THE Eiffel Tower

The iconic Tour Eiffel or Eiffel Tower is a sight to behold!

Be it day...

... or night! :-)

Staring at it makes my mind hum, "La Vie En Rose" ;-).

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1

Things to do while waiting for boarding: Catch a few NBA games, shop for gifts/pasalubongs at Duty Free and the many other shops, buy medicines or other travel needs, surf at the Free Internet Station, get a prepaid SIM or roaming load for your mobile, make all the texts & calls (There are pay phone booths as well) you need to make BEFORE going on roaming( It's cheaper that way), set your SIM/mobile on roaming, get a massage, simply lounge around or eat. The last is my fave to do ;) My usual food stop at NAIA 1 is Great Panda. Love their shrimp siomai! ;) They've got congee, noodles, siopao, etc. Yum!

If you're a Mom with an infant in tow, there's also a Feeding Station for you and your little baby.

Before you do all that, set your cellphone alarm to make sure you won't miss your boarding call. Oops, there goes my alarm!

Safe travels! ;)

Berlin Break

The Brandenburg Gate

Destination : Berlin, Germany
Route : Rome, Italy - Berlin, Germany - Goettingen, Germany
Airline : Air Berlin from Rome Fiumicino to Berlin Tegel

You can get good deals online with Air Berlin but 
take note of the baggage weight that you are allowed. 
Travel light & you'll never have to pay excess baggage fees.

Eurail Pass : Benelux- Germany 6-day Eurail Adult Saver Pass from Berlin onwards. You get a discount for 2 or more persons traveling together. The more you travel from the first date & time of use, the more you get out of your pass. It's fun to get to as many destinations as you can! Just don't sacrifice your comfort & your companion's good mood :-)

Always have your Eurail Pass, passport & map with you.

        A tip about your Eurail Pass: Remember to write down the details of the train, destination, etc. before or as soon as you board the train. Riding a train without writing down the details (for those with a Eurail pass) or not validating(for those with a ticket) is like riding without paying the fare. You could get fined.

My Eurail Pass Travel Itinerary & Journey Details

Season: Fall/Autumn. 11-22 degrees celsius. A nice time to be in Berlin.

The Pleasant Flight: 

Techie Air Berlin/ Nikki Safety Video

The Flight Captain calls our attention to the truly breathtaking view below. 

The Alps as we fly over Innsbruck, Austria.

Day 1

At Berlin Tegel, figuring out whether we'd have time to go to Munich/Munchen.

A taxi ride from Berlin Tegel to Novotel Berlin Tiergarten
would cost from 15-30 Euros, depending on the traffic.

Taxi queue just outside Novotel Berlin Am Tiergarten

Yey, our hotel! Novotel Tiergarten 

Novotel Tiergarten was a good base for our Berlin adventure. It's called Novotel Berlin Am Tiergarten because it's situated right across the vast Tiergarten park, the oldest park in Berlin. Beside the hotel is the train station for the S-bahn which connects you to virtually any part of the city.

Novotel Berlin Tiergarten mini bar

Double room. Novotel Berlin Tiergarten

Yes, ladies, there's a hairdryer :)

There's a Hop-on hop-off bus stop just outside Novotel Tiergarten. Tickets are sold in the hotel.

The Upper Deck is a great spot on a good day such as this one!

Schloss Charlottenburg

Ka De We is one of the largest department stores in Berlin.

Berlin Wall remains

Jewish Museum Berlin. Such a moving experience!

After a long day of sightseeing, it was nice to go back to the hotel
with this divine chocolate & biscuits treat from the Novotel. Sweet! ;)

Day 2

Berlin Main Train Station or Hauptbahnhof

In Berlin, you have to try a Currywurst. A bargain at 1-2 Euros!

This is the 2-Euro Currywurst with bread :) 

A day trip to Potsdam

 Potsdam was once the residence of Prussian Kings and German Kaisers. As I walked around the palace grounds and traveled around the city, I thought to myself, the once powerful Prussian Empire ruled from this beautiful place. It was a surreal experience for me. Amazing!

The Old Historic Windmill near Sanssouci Palace

A performer just outside the Sanssouci Palace Gates sets the mood for enjoying the palace grounds.

Schloss Sanssouci or Sanssouci Palace

It looked like it was going to rain....

... thank God it didn't!

The skies cleared in no time. The better to enjoy the gardens.

This trip to Berlin was something that I originally didn't have on my itinerary. A possible reunion with my husband's high school buddy back in New York was something we couldn't miss out on. Busy Doctor Dirk had found time to meet with us! Yey! So I cancelled other trips around Italy and made sure that Germany was on the itinerary.

A "danke" sign at McDonald's. Try the McRib burger, served only in
Germany( I think). Much like our McSpaghetti, served only in the Philippines :)

It was a trip I'll never forget nor regret. Germany is now one of my favorite places in the world. Thanks or Danke, Dirk! ;-)