Today Max and I went around Berlin and saw such sights as the Brandenburger Tor, which was hosting a political rally at the time, the Siegersäule, and the Mac House im Schloß, who suggested I wait until Wien to get my CD drive fixed because of time constraints (I also bought a protective case for my iPod).
13.10.07
Mein Geld ist Schon Weg
Yesterday, Friday, Aaron and I went to the Hauptbahnhof in Berlin and after consulting our options and some people, we decided that taking a train was the best and actually cheapest option for our journey to Scotland. Using our tickets as guides, here are the plans. On October 22, Monday, we'll leave Jena and travel to Berlin; from Berlin we go to Brussels; from Brussels we go to London; from London, Edinburgh. The total time for this leg is a little over 20 hours. The following Monday, we leave Edinburgh and travel once again to London; this time we go to Paris next; then a train to Munich; and finally a train to Vienna. Altogether it was certainly the most money I personally have ever spent at one time in my entire life, but Aaron and I figured it was probably the best option, considering flying entailed lots of flying and hotels and such, as well as motion sickness, medicine, anxiety, luggage check, and so on. I am happy with the decision, even if it was pricey. I am very excited to go to Scotland, although I did consider Poland and Italy as well. Scotland is very special to me, and I feel an almost mystical connection to it. Since we left in 2005 I have been anxious to return, and it will also be good to stop by the Scottish National Party office and inquire about the status of my membership; I also want to spend time in Edinburgh, seeing the "hidden gem of Europe" and perhaps researching some for my novel. There are also plans to spend time with some relatives of mine, and perhaps also spend some time in the Highlands (naturally my true calling). Before all of this, though, we first have most of a week left in Berlin; on Friday we go to Jena to spend a weekend there and hopefully gain further insight into the lives of East Germans before and since the fall of the Wall. In the week before we leave Berlin I must spend time researching for my Ethnographic Project; so far the plan is to study the Kinderspielplätze (Playgrounds) in the vicinity of my apartment, talking to Germans about the safety concerns and such.
Today Max and I went around Berlin and saw such sights as the Brandenburger Tor, which was hosting a political rally at the time, the Siegersäule, and the Mac House im Schloß, who suggested I wait until Wien to get my CD drive fixed because of time constraints (I also bought a protective case for my iPod).
Today Max and I went around Berlin and saw such sights as the Brandenburger Tor, which was hosting a political rally at the time, the Siegersäule, and the Mac House im Schloß, who suggested I wait until Wien to get my CD drive fixed because of time constraints (I also bought a protective case for my iPod).
