17. A Gate, a Musician and a Gross Drink.

Today was a slow moving one, because I think the weather in Berlin is taking its toll. I have a cold for sure, and while I'm not letting it take over, I am respecting that it may need a slower schedule to get better.

With that in mind, today was a slower-paced one overall.

I first went to see the the Brandenburg Gate, which I had literally walked by three days ago, and was shocked when I saw it today, feeling preeeeetty silly. Anyhoo, here is what the gate is all about:

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"The first Brandenburg Gate was built in 1734, when a permimeter wall was constructed around the edge of the city. As well as the Brandenburg Gate, 17 other gates were built, none of which have survived to the present day.

The current Brandenburg Gate was constructed between 1788 and 1791 as part of a programme of building works to improve the wall and many of its gates. The Brandenburg Gate was designed by Carl Gotthard Langhans in the classicist style; in 1793 it was complemented by the Quadriga, the triumphal statue of the winged goddess of peace driving a four-horse chariot.

Following the Second World War the Brandenburg Gate found itself just inside the Soviet sector, putting it under control of the East Berlin government. Between 1956 and 1957 the Gate was restored in an act of cooperation between both halves of the divided city. The Quadriga was also reproduced using the original forms, although East Berlin insisted on the removal of the Iron Cross and Eagle as symbols of militarism."

- Bits and pieces from Penguin's Berlin Guide (website)

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Here are a couple of pictures.

Then I walked around for a bit there, and found some pretty cool architectuere and other stuff.

Is it me or does this sculpture look like a persons profile, but a full all-the-way-around version? It's so cool to me!!!

This is one of the train / metro stations, which here actually looks a little cementy, but in real-life, it looked very modern and prestine.

The train landed at this place, which is a train station, but also a huge mall, but it's outdoors. It's confusing, and very cool!

This is what the floor I caught my train from looked life. Pretty cool as well!

Before all of those things above (a bit of a deconstructed post today) I went and grabbed some breakfast at a place, but this was nextdoor. Stencil art with actual large pieces of glitter stuck to the wall. Love!

This is the place that I grabbed something to eat in the morning, and I had some salami sandwich, whatever, but there was this mini croissant looking thing that I noticed was stuffed with something. Essentially, it was the best thing ever! I am hoping to go back tomorrow and buy 50,000 of them... okay fine, 2.

These are some chocolates that I found at a shop, and decided that people will need back home. The second picture is of what's in there. Yummers!

As I walked out of the metro station near where I'm staying, there was a lovely bearded man with a guitar and an amp singing lovely music. I bought his CD... only to realize that I no longer have a CD player at home... so may need to ask someone for assistance to copy the songs to iTunes, lol.

Then, folks, I went and did some groceries and saw this gorgeously designed bottle. I took a quick peek at the ingredients, and after also trying to read the signage for the cases of it, I still had no idea what it was. I didn't care, I wanted the bottle, so I bought one (1.8€)

I got home, figured I should look it up, and I still can't tell! I think it's an energy drink, so I decided that rather than risking shipping the liquid I would dump it out, and send it in a package that I'm sending home tomorrow. I figured I should taste it, can't just chuck in and not know what it's all about. 

It was... it was really horrible! It was the colour of milk with a bit of almond milk, and tasted nothing like either of those. 

Bleck!

Beautiful packaging though!

And now I'm watching CNN, learning about many things that are hard to listen to, and feeling very appreciative of what I have in my life.

Tomorrow is my last full day in Berlin, and then I'm off to Rome on Monday. ROME, you guys! Cannot wait!

Have a good night everyone, hopefully back with a more eventful day tomorrow!