22 hours in Berlin and it's amazing

My first, albeit brief, stop in Central Europe is Berlin. That's where my round the world ticket drops me on July 3rd and picks me up on July 31st. Everything in between, well, that's fair game for whatever country wants to best lay claim to the time.

But, I must say, Berlin puts up a very good first impression. Entry to the city couldn't be easier. The airport, Tegel, is tiny and there's any easy bus link to the extensive public transport system. From there, I headed straight to Kreuzberg, a neighborhood towards the East that used to be right where West Berlin ran into the wall. Now it's a very fun place, with lots of energy, interesting restaurants and bars, and, most of all, people of all stripes. Though I didn't get in until 11pm, I had to take a quick walk around. It felt so alive.

The next day, I did a bit of aimless wandering before my night train at 7pm. Went to one neighborhood and had a delicious lunch at a open air cafe. Went to another and just strolled the streets. Throughout it all I took the very easy public transit system, with subways, elevated trains, and commuter rail all coming into the mix. Easy as pie and a lovely day it made.

I am very much looking forward to coming back to this town to explore it properly.