We packed our things and set off for Berlin, the capital, via a private bus, as covering the ~200 km distance by public transport would have been difficult. One curious thing we noticed as we began the journey was that the driver insisted everyone wear seat belts—it was mandatory. I found it uncomfortable sitting in a two-seater with a seatbelt on and felt a bit suffocated. So, midway through the journey, I moved to the back seat, even though it was technically against traffic regulations!
You won’t believe this, but during my entire week of traveling across the country, I heard a car horn only twice. The first time was on this long road trip, and even then, it was a mild sound, and the second was in a Berlin market area. The trip taught us many valuable lessons. For instance, everyone strictly followed lane discipline. There was a ~25 km traffic jam on the national highway due to heavy truck traffic, but none of the vehicles, including our bus, moved into the car lane, even though it was relatively free—a scenario unimaginable on our roads.
We had expected the temperature in Berlin to be lower than in the rest of the country due to its northern location and proximity to polar regions. Surprisingly, it was warmer and felt a lot like Bangalore. We later realized that the southern part of Germany is cooler due to the influence of the Alps.
Later, we had the privilege of meeting Shri Parvathaneni Harish, the Indian Ambassador to Germany. We had an engaging discussion on Indo-German relations and potential joint initiatives. After a ~45-minute meeting, we were treated to lunch at the embassy, hosted by the Hon'ble Ambassador.
One memorable part of the day was my outfit choice! While everyone else chose to wear professional attire, I opted for ethnic wear, which we were told was an option. During lunch, I had the chance to sit next to Shri Gaurav Sharma, an IRS officer who serves as the First Secretary at the embassy. It was the first time I learned that IRS officers can be posted in embassies. He was incredibly down-to-earth and shared his thoughts on how to strengthen collaboration between the two countries.
After a hearty lunch, we left the embassy and headed to our meeting for the day. The meeting lasted until 6 PM, followed by a networking dinner. The return trip to the hotel was quite interesting. The organizers asked us to find our own way back. Although it seemed odd at first, I now think it was a great decision.
This experience helped us immerse ourselves in the local culture and understand Germany’s public transport system, which proved useful over the next couple of days. We walked to a nearby station, took a local train, and reached our hotel. It was clear that locals walk and cycle a lot. It’s also impressive how many people rely on public transport, likely due to the excellent last-mile connectivity. You can get within a 10-minute walk of most destinations using public transport, and the pedestrian pathways are commuter-friendly.
Dinesh
Part-1: https://dineshkumarsaravanan.blogspot.com/2023/06/germany-days-1.html
Part-2: https://dineshkumarsaravanan.blogspot.com/2023/06/germany-days-2.html
Part-3: https://dineshkumarsaravanan.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-very-next-day-was-maximum-of.html
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