Berlin, again
Jan. 8th, 2013 11:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hawkwing_lbEither Berlin is cursed or I am.
Breakfast in a German cheap-ass hostel/hotel is quite good, even if the bed is narrow and the pillow is a kind of weird bolster thing that I didn't think they made any more, and the coverlet is the thinnest possible duvet. Mind you, the last hotel breakfast I had was in Greece, and in Greece they don't believe in breakfast, so an array of hot and cold meats, five different cheeses, three sorts of yoghurt, bread, cereal, sweet cake-bread, and one's choice of hot drinks, apple juice, and orange juice, was quite astonishing. I ate too much, planning on skipping lunch. (The only way to be sure is to eat too much.) Hired a bike, and set out for the Museum Island.
Discovered on the way there that the brakes didn't work, the bike seat had slipped a bit too low, and I really didn't enjoy being rained on.
Arrived at the museums before they opened. Discovered that the Pergamon museum is probably better described as "Great Altar of Pergamon and a bunch of Assyrian and Islamic stuff." The Hellenistic gallery was closed while the fabric of the building is being renovated. Joy. The Assyrian/ANE stuff is fascinating and really well laid-out, but still Not What I Was Here to see. I did acquire a large book on Pergamon (in German, with pictures: sigh dictionary sigh), despite all.
The Altes-Museum had Greek and Roman stuff. I have seen so many Greek&Roman Stuff museums, I can barely muster a geeky thrill anymore. However, there was a relief of a heroised physician. So the morning was not entirely wasted, although I was museumed out and wanted to go see the Tiergarten.
Halfway down Unter den Linden, the pedal broke. The sharp bit of metal stabbed my shoe, fortunately thwarted by good Gortex and not leaving a hole in me. A bus coming up on my outside gave me the fright of my life, or at least a sodding great irritation. I could've fucking damaged meself, and that would've been the end of me.
So I went back to the hostel instead of going anywhere fun, damp and tired and deeply annoyed, and to put the cap on a fairly unpleasant morning, discovered the crotch of my trousers had ripped.
All that needs to happen next is for me to get my period and have my pocket picked, and that'll be the perfect storm of unpleasant trips.
Breakfast in a German cheap-ass hostel/hotel is quite good, even if the bed is narrow and the pillow is a kind of weird bolster thing that I didn't think they made any more, and the coverlet is the thinnest possible duvet. Mind you, the last hotel breakfast I had was in Greece, and in Greece they don't believe in breakfast, so an array of hot and cold meats, five different cheeses, three sorts of yoghurt, bread, cereal, sweet cake-bread, and one's choice of hot drinks, apple juice, and orange juice, was quite astonishing. I ate too much, planning on skipping lunch. (The only way to be sure is to eat too much.) Hired a bike, and set out for the Museum Island.
Discovered on the way there that the brakes didn't work, the bike seat had slipped a bit too low, and I really didn't enjoy being rained on.
Arrived at the museums before they opened. Discovered that the Pergamon museum is probably better described as "Great Altar of Pergamon and a bunch of Assyrian and Islamic stuff." The Hellenistic gallery was closed while the fabric of the building is being renovated. Joy. The Assyrian/ANE stuff is fascinating and really well laid-out, but still Not What I Was Here to see. I did acquire a large book on Pergamon (in German, with pictures: sigh dictionary sigh), despite all.
The Altes-Museum had Greek and Roman stuff. I have seen so many Greek&Roman Stuff museums, I can barely muster a geeky thrill anymore. However, there was a relief of a heroised physician. So the morning was not entirely wasted, although I was museumed out and wanted to go see the Tiergarten.
Halfway down Unter den Linden, the pedal broke. The sharp bit of metal stabbed my shoe, fortunately thwarted by good Gortex and not leaving a hole in me. A bus coming up on my outside gave me the fright of my life, or at least a sodding great irritation. I could've fucking damaged meself, and that would've been the end of me.
So I went back to the hostel instead of going anywhere fun, damp and tired and deeply annoyed, and to put the cap on a fairly unpleasant morning, discovered the crotch of my trousers had ripped.
All that needs to happen next is for me to get my period and have my pocket picked, and that'll be the perfect storm of unpleasant trips.
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no subject
Date: 2013-01-08 06:00 pm (UTC)benimm Dich!
Your hostel sounds as if it's in the former East Berlin...
I hope you find a better bike tomorrow, and some decent weather in the bargain!
no subject
Date: 2013-01-08 06:22 pm (UTC)The weather is slated to get worse, not better, and I'm choosing to blow my meagre savings and go home a day early, because if I encounter another example of Hermes laughing at me, I am going to either explode or cry, possibly both. And that would be messy.
So all I have to do is survive tomorrow and Thursday morning, and with luck I can go home and cry to my mother. Or at least to my pillow.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-08 06:36 pm (UTC)Sorry to hear that things aren't working out for you - what is it, mercury retrograde?
(Baseline flattening out here, phew. Not a productive day today, but tendency moving strongly upward.)
I hope the museums are kinder to you from now on. (And if you need any German translation, just holler.
(Icon: relief from the Brandenburger Tor. Seems fitting ;-)
no subject
Date: 2013-01-08 06:40 pm (UTC)(Things learnt: if one is to go to Berlin, be wealthy or know German well. There is no forgiveness here for Foreign Idiots On Budgets.)
I'm glad things are looking up.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-08 09:48 pm (UTC)