As anyone living in Germany knows, the Germans do love their bureaucracy. But of all the Ämter, my least favorite is, hands down, the Zollamt. This is essentially the customs office, and it’s for receiving packages sent from outside of the EU. Not only is it inconveniently located, but every visit is guaranteed to consist of a lot of waiting in a boring, lifeless room, followed by having to (most likely) pay import tax on that random item you bought online or the care package your family sent you and forgot to check “gift” on. The lucky few who make it out without having to pay still end up wasting at least a couple hours of valuable time that could be spent doing countless other not-soul-sucking things.
I ended up going a couple weeks ago, when I was sick, which only made the experience worse. But after I claimed my package, I decided to make the most of it with a walk through Schöneberg. It was a cold and gray day, but it was nice to get some fresh air and exercise, and see a part of the city I hadn’t experienced yet.
