We're so legit

Having our first day completely free of responsibilities, Hannah and I made the most of it. We started the day by shopping around Hackescher Market where we also got lunch at a cafe. We found some good stores to look in, but nothing we could really afford. We both tried on some silly dresses at an upscale vintage store, but didn't buy anything.

After lunch we headed back through the Brandenburg Gate to the Reichstag Building, which is the home to Germany's governing body, the Bundestag. We had to wait about 50 minutes just to get in to take the elevators up to the Reichstag dome, but it was absolutely worth it. The views of the city were top-notch, and we also got a glimpse of members of parliament through the partially transparent dome.

Hannah and I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Tiergarten, where we saw people bike riding, out with their dogs, jogging and playing with their children. It also seemed quite the romantic location - we saw several couples very 'involved' with each other as we walked through the park!

Hannah and I were talking on the way home about how we feel like we're really comfortable in Berlin now. Although there obviously can still be language barriers, we feel very confident walking around, finding places and using the public transportation. As she likes to put it, "We're so legit."

A man rides his bike through the Tiergarten with his son sitting in front.

A man waits outside of the Reichstag building. Although the building is open daily, visitors sometimes wait more than an hour to enter and take an elevator to the Reichstag dome.

Visitors to the Reichstag building climb the spiral ramps to get panoramic views of the city from the Reichstag dome.

People take a break after climbing the ramp to the top of the Reichstag dome.