🇩🇪 🇨🇿Dublin Update #5 - Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Zürich, seemingly everywhere besides Dublin 🇦🇹🇨🇭

Longest blog post yet! Grab a coffee or a flat white and settle in ☕

Meine Friends & Family,

Guten morgen or guete muerge (Swiss German)! I hope everyone is healthy and well this Easter Weekend.

Personally, I didn’t know how big Easter was here in Dublin, or in other European countries more broadly. Beginning 2 weeks out, my co-workers started asking, “what are you up to for Easter weekend?”, and upon checking my calendar, I realized Google gives Good Friday and Easter Monday off! Gimme a sec, I need to grab Cadbury Eggs & Peeps! 🐰

Turns out my realization came too late and travel anywhere was pricey-pricey, so it is an Irish Easter for me. Thankfully, one nice item with Google Dublin is the concept of “days-in-lieu”; maybe I’ve mentioned this before in my write-ups, I am a days in lieu stan! Part of the Lieu Legion, even! You can choose to work a day during a holiday, then use another PTO day whenever you want later on. Before everyone rings alarm bells that I’m falling into the American-never-taking-days-off trap, please know Friday (one of the days in lieu) was such a pleasant work day (very few pings, as I expect Monday to be), and I will be leveraging these days in lieu to extend some US trips in the coming months 👀

I’m also okay with staying put because in the last week of March-first week of April, I had my longest Euro-that’s-not-Ireland-expedition. Beginning with a work business review in Berlin that may have taken months off my life, I then got to enjoy personal time there, before going Prague-Vienna-Zürich (yes, again). It was, as German speakers would say, super!

Berlin

Tl;dr I’m ready to move to Berlin (no offense, Dublin)

The trip started on an anxious note - readers of my last publication may remember that I broke my phone the day before departing. 10 days of traveling across German-Czech-centric countries without a phone? I wasn’t planning to find out how that one turned out 😬

Me and my Google team at the Berlin office - from left: Tal, Niko, yours truly, and Martin (MJ)

The basis for the Berlin trip was the most high stakes client meeting I’ve had so far in Dublin. I’ll spare everyone the gory, boring marketing speak meeting details, all went fine. Thankfully it was done within the first 2 days, and night one we got to enjoy some phenomenal Georgian food.

What is Georgian food, you ask (or at least I did before I went)? Delicious cheese breads, amazing soup dumplings, and satisfying wine.

The bridge to post-work trip bliss started Wednesday night. After wrapping up the final meetings, I enjoyed a spectacular 8 mile run throughout the city, crossing under Brandenburg Tor (which drew me in like a magnet), zipping through Tiergarten, and breaking intermittently for history to absorb me. I passed through the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and in the same run saw Checkpoint Charlie and one of the Berlin Wall sections where they highlighted the history of US-Soviet escalation, then tension.

Maybe it was the release of tensed-up stress after the big scary work stuff was over, or maybe it was the gravity of history crashing over me, but I found myself near tears at a point in my run. In a way, at least to me, you could feel the separation - families separated in the same city, by states/ideologies beyond their control. Plus it was a reminder of just how close things were to the brink at times in the Cold War. Heavy hitting sights for a Wednesday night!

Besides the palpable history, which I got to experience again the next day thanks to Alex the wonderful tour guide (great dude), I will also say I love the Google Berlin office. It has spunk; character! It’s actually an old hospital that they’ve remodeled. The building has a ton of natural light flooding in, with a central staircase that you can easily imagine doctors and nurses hurriedly ascending. En route to the gym they have cheeky signposts in the form of the Berghain Bouncer, a nod to the famed Berlin club scene. It’s an office that feels like it says something about the city it’s in, and I liked what I was hearing.

My host Thursday was a Vandy friend who shares my birthday!! Rachel and I were Curb Scholars together and she is a phenom, and a terrific host. She invited me to join her friend Georgia, an Italian polyglot (speaks like 7 languages, has lived in Estonia, I want to make a biopic about her) and we had a night out in Berlin that included private shuttle vans, blue drinks, dancing, and of course, a döner kebab. Rachel and her husband Harrison set the standard when it comes to hosting, and I can only hope my Dublin couch is half as hospitable as their living room sofa

Originally I had planned to leave Berlin Friday morning, to have more time in Prague. But that Friday in Berlin was unbeatable weather-wise, and I was persuaded to stay. I spent the day thrifting, meandering von Museumsinsel, and enjoying the collective smile of a city that had been gray, mysterious, and maybe a tad gruff three days before. Thankfully I will be back in Berlin for work (and now me and Ash, the Google Berlin barista with pokeballs tattooed on his knuckles, are homies, so I might have a clubbing buddy). I can’t wait for the next visit.

Prague

My maiden Berlin voyage and the Friday weather meant I got into Prague via train late. Thankfully I found an open restaurant and dined like a king on beef goulash, bread dumplings, and a Czech pilsner for like 286.50 Czech Koruna (cheap).

