Our Trip To Germany

ICH BIN EIN AUSLANDER

Last year it was Paris in the Spring. This year it was the Germans turn to host the Fermoy contingent of Youthreach. Six students from Youthreach Fermoy had saved up for and worked for a holiday in the most exciting of European cities. We departed Cork airport bright eyed and bushy tailed at zero six forty hours. On landing in Berlin we took the punctual locomotives to East Berlin and went to our accommodation in Prenzlauerberg.

 Our first tourist pit stop was to Die Unter-Welten Berliner an old city bomb shelter that was used during WW2. We were guided through and saw an image of what life was like being kept underground in cramped conditions while over ground the city was being blitzed. We meandered through the narrow chambers with low ceilings where once fear had swept through the overcrowded rooms as the lucky ones who managed to get shelter cowered for protection.

After this we met with our super German tour guide Tom Dorl who gave us an insight to life growing up in East Berlin. He brought us to the Brandenberg Gates and Check Point Charlie and all the places mentioned here. He gave us a first hand insight into life on the East side of the Wall under a Russian régime as a 17 year old boy . He also brought us to the relatively new holocaust memorial site which evokes an eerie atmosphere through its mausoleum like stones that are laid out in a couple of acres.

Later that evening we went to a typical German restaurant with Tom and Simone Wesche and Katijane two wonderful and informative East Berliners who joined us for an evening of food where we sampled the famous Schnitzel then brought us to café bars in the area.

 The next day we visited Sachenhausen, a concentration camp on the outskirts of Berlin. As grim as the history it represents and a sensitive place to all people German or otherwise. Our guides advised on having a more uplifting tourist experience following the trip to the concentration camp. So next stop was a Japanese restaurant followed by the Berlin T.V. Tower to take in Berlin from the heights.

We rendez-voused with Tom, Simone and Katanje our tour guides for another evening where they brought us to a restaurant where the meat was served to you by hanging it from the ceiling of the restaurant. Needless to say this would cause curious stares from most but didn’t get in the way of filling our bellies with the finest of foods. With an elegant sufficiency from the restaurant we rolled onto the Berlin Alte Braurei a new cultural centre in Berlin which was transformed from a brewery into cinemas, cafes and club where the dance floor experienced some serious moves.

We had an amazing time and students were constantly talking about the trip and the plans to move Youthreach Fermoy to Berlin are underway. A special thanks again to Tom, Simone and Katijane who made us feel so welcome and gave us so much time and a wonderful insight into Germany and Germans. We would also like to thank Ailbe Coleman for all the work he did in Youthreach this year and wish him the best. Also well done to all the lads Troy, Aaron, James, Jorge, Owen and Aimee for getting it together to organize themselves for the trip and who were a pleasure to spend a few days away with.