In my search for a gym to go to, I found that that there are couple of gym chains in Berlin, such as McFIT, FitOne, FitnessFirst. The problem with them is that they don’t offer one month membership. I decided to go to the gym near Wittenbergplatz since it was a nice 15 mins run from my place. Also, the idea of seeing the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial church every day was motivation enough.
I explained to the fitness sales representative that I was just here for a month so a one year membership would not work for me. So, she informed me about their special promo where I could join the gym for a one year membership but had the option to cancel it within a month. That was a perfect solution. So, I signed up but then when it can to the payment part, they don’t accept cash or American credit card. I’ve to have the European card. What a bummer! The rep gave me the membership card to the gym and told me to make the payment online once I’ve the European card. I accepted the card and, decided, to figure out later on what can be done about the payment part.
After not working out in a gym for a long time, it felt nice to be back but at the same time, I had to start at a novice level. I couldn’t do heavy weights anymore. I ended up doing light weights but with slower and higher reps. I’m sure that’s going to make me sore but it’s much better this way than trying to push heavy weight and get myself injured. And the best part is taking time to stretch and meditate after the workout. When I was young, I would never do warmups and stretching before or after working out. That was the biggest mistake I had made. Now, as I’m getting older or may be wiser, I make sure to stretch and relax, before and after working out, or else my body is in pain.
After a good workout, I had no plans about what to do. So, I hopped on any bus near my gym. I had no idea where it was going but that’s the best way to explore any city. Don’t you think so?
I got to checkout some cool streets as we drove through the city. I saw a beautiful Palace decked in pastel yellow, so I got off the next stop to check it out.
I was in Charlottenburg and this was the “Charlottenburg Palace,” which is the largest place in Berlin. Built at the end of the 17th century. Was badly damaged during the Second World War but has been reconstructed.
I enjoyed walking through the Palace Gardens which led me to the canals. As I kept on walking, I saw a beautiful blue church with golden pear shaped domes from far away. I walked towards the direction of the church. It was a Russian Orthodox Church but sadly it was not open so I couldn’t peek inside.
As I kept on walking, I saw a beautiful sandstone facade which looked more a church but as I entered the building, I realized that it was the case. There was a small shop at the entrance which was selling fair trade items, so I went in to check it out. As I was talking with the Manager there, a woman who worked in this building stopped by to pick up something. She informed me that I was in Charlottenburg’s Town Hall and insisted that I checkout the spiral staircase and other decor in the building, since lot of movies had been filmed here.
The town hall is an administrative building situated in the Charlottenburg locality of Berlin. It was built between 1899 and 1905 at the behest of the then independent city of Charlottenburg in the Prussian province of Brandenburg. I am so glad that I opted to explore the town hall. The magnificent spiral staircase, dome, paintings and hallways are simply spectacular. I would have never ended up here if I was just following the tourist map. Sometimes, you just have to let your heart guide you to unknown places and you’ll be surprised about amazing adventures you might uncover along the way.
I was a bit tired from hours of walking and my stomach was growling, so I hopped on the train and headed back to my flat to prepare a heart meal, listen to soothing music, have a glass of wine and end the day with some chocolate treats.