I ventured that Saturday morning to join the Prague Run Club on their Saturday morning scamper. Those who know me know that I’m a Strava power user/oversharer, and I had spotted the Prague Run Club as looking welcoming and well-attended. Sure enough, by the time my 12km (it’s all km here, folks!) group took off, I already knew I had made a good choice.

As fate would have it, 2 Brits (Harry & Dheeraj), 1 Scot (Alex), and me were clustered the whole time, chatting and laughing like old mates. Harry was screamingly new to Prague (like 7 days into his move there), while Dheeraj & Alex were veterans. We ran a riverside route and talked backgrounds, work, travel, running, all while soaking in a gorgeous morning and endorphins galore. When the run ended, I grabbed coffee and a pastry and they made sure I met other PRC folks. If I didn’t have a walking tour scheduled, we would’ve hung the whole day!

Extremely welcoming crew at Prague Running Club! Dheeraj, Harry, and Alex are smack-dab in the middle with me here

As I left to explore the awe-inspiring architecture of Prague’s old town, I couldn’t help thinking - I wish these guys were in Dublin. Not that I don’t have some lovely crews of soccer, work, and local friends here, but it was almost like I could look out into the parallel universes and know that if I got to run, grab Czech Pilsners, travel, and shenanigan with Alex/Harry/Dheeraj, that would be a very special core crew. We all swapped info and Dheeraj actually popped out later that night for drinks! Little does he know I will be asking to stay on his couch at some point in the coming months…

My extraversion already revved, I made an Austrian friend while relishing in a city walking tour, taking in the old bridges, the cathedrals, cobblestone streets; it was cool to see all the old Bohemian/Hapsburg history. I had to depart a bit early however, due to SK Slavia game time.

One of the keystone activities of my Prague visit was facilitated by my Seattle buddy Lee, who upon learning a few days earlier I was going to Prague connected me with Ondrej, who had been a foreign exchange student with Lee’s family. Ondrej was a Prague local and after a WhatsApp intro, he immediately invited me to join for the Saturday SK Slavia soccer match day experience.

Me, Ondrej (center) and Petr amidst the SK Slavia stampede

First up was a fan march to the stadium - when I got off the tram, there was already a sea of red swarming a local park. I found Ondrej and his friend Petr, and they gave me the run down - SK Slavia is #1 in the league, has the best fans in Czech Republic, they were primed to overload this away game at Dukla. Both Ondrej and Petr spoke super good English, and it turned out that Petr had lived for a year in Ireland, studying in Cork (an awesome city down south). I was very thankful for their translations and interpretations, because I know 3 words in Czech (Dobry Den, pivo!), and otherwise there was a lot happening.

Soon enough, we joined in with the thousands of other fans and marched the streets of Prague, led by die-hard fan section leaders. Red and white flags waved and Czech chants reverberated all around me. There was a fun section where we all crouched down and slowly amplified our cheers, till we were yelling full-throated “Slavia! Slavia! Slavia!”. Of course, there were some during-march pilsners included. When I first arrived, Ondrej warned me that the game was sold out, so it would be tricky to get me in. Our plan was to see about scalping or other alternatives. By the time we reached the stadium, I was FIRED UP, and ready to get into this match by any means necessary.

That’s when Ondrej executed what will live on as a historic Trojan Horse maneuver - maybe a Dukla Donkey, you might say? As Petr and I waited, Ondrej crowded by the fan leaders (whom they call “choreographers”. Very different choreography than what Symone produces). Apparently the choreo leads asked for help bringing supplies in, and Ondrej immediately raised his hand. They put him to work and as he carried banners/flags into the stadium, no gate official checked his ticket. From inside, he sent an all-clear, and joyously Petr and I waded through the entry lines, used the original tickets Petr/Ondrej had purchased, and after a while I was successfully into the sold-out match, enjoying a Wurst and pilsners alongside my local guides, shouting for Slavian success!

The game ended in a draw, but it wasn’t about the scoreline. The fan section was its own full time experience, complete with songs, actions, red flares of smoke, and arm-in-arm camaraderie. I could tell for Ondrej and Petr, this was their community, and as sports fandom often has the power to provide, they felt strong belonging. We left the match and popped over to their favorite post-game pub, where as aforementioned, Dheeraj met us, and capped the night with me hearing Petr/Ondrej’s takes on Prague and the current state of the US (hint - they weren’t big fans).

As the night wound down, Ondrej spoke reflectively about his choice of raising his family in Prague, and not wanting to move. Simply - “Prague is good enough for me, and I am good enough for Prague,” and I could see from his expression the unwavering fullness of truth with which he said it.

I left the next morning so thankful for my new friends and the whirlwind Prague experience I’d enjoyed. Prague was more than good enough for me.

Vienna

My next destination was Vienna (“Wien”, to the German speakers of the world that I aspire to be). One unexpected aspect of my Dublin Google team is that I work with a lot of Austrians! Dominik, Basti, Sarah (and their broader Austrian friend crew) are some of my favorite people, so I was thrilled to see their capital city.

