It looks like we each bought a pack but it's actually just one pack shared between the two of us because, well we needed to keep ourselves ready for the main course.
As we approached the Rathaus however, I was taken aback by the most unusual sight!
I saw a swan just walking around the square!
Recognizing the situation as an opportunity to get the closest I'll ever get to a swan, I approached the swan and stood in front of it contemplating whether or not to pet it. That's when I discovered that I was in the presence of a terrorist swan. Just as I was about to reach forward to pet the bird, it bit my shoe! Imagine my shock! The swan would carry on to terrorize other people in the square who were just trying to have their lunch.
As the search for fish drew on, we realised that the place where we got the Fish and Chips presented itself as the best choice to satisfy our cravings. And so we returned to Daniel Wischer!
Unable to decide what to order, I saw a particularly appetizing dish served to a gentleman in the nearby table. Noticing my curiosity, a friendly German (well they're all friendly) asked me if I wanted to know what that was, to which I replied in the affirmative. And so I ordered the 'Homemade Pickled Herring with Fried Potatoes.'
Can you believe that there were not one but TWO herrings on the plate????? I've never had so much fish in a single meal! And it wasn't even that expensive! The dish cost me 7.70EU. Reasonable by any standards. But the serving screamed one word: VALUE. There was too much fish for me to finish and I had to actually ask Jiahui to help me finish my food.
The red-eye train was an experience not to be forgotten. Grabbing sleep in 1 hour windows and spending the longest, coldest hour in a train station waiting for the next train to arrive.
And finally arriving the next morning in Berlin.
I think everybody was a little irritated that I wanted to take photos of them in their most unglam moment.
Our first day in Berlin was spent in Potsdam and the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. Potsdam was basically a town some 45mins out of Berlin and had a high concentration of castles to see. However, the weather still hadn't improved and so the urge to whip out our cameras were largely subdued. The pictures are so gloomy I shan't bother with any of them.
I should take this opportunity to tell you now that I have not been paying for public transport here in Germany. The Germans work on a trust system and they have conductors who exact a 40-80EU fine from you for evading fares. Somehow, for the first time, we decided to get the bus ticket here for Berlin. And the ONE time we get our ticket, we got checked by a plainsclothes conductor! YES!
Talk about VALUE.
Thankfully, by the time we reached the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, the weather improved and we spent a bit of time wandering the memorial.
By the time we left it was dark and it was time to find something to eat. That's when we came upon... CRISPY DUCK. Since Munich, Ambrose and I have been craving for ducks, so much so that we chased ducks around the pond. Since the craving for fish had already been satisfied, the craving for duck meat had risen to the top. And so, when we chanced upon this eatery that sold Crispy Duck, we had NO CHOICE but to go in for dinner. Most satisfying dinner, ever.
We returned to Berlin to get a much needed night's rest but not before visiting the Brandenburg Gate to see it by night.
The next day we toured Berlin in earnest and despite the wet and cold weather, the walking tour of Berlin was amazing and really brought the city to life. So much history. I'm not going to post too many pictures of Berlin simply because, come December, I'm going to bring my boyfriend and my girlfriend back to Berlin and they should see it for themselves rather than letting my pictures spoil the experience.
A path running all through Berlin showing where the Berlin Wall used to run.
The hotel where Michael Jackson dangled his Baby. 12,500EU per room night. Nice.
Berliner Dome.
And so the LONG weekend came to an end and we headed back to Mannheim. Despite the lousy weather, Berlin was wonderful and is definitely one of my favourite cities. But most importantly, this was the weekend, where we ate both Fish, and Duck. Say it really fast and you may Dish and Fuck.