IP: Frying on small craft

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 12:02:20 -0800
> From: "Janos G." <janos451 () earthlink net>
> Subject: Frying on small craft
> To: slg () ex com
> Cc: farber () cis upenn edu
> X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700
>
> Enjoyed your small-craft adventure (even if you didn't...:), want to let you
> know things are vastly different in Europe. See the top of this
> pre-Thanksgiving report, ignore the rest if you must.
>
> Berlin on $5 a Day
>
>
> Ha, ha, ha a good one! Does anybody even remember Arthur Frommer?
>
>
> At any rate, here are my simple-minded practical travel tips in this
> Difficult Year of 2001, while waiting for the buzz Airline flight to London
> at Berlin's Schönefeld Airport. I arrived two hours before the flight, but
> there is no one here yet I am told they'll open check-in maybe an hour
> before the flight. See Items 1 and 2 below.
>
> 1.         Use small airlines and small airports. They function as if 9/11
> never happened. (Still, don't run up on a down escalator. Not in Atlanta,
> not here.)
>
> 2.         Travel on weekends. Nobody else does. Well, at least, not
> Germans. Schönefeld is also used by Aeroflot (yep, it's still operating) and
> a variety of exotic airlines and there is a bit of weekend travel by exotic
> travelers, but not much.
>
> 3.         Don't worry about advance hotel, theater, etc. reservations. The
> place is wide open.
>
> 4.         Go on the Web to hunt for bargains, but engage the other party in
> e-mail, don't just sign up for an attractive room rate. I haven't paid for
> than $80 in London, Berlin and Dresden for perfectly good hotels, but I
> weeded out in advance the bad guys who didn't respond or seemed uninterested
> in doing business. For specific recommendations, see below.
>
> 5.         There is no point is "selling" London, so I won't, but let me
> warmly and strongly endorse Berlin. To me, it's today's most varied,
> interesting travel destination anywhere. In addition to remnants of
> "classical Berlin" (the architecture, three opera houses, six orchestras, a
> zillion theaters), there are living-history manifestations of the Third
> Reich, the divided Germany, the Berlin Wall and then a dazzling,
> still-emerging 21st century sci-fi city.
>
> 6.         Use Berlin's fabulous public transportation without knowledge of
> language, maps or fear. The combination of U and S bahn will take you
> anywhere, quickly and efficiently, and the facilities are guarded by jolly,
> old-fashioned police. It's a joy.
>
> 7.         I saw no indication of public-safety issues, but it is a city of
> 4 million people (most of which feels like quiet, small towns!), so there
> must be some bad guys around. If this is an issue for you, stay near the US
> embassy (near the corner of Unter den Linden and Friedrichstrasse), where
> several panzer divisions are blocking a four-block radius, guns at the
> ready. Chances of getting mugged in this area are nil.
>
> 8.         I recommend the Hotel Unter den Linden in this "safety zone" for
> its prices, location (minutes from the Friedrichstrasse train station, the
> Komische Oper, the Staatsoper, Checkpoint Charlie [yup, it's there], the
> Brandenburg Gate and Alexanderplatz, the Reichstag, etc.), clean, efficient
> operation and its clientele. While nearby hotels cater to foreign tourists
> (or try to) at twice or thrice the price, this hotel is frequented mostly by
> German travelers. Still, if your idea of Hawaii is Waikiki, you may want to
> avoid too much local color here too, and forsake the un-continental
> breakfast whose variety and riches put "full English breakfast" to shame.
> (I'd go easy on the herring, however.)
>
> 9.         If you want to blend in with the natives even more thoroughly,
> tint your hair an ugly shade of red (if you're a lady between 15 and 50),
> and say "good day" when you meet people, wish them a "beautiful day" when
> you leave, or, in case of friends, use "tschüss" which is a bit like ciao.
>
> 10.         To "do" Berlin takes about a week at my pace. For the short
> version, take a bus tour for an overview. Then a few must-see places: the
> Reichstag (from the top of that amazing glass dome, you'll get a good
> general orientation), the future urban environment at and around
> Potsdammerplatz, the cultural center around the Berlin Philharmonic building
> (no longer called Circus Karajan, I wonder why.), and then just walk your
> shoes to a pulp in various neighborhoods.
>
> 11.         Except for a special event such as last night's Domingo gala,
> don't worry about making advance arrangements for tickets. Opera houses are
> half full (or empty), the Komische Oper (your best value for the money) is
> even worse (better).
>
>
> Tschüss, y'all! Save a bit of turkey for me.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Janos Gereben
> Post Newspaper Group
> www.sfcv.org
> janos451 () earthlink net

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