My roommate Erin’s dad thought that it would be a waste to fly to Copenhagen for the weekend just to fly right back to Rome. He suggested that we go to Berlin. We booked our flights just days before we left for Copenhagen and packing was even harder than expected because now we were packing for 6 days instead of 3. In Copenhagen, we had bought some souvenirs that we couldn’t fit in our backpack. Luckily our roommate Lydia was going back to Rome and she had brought a suitcase so she brought everything back for us. Our backpacks were packed and we knew that we would only be able to buy small things in Berlin because otherwise, they wouldn’t fit!
We didn’t land in Berlin until around 6pm so all we did that night was check into our hotel and have dinner. We both got burgers and fries and they were really good. Burgers and fries are very different than standard Italian cuisine so I was excited to have them.
The next day, we walked around a bunch and saw the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Topography of Terror museum. Shortly before we arrived in Berlin, Germany announced new COVID rules when it came to entry into museums, restaurants, and similar venues. They required you to present an EU QR code with your vaccination info to be allowed in. Italy has been using the Green Pass, along with the rest of the EU, which is in QR code form since we first arrived in August but our CDC card has always been considered an equivalent. However, when we got to Germany, many places did not take our CDC vaccination card and told us that we must have a QR code, however, QR codes can only be obtained by EU citizens so we could not enter several museums that we wanted to see. Some of the Topography of Terror museum was outside so we were able to see some of it.
One thing that really stood out to me in Berlin was how modern and even futuristic all of the buildings were. A lot of the city looked like a college campus. The entire time we were there it didn’t get above about 45 degrees and most of the time it was spitting rain but we were determined to still have a good time. We also went to several Christmas markets there which was very fun.
A Message from the Office of Global Engagement:
The safety and security of Drexel students is a priority for the University. As part of the efforts to support Drexel students that are studying abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Global Engagement has conducted a rigorous review of programming and provided additional support to participating students with customized pre-departure orientations and regular check-ins during the required self-isolation period and the term.