 47 m
- Germany Berlin 52.492867, 13.38641952°29’34” N 13°23’11” E
Day 3
Kreuzberger Himmel
July 15, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C
Our next stop was lunch. I wanted to patronize one of the restaurants operated by refugees, and I had previously researched Kreuzberger Himmel, a restaurant serving Syrian food that was associated with the Be An Angel group which helps refugees integrate. The restaurant itself was just opening at 2pm, and there were only a handful of other patrons. The food was good, but I've never been a major fan of Middle Eastern cuisine. I suspect the restaurant gets livelier in the evenings.

https://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-…Read more
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- Jul 15, 2022, 2:30pm
- ☁️ 20 °C
- Altitude: 35 m
- Germany Berlin Dorotheenstadt Brandenburg Gate 52.516273, 13.37770752°30’59” N 13°22’40” E
Day 3
Brandenburg Gate & Jewish Memorial
July 15, 2022 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
After lunch, we returned to the subway and headed to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. This is a large square with over 2,000 grey concrete blocks of varying sizes and heights. The ground between the blocks sloped in unpredictable ways. The main point of this memorial is to disorient. Groups of visitors who explore the memorial would get split up and they would rarely come out in the same place, an experience that mirrored what happened to Jewish families in World War II. It was a thought provoking experience that was marred a little by people sitting on the blocks - that just didn't seem respectful.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/memorial-to…

Sandwiched between the Memorial and the Brandenburg Gate is the US Embassy. As with other US embassies the world over, this embassy is an imposing structure presumably meant to communicate the US' (self-perceived?) stature in the world order. This embassy, in particular, stood out for me because it is situated in a prime location right next to two potent symbols of Germany's past. I was stoked to see the Pride flag flying underneath the US flag at the embassy. I recalled that under the Trump administration, US embassies were ordered to not fly the Pride flag during Pride month.

Our next stop was the Brandenburg Gate, built in the late 18th century to commemorate Prussian victory over an uprising. The scene here was lively. On our return here after visiting Tiergarten, we saw a large panda (there was probably a person inside it) dancing to an electric violin played by a woman behind them.

https://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Germany/blog-…Read more
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