Nuremberg to Berlin (9/08/19)
Well I spent all of today on a train, oof! But for the first half hour I sat across from a PhD student that was just starting her project on the effects of migration on people with mental disabilities. She was great to talk to and we chatted about our academics and whatnot until a grumpy couple displaced me saying they had reserved my seat. So I spent the rest of my ride watching Netflix and sitting next to a napping guy that really could have used a shower.
I navigate the massive, four-floor Berlin central station and found my way to my hostel after getting off at the wrong stop only a couple of times lol. I talked briefly with one of my roommates from Australia but got the vibe that she was a in Berlin to party and split off to find diner somewhere. I ended up following the recommendation of the front desk attendant and walked a few blocks over to the “German Quarter” to find a restaurant. I finally settled on a place called Zur Gerichtslaub, a traditional German restaurant set in an old courthouse/galley. I had a very awkward time getting a seat since there was a group that was just arriving piecewise and they kept shaking my hand and blocking the entrance so I spent a solid five minutes socially trapped before I wormed my way through them and got myself a table.
Fortunately the food was well worth the struggle! A Berlin-style pork joint with sour red cabbage and a bacon-leek dumpling that resembled dense mashed potatoes. Delish - I do like me some good ‘ol German cuisine! At the end of my meal A guy from Dublin sat down next to me and we had a painfully awkward 30 second conversation. He obviously wanted to chat for a while and I zero interest in striking up conversation while I was just waiting to get my change back from the waiter. Yeouch! But the food was still worth it!