The sun shone brightly on my afternoon arrival at the Wien Bahnhof, perfect conditions to walk the city. Vienna is a city of grand appearances - the Belvedere, the Ringstraße, the Opera house that Mozart built (no one calls it that, I’m sure he had no role in the actual building process). However, my favorite part of my explorations was finding a vibey promenade on the East side of the city, das Hundertwasser. I jammed to the new Bon Iver album whilst considering Vienna’s splendor.

If my Prague time was defined by new friends, my Vienna trip was based around recs/a meetup with trusted Austrian locals. Dominik had recommended a “spring fest” that was in the City Centre, and I capped my walking gambit with some Styrian wine coupled with traditional Austrian Volkmusic. I missed a prime opportunity to rock some Lederhosen, and I was envious! Dominik and his partner Suzy met up with me for a delicious Schnitzel und bier dinner later that night. It was nice to have familiar faces, and there’s something special about seeing my Dublin friends in their home spots - I could palpably see a more relaxed nature to Dominik, and seeing him and Suzy joke in Austrian-dialectic German with the waiter was a treat in itself (even if I had no idea what was going on).

Other Viennese highlights included trying Kaiserschmarrn, a decadent traditional delight, and making it out to a show Monday night (the Opera was sold out so I opted to see “2:22, a Ghost Story” at the Vienna English Theatre - it was gripping!). I also enjoyed my “couch surfing” experience, which was the first time I was trying it - I stayed in the unoccupied bedroom of Tongyi, a quirky/kind costume designer for Austrian/German movies. We only saw each other late at night but I really admired her spirit of wanting to host travelers and learn about their experiences. She had a fun quip too - when I was marveling at the bedroom I was sleeping in, with its high ceilings, regal design, and gorgeous windows looking out at the park, she said dryly, “yes Ben, that’s a European apartment for you”. A little different from my Dublin flat but I’ll take your word for it, Tongyi!

Zürich

I left Vienna extremely early Tuesday morning to catch my flight to Zürich. Those following along at home might be saying, “Zürich, again?” Yes, this was my 3rd time going in 3 months for a Google-related meeting/event. And guess what?? I will never, ever be mad about going to Zürich!

At this point, it’s fun to have my mainstays there. I like my Hotel Stoller on the Badenerstraße, where Jimi Hendrix stayed. I have my special Kebab place, Mit und Ohne, where Jimi ate chicken schwarma (I’m kidding, those timelines don’t work out, but it is a FIRE kebab). Running in Zürich is such a joy, too; the weather was beautiful and I ran by the lakeside promenade and past parks & plazas full of people out on a blanket, or with a bier in their hand, taking full advantage of their “third places”

This Zürich trip was centered around my Google team’s offsite, and we did the most unique team-building I’ve ever experienced before - a survival skills workshop. Our 9 person team headed to the Uetliberg woods, where Christof, a Swiss survival skills teacher who has spent up to 8 months at a time living in the Alpine wilderness, taught us the basics of gathering food, finding a water source, and starting a fire. We picked wild garlic and herbs off of trees, and cooked our own lunch on a steel stove over a makeshift fire. It was surreal, and really restorative to be offline; one takeaway though is that I suck at making a fire and things would be pretty dire if I’m ever forced to survive off the land. I really should have paid more attention in Cub Scouts!

When the Swiss trip was over and I was finally heading back to Dublin, I was admittedly relieved. The whole travel stretch was awesome, but the pace was torrid, and candidly returning to a primarily English-speaking country where I didn’t have to struggle through mein German put me at ease. Because I like to rank things, my very-biased, non-scientific city rankings are below:

My Overall Rankings Across the 4 places (/10):

1. Berlin - 9.5 - so ready for next time, so much more to explore

2. Prague - 8.9 - can’t wait to see my buddies there plus I’m ready for an SK Slavia Champions League run next year!

3. Zürich - 8.6 - besides tacos and a beer costing me nearly $50 (it is so expensive in Switzerland), Zürich has become a spot with a personal touch and has elements of Seattle (snow-capped mountains on the horizon above a gorgeous lake, amazing outdoors nearby)

4. Vienna - 8.4 - lovely architecture, very cool café culture, Kaiserschmarrn is hard to beat; however it’s almost too grand, too pompous. I liked the punk spirit of Berlin + Prague a bit more

If you are still reading, bless you, other notables:

• The workplace Bakeoff I helped facilitate raised €3500, and my nutball cookies were a success (no food poisoning, no kitchen fires, and people ate all of them!)

• I officially started my A1.2 level German class at the Goethe Institute here in Dublin. 3 hours of German every Thursday, and homework!

• Another weekend, another run club: I tried Mild Activity and got on super well with JP and some other folks there, very excited to get deeper in that mix

• I am officially a resident of Ireland! After a very formal immigration appointment (the day I got in from Zürich), I received my Irish Resident Permit (IRP) card in the mail. No, it does not mean I’m a citizen (that takes 5 years), but it lets me stay at least until next year before having to renew

Happy Easter, thanks for any (maybe all) parts that you read of this mammoth recap, sending love & light from Dublin,

Ben