February 19th, 2024

Sitting on the ICE 373 bound for Interlaken, my trip to Berlin is ending. I’m comfortably settled for the next nine hours on this direct train, which will make fifteen stops between Berlin Central Station and Bern. It was my first journey since my accident in Morocco and, most importantly, my first days without a cast, so I was a little impatient... and anxious. But everything went very smoothly!

As I mentioned before, René organised all our activities in Berlin. When I arrived, just 13 minutes late, which is almost an achievement for Deutsche Bahn! we met at the central station. His train arrived 5 minutes after mine, perfect timing. We headed to the Ibis hotel at Wittenbergplatz, a great location and somewhere I’d stayed before.

On Thursday evening, we dined at a Vietnamese restaurant. The food was good, although I would have preferred a bit more spice. For Berliners, the bill was a bit steep, but coming from Switzerland, the prices felt much more reasonable, thanks in part to the exchange rate.

Friday morning, I had breakfast at a bakery opposite the hotel, excellent value for money. Later, I enjoyed a revitalising Thai massage, again roughly half the price of what it would cost in Switzerland. In the late afternoon, we went to see Poor Things, the Cannes-award-winning film starring Emma Stone. A mix of dark and quirky humour, combined with remarkable direction, a truly beautiful movie. After the screening, we had Mexican food at the Pfefferberg Markthalle. Simple fare, but delicious tacos!

Later, we met up with Stefan, another motorcyclist and mutual friend, with whom I’d explored Scotland and Corsica by bike. Together, we spent the evening at Berghain, one of Berlin’s most iconic clubs. It was an impressive and unforgettable experience!

On Saturday, we took bus number 100, which covers roughly the same sites as the usual tourist circuits. We visited the Berliner Stadtschloss, a replica of the old Prussian emperor’s palace. The Palace of the Republic, built during the GDR era and a highly controversial building, was demolished mainly due to asbestos. The current castle facade has been restored, while the interior houses the Humboldt Forum Museum.

That evening, we dined at Goji, on Viktoria-Luise-Platz, a restaurant specialising in dim sum, those little Chinese bites I’ve loved since my travels in Asia. The service was attentive and the dishes excellent, though it required a bit of patience.

Sunday morning, René packed his bags and left them in a locker at the main station. We then visited the Bundestag, the German parliament, which is accessible only by prior registration. René opted to request a wheelchair due to the length of the visit, which surprised me a little, but he took great pleasure in pushing me through this building steeped in history! Our guide was exceptional: clear, informative, witty, and never dull. The VIP wheelchair service included priority entry and elevator access, everything was perfectly organised. After all, we were in the heart of German government, renowned for its legendary efficiency… which thankfully still holds.

The visit ended at the glass dome designed by Norman Foster, who restored the building destroyed during World War II when the capital returned to Berlin. The Reichstag was destroyed during WWII.

We then had coffee at Alexanderplatz. René took the metro back to the station then off to Cologne, while I returned to the hotel.

Monday morning, I had breakfast again at the bakery, packed my bags, and headed to the central station for my direct train to Bern.

This weekend was truly refreshing. After nine months immobilised with my leg in a cast, I really appreciated this little escape. Thanks to my orthopaedic shoe, I managed everything without pain.

Now, I just hope my return trip won’t be too delayed, though Deutsche Bahn has already announced a few minutes’ delay at departure!

Thank you René, the weekend did me good!