Kyle’s European Adventure

Today I rode to Potsdam and back. I need bike shorts – my butt is killing me. Here’s my route map. It won’t let me route the return, which went around the park at the end of the line, and then followed the same path back!

Potsdam Ride

(OK, the map link isn’t showing the whole route. I hate internet cafes. I’ll fix it when I can!)

Last night was fun – my new friend Lorenz happens to work at a big party that happens every sunday night on the top of a skyscraper in Alexanderplatz. He invited me to come check it out, so I did. To enter, you walk through the lobby of this building and hop in an elevator, where you’re whisked to the top of the tower. The main floor has a dancefloor and a bar, and a staircase that leads to the roof deck. The deck is spectacular, providing the most amazing view of the Alexanderplatz Tower. I enjoyed the view for a while, and then went back downstairs to the dancefloor. I was quite surprised at the quality of the music – it’s been a long time since the tunes were so good I found myself boogying the night away for the sheer enjoyment of the records the DJ was playing.

Today was relaxing and short. I stayed in bed too late, mostly thanks to the late hour I got home, and then I got up about my day. I hit the gym, helped Carsten shop for a new bike (we found one!), and then sent some birthday wishes home to a friend. I was tickled that I managed the entire transaction in the post office in German. I guess we’ll see if the package actually MAKES it to the US.

Because last night was so late, I decided to spend the evening at home. I grabbed some groceries and made myself some dinner. I’m a terrible cook, but I can manage some pasta and a salad. From there, I relaxed in my living room, reading The Agony and the Ecstasy – a biography of Michelangelo. My mom and sister love this book, and now I see why. I can’t put it down. Tomorrow, I think I’ll pick out a nice, long bike ride through the city and go explore.

G’night!

Took the wheels out for a spin today. My hands and butt hurt, but it was a beautiful way to see the city.

Check out the route I took here, starting at my gym and ending at my apartment!

Ride One Map

I DID IT! I picked up my bike this afternoon, and I am completely in love. I got really lucky on this one – I was wandering around, and found this bike shop near my gym. I went in and, in my best broken German, asked if they sold secondhand bikes. They said no, but to check the repair shop up the street. When I got there, I met a young fellow who only spoke a little english. Between our two broken languages, he told me that he takes in broken and useless bikes and fixes them up to sell. He took me in the back to show me a tall black frame he’d just found, and said he’d put it in good working order for me.

The price? €80. I’ve looked in every bike shop I’ve seen since arriving, and haven’t seen a single bike for cheaper than €150, used or not. This kid put new brakes, gears, splashguards and a light on this puppy, and the frame fits like a glove. I took it out for a spin by the shop, and it was absolutely perfect – the gears are smooth, brakes are sharp, and not a sqeak to be heard. And, to say “Welcome to Germany”, he threw in a new lock, gratis.

I love this country.

Now that I’m mobile, I can’t wait to really start exploring. I realized I’ve spent almost all of my time here in the eastern side of the city, so I think tomorrow I’ll ride as far west as I can, and see some of that side of the city.

Well, I finally moved into my Berlin apartment last night. I brought my stuff over pretty late, and did some reading and crashed. I’m sleeping on a couch-bed here, so it’s going to take a little getting used to. Between that and the total lack of curtains in this place, I was up bright and early. I realized that I needed to spend some energy and make this place mine, so I felt comfortable. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.

The folks I’m renting from didn’t really get a chance to move OUT of their kitchen, and I had no idea what was keep-able in the fridge, so everything went. I scrubbed the whole fridge out, and systematically went through the foodstuffs on the counters, getting rid of most the stuff I wasn’t sure about. After that, I rearranged the bathroom and put all my stuff on the counter (looks just like home!). After that, I found a home for my clothes, set up my desk on their table, and put my Berlin books on the coffeetable. Voila! I suddenly feel more at home.

I have to say, staying at Carsten’s house was very comfortable – no only is his apartment beautiful, but I had guided instructions on how EVERYTHING in his place worked. Here, I’m flying blind, and handicapped by the fact that I don’t really speak the language. Everything is an educated guess. Take coffee for example – Carsten has this amazing little machine that you put pre-made packets of coffee in. Push a button, and a moment later you’ve got yourself a perfect cup of coffee. Here, there was no such contraption. They do, however, have a stovetop percolator. I’ve seen these before (hello, Molly!), but never used one. I think I figured it out, but MAN the coffee is strong, and I was seriously concerned that the damn thing was going to explode as it steamed and fizzled.

Anyhow, besides all of that, I’m feeling a bit….. nervous? Anxious? I guess I’m feeling like this is the genuine start to my time here in Berlin – really on my own and disconnected. The lack of internet is having exactly the desired effect – already I’m reading, writing and just generally being motivated more. Without a doubt I will miss the convenience of highspeed wifi, but suddenly I’m really left with only my own company. Now we really get to see if I can stand my own company for days on end.

