During my 10-day stay in Berlin, I got to explore a lot. However, most of the exploration that was done was scheduled within my program. I didn’t get much free alone time to myself. So on the last day of my trip, I decided to take myself on a solo date and do what I love. Eat and spend time seeing animals.
My first stop of the day was at a place called Burgermeister. Burgermeister is a food chain in Berlin that sells burgers, fries, milkshakes, etc. It reminds me of Five Guys in America. I ordered loaded fries with bacon, fried onions, and cheese, and a Meisterburger with bacon, fried onions, barbecue sauce, lettuce, and mayo. A very American meal from a German chain, but it was still a great lunch to start my solo day.
Next, I spent most of my day at the Berlin Zoo. I am an avid animal lover, so I had to see the zoo before I left. It was absolutely humongous.
When I first walked in, the elephants were immediately on display. Elephants are one of my favorite animals because of their intelligence, and they’re simply so cute! Great idea to put them at the entrance because this was a great start to my trip.
After walking for nearly an hour, or two, I finally got to see what I came for. The monkeys. Every time I go to the zoo, I love seeing the monkeys because there are so many different kinds. I only got a picture of the baboons, but I was able to see marmoset finger monkeys (the cutest), orangutans, apes, etc.
After walking around for another hour or two, I saw pandas, different kinds of birds, big cats, and more. I got lost trying to find my way out, that’s how big the zoo was. However, on the way out, I saw a stage with live performers and people with their families dancing. I thought it was too cute to not mention.
My last stop of the day was at the closing dinner for my program. There was a three-course meal with an appetizer, entree, and dessert. For my appetizer, I chose the potato soup shown in the first picture. It was a little salty, but it was really good to eat with the bread that it came with. Next, my entree was a sausage with sauerkraut, boiled potatoes, and gravy. Lastly, for my dessert, I had panna cotta with raspberry topping, and it was amazing.
Although my trip had to come to a close, the experiences I had on it will last forever. Having the opportunity to explore a city in a different country is something I haven’t done yet. I’m glad that I got to spend my last 24 hours in Berlin doing what I love, seeing animals and spending time with my trip mates. For that reason, my Berlin trip will stick with me forever.