Lemon's Travel Blog

The tale of the Golden Ass is one of experience and adventure. The tale of the Golden Lemon is much the same, just with a little less debauchery. This is Lemon's travel blog about her adventures in Europe, Fall of 2014 and Spring 2017 Sidebar by knightofbunnies

[thegoldenlemon]

Marienburg Castle. Hannover, May 2017~

[thegoldenlemon]

[thegoldenlemon]

The (in)famous Greek Frappe. Nescafe instant coffee powder, water, sugar, milk, and a lot of shaking later and you get... This. It takes about an hour to get through and makes you question your life choices as you drink.

[thegoldenlemon]

Panzer in front of the Lions Gate at Mycenae. Ngl I almost burst into tears walking under that gate. Childhood and Classicist dreams achieved.

[thegoldenlemon]

The ancient agora and the Acropolis in Athens.

[thegoldenlemon]

Hot as fuck at the Roman agora

[thegoldenlemon]

Safe and sound in Athens. Off to get food!!!

[renlyslittlerose]

Today is my last day in Berlin.

I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous to come back. The first time I visited I felt like I belonged in this city– like it was a second home. Something just clicked, and I had serious thoughts about moving here after my Masters to continue my work in an area more suited for my studies/interests. I just loved Berlin with all my heart.

So coming back left me with some apprehensiveness​. Would I end up hating it a second time? Would the glow of my initial visit fade? Would I hate my second experience and would that ruin memories of the first?

I can safely say those fears were unfounded. I adore Berlin. It still feels comfortable to me (despite the numerous dick sightings). It’s a vibrant, unique, unapologetic city that cultivates a culture where you can just be you. There are issues (oh boy are there), but that doesn’t make me dislike the city in any capacity.

I love Berlin, and I’m glad I came back :)

[thegoldenlemon]

Tada!!! Although it was hot outside, Panzer wanted to see the Victory Column.

[thegoldenlemon]

The old entrance to the Anhlater Bahnhof in Berlin. The station was constructed in 1841 and was one of the main train lines in Berlin. Additons were made in the 1880. It also happened to be grand both in scale and apperance; a sight to behold. The station served Berlin until the war when much of it was destroyed during the bombing campaigns by the Allies. After the war the station was left in a state of disrepair until 1960 when the Soviet government pulled it down. Due to public outcry, the main entrance was left standing, a reminder of what used to be

[thegoldenlemon]

Last time I was in Berlin I went for a stroll through the park just off Brandenburg Gate, and saw some gross dude in a trucker hat jerking off in the bushes. THIS TIME I saw a dude in a shitty bear fursuit sitting on a bench just staring at people with his masks dead, creepy eyes. There was some serious "don't make eye contact" going on. Berlin, man. Berlin.

[thegoldenlemon]

Panzer passed security and made it near the Reichstag!

[bioticjelly-deactivated20200504]

nap time

[thegoldenlemon]

Six hours later and I’ve completed my second tour of the German History Museum. The first time I was here back in 2014 I remember being really impressed with how well presented everything was. Everything was clean, it was informative, the items were meticulously picked and displayed, and the layout was unique but not confusing.

My second go in 2017 has just further affirmed this impression. I think it has to be the best presented museum I’ve ever visited. I’m not saying it’s the BEST museum I’ve ever visited (although it is in the top ten for sure) but there isn’t a miss-step in its design or presentation.

If you've a passing interest in German history it's well worth a trip. It covers the periods of 1300 until 1994, with artifacts ranging from suits of armour, paintings, leaflets, posters, clothing, toys, and some woodcuts of dudes farting in the Pope's face.

[thegoldenlemon]

Berlin's Curation

One of the interesting things about Berlin is that, despite the fact that much of its historic buildings and sites were destroyed during and after WWII, the city has managed to preserve these locations with information plaques scattered about the city, located where the building used to be. You can be walking down a benign looking street on your way to a coffee shop and find a sign informing you about how this location was where the first Nazi concentration camp was, and where 40 political prisoners were executed without trial right on the very street your standing. Today as I was taking a different route back to my hostel I noted a sign with a tour group surrounding it. I waited until they had left only to discover that this rather cute Soviet era apartment block used to be the location of the Reich Chancellery. During Hitler's era it was where he lived from 33 until 45, and happened to be the location of the infamous bunker. Taking a stroll around the apartments I found another sign discussing the bunker Hitler had built in '43, or the "Führerbunker". It was designed by Speer and co. and was meant to protect against Allied aerial attacks which had become more frequent. It was never finished, and the bunker was the sight of Speer telling Hitler to fuck off, Hitler's marriage to Eva and their joint suicide, and where Goebbels and his wife murdered their children before killing themselves. The area is now a parking lot, used by German citizens living in the rather lovely apartments built by the Soviets in the 1980s. I feel this is how it should be. The city hasn't hidden the history of the location nor ignored it, but there is no glory in the space. It cannot become a gathering place for neo-nazis and other shits. It's a parking lot with a bit of a history, and that's about it.

[thegoldenlemon]

Looked like rain over at Brandenburg Gate, but Panzer didn't let that faze him!

[thegoldenlemon]

Only in Berlin would they use gay leather daddies to advertise their new underground line...