Today is the day I move into my Berlin apartment, and it marks a change in how life has been for me so far. The big difference – no internet! I’m pretty sure I’m an internet addict, and I spend far too much time online every day. I know what a distraction it is for me when I’m home in SF, and since arriving in Berlin, I’ve spent far too much time on it. So, when I found out that the apartment I was looking at didn’t offer any connectivity, I decided that was a REALLY good thing. This way, I won’t have the ‘tubes distracting me and wasting my time. No point in coming all the way over here, just to spend each day frittering away on the net.
—
I found a place to buy a bike (I think). There was a bike repair shop that I found, and while the guy working there didn’t really speak english, I was able to explain that I’m going to be in Berlin for two months, and wanted a really cheap bike. And then he tells me that he finds old and broken bikes, repairs them, and sells them for cheap. So, I picked a frame that looked like it would fit me, and it should be ready friday. Once I’ve got that, I am going to devour this city – I want to pick a different neighborhood each day, and just go ride around it. This is easily the most bike friendly city I’ve ever seen. Every street has a bike lane, the intersections have bike signals, and there are bike racks EVERYWHERE.
—
Last night, Carsten took me out to the borders of Berlin to his best friend Alex’s house. We sat on the patio, drank too much Prosecco, BBQ’d sausage, and talked until the wee hours. It was fun to listen to them speak in German, but I’m not NEARLY fluent enough to follow when they speak full speed. The wasps seem to love Carsten as much as he hates them, so he provided endless entertainment screaming and running away from them all night.

Well, I’ve now been here a week, and I’m feeling rather settled. I’m still somewhat shocked at how quickly all the “Must Take Care Of” things were crossed off my list, and now I’m left with nothing but to live and enjoy the city and my friends here. Saturday was my first whole day on my own, and it was really wonderful. I slept in, made breakfast, went to the gym, then wandered around the city for hours. I told myself that I was going to find a different spot to read my book every day, and so this day found me with my feet in the cascading fountains at Alexanderplatz, enjoying the sun.

In the evening, I went and wandered Mitte for hours. I grabbed the occasional beer, and meandered all over the historic sections of the neighborhood. I found the street where all the prostitutes work (the girls were surprisingly polished and highly intimidating. They really didn’t know how to take NO for an answer.) I walked past the palaces of Frederick the Great and the WW I & II Memorials. I found a beach bar, where they’ve left a bunch of sand on the edge of the river and serve beers to people watching the sun set. I made it through the posh shopping district, and past the matching churches that Fredrick built – one for the Germans, and one for the French.

After going to bed WAY too late, I got up and met my new partner in crime, Marcos, for a day trip to Potsdam, capital of the Brandenburg state, and hope to many of Frederick II’s castles. We spent the whole day touring Sannssouci Castle and Gardens, where I decided that Fred the Second was a kindred spirit to Old Ludwig in Bavaria. They both REALLY liked to build castles, and Frederick the Great meant his to rival Versailles. We walked all over that place, and it did not disappoint. I was especially amazed by the wood-inlay work in the guest palace. It was absolutely amazing, and (OF COURSE) no photos were allowed. After all the castle excitement, we went back into Potsdam proper to walk around the scenic downtown, and see the historic Dutch Quarter.

I’m hitting the hay early tonight. Tomorrow I plan to take a blanket to the Tiergarten and enjoy the sun for as much of the day as possible. G’night!

They totally don’t believe in dryers over here.

After DAYS of uploading (seems my intarwebz pipe here in Deutschland is a smidge slower than usual), I’ve got all the pictures from my family’s Baltic cruise up and online. Check out our adventures in Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Finland, Poland, Estonia and Norway!

 McCulloch Family Baltic Cruse

Holy crap, kids. Stuff is happening quick here, in large part thanks to my friends Carsten and Marcos. Let’s see, where to start….

I got my phone sorted out, but it took an entire day, with Carsten doing a whole lot of translating. I got me a SIM card, not from one of the big name cellular joints, but from some half-assed little phone-hut on the street. Shady? Perhaps, but since I’m not signing up for a plan, it was the cheapest per-minute rate I could find. And, after a scare of it not activating, it turned itself on and has worked like a charm, so far. (If any of you yokels want or need my digits, just drop me an email!)

The apartment hunt was short and sweet. There’s a website here for students and other folks who are looking for a sublet, and I answered a few of the adds. I went to see two of them on monday, and wouldn’t you know, I fell in love with the first apartment I saw. (They had Matthew Barney DVDs on their desk – I took that as an Omen.) I checked out the second place for coverage, but I realized that I’d hit the nail on the head the first time out of the gate. That seems to be the way EVERYTHING has worked for me so far on this trip. I called them back, and asked if I could have the place. They happily agreed. I went over today, signed the contract, and I move in a week from tomorrow.

I also found the language school I’m going to study at – they do immersive courses, and they agreed that I’m not a total beginner, so I’m taking the level two class. I just have some brushing up to do before that starts on August 4th. (I hope that bumming around Berlin and attempting to use my sad and broken german counts as a “level one review’!)

Lastly, Marcos took me to see his gym today. It’s a slight hike from where I’m living, but I hope to get a bike to make the commute easier. This gym was a perfect example of what is weird about Germany. They usually require new customers to sign a year contract, but they have a special deal for travelers. They’ll sell you a three month pass, if you can prove that you’re not from Germany – passport and plane ticket, or job contract. Something of that nature.

ANYHOW, I tell them that it’s no problem I can bring in a copy of my passport and plane ticket. “Great!” they tell me, “now you just need a German bank account to wire us the money to pay for the pass.”

“Wait, what? Do you take credit cards?”

“No”, she calmly replied. 

“Oh, well, then can I just bring you cash?”

“No. German bank account wire transfer only.”

“So, this thing that you sell specifically to people who are not from this country, can only be payed for with a german bank account?”

“Ja! Alles klar?”

Anyhow, Stuff is a little different, here. But I’m adjusting. Carsten leaves on for work tomorrow, and then I’m really on my own. I’m actually really excited – I’ve been looking forward to this. Time alone, in Berlin, with nothing to worry about other than what I’m going to go see, do, and eat.