Berlin

Berlin:

Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/Berlin#

After our first set of exams a group of eager adventurers decided it was worth visiting Berlin on our first free weekend. Not only was it a free weekend for us but also the Mauerfall Celebration - the 20th anniversary of the fall of the wall.

Brent, Jorsia, Hamsa, Petronela and I hired a car to be our method of transport. I hogged all the driving and enjoyed every second of pushing the hire car to its limits. I soon learnt that a) Hire cars don't like going over 170kph and b) the speed limit is not always unlimited limit (eg I might have got a speeding fine - which if I do I will hang up as a trophy to say I got a speeding fine on the Autobahn...high novelty factor!)

We stopped via Nurnberg on the way. It is a very beautiful city particularly around the Alt-Stadt. We walked up to the castle and also around the Marktplatz. We had lunch before hitting the road again.

It was good thinking time on the open road. Brent kept me company as we chewed up the bitumen while the girls slept three across the backseat for most of the way...

I had heard that U2 were playing at the Brandenburg Gates as part of an MTV event on the Thursday evening we were to arrive in Berlin. Unfortunately we were unable to get tickets. As we rolled into Berlin we heard on the radio that U2 had been delayed and as such we headed as close as we could to the gates to see what we could see. We parked the car just as the first song started and while listening to the following three songs tried to get as close as possible to the stage. The concert ended just as we arrived at a vantage point of the backstage area. Our closest brush with fame was to peer over the fence to Bono and the boys get into their black combi vans and speed off into the night.

I stayed with Chrissi at her apartment while the others stayed at a very cheap and good hostel in Moabit.

What is immediately striking about Berlin is the open space. There is no feeling of being in a big city at all. When standing at the Reichstag (the parliament) you can see buildings in the distance that don't at all look big. In fact the buildings are huge but the open space dissipates any claustrophobic feelings.

We spend most of Friday walking around the city and seeing all the touristy sights. We were lucky to have spectacular weather (allbeit cold when out of the sun). The official figure was that 200,000 extra tourists were in Berlin for the weekend.

Touristy things we saw
- Berlin Dom
- DDR Museum
- Alexanderplatz - outdoor exhibition
- Rotes Rathouse (Town hall)
- Breakfast east side
- Oranienburger Str
- Hackische Markt
- Flea Markt (girls singing, lots of english speakers)
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Standing sections of the wall

We didn't get super touristy but got aimed to get a feel of the city and the people. Most impressionable is Berlin's recent history. It's hard to comprehend what has happened in the city even over my lifetime. When the wall stood, there was huge division in Germany and Europe. This had all sorts of effects on the people. Leading up to the opening of the wall people were restless and in the end it was this people pressure that allowed for the wall to be opened. Some still argue that it should never have happened. It's pretty mind blowing.

Still it is noticeable which sections of the city are east and which west. We spent some time trying to get out of the city centre and experience the suburbs. This was quite rewarding, not in a touristy way, but just to see the rough, grubby, in-you-face side of Berlin; the features that make it such an amazing city. We stumbled across an artist colony who's back yard was full of metal sculptures. It was dark and industrial but yet somehow very creative and inspiring. Only 50m was a modern office building. This contrast is Berlin.

On Friday evening we hit the town and had a night out in the Hackische Markt area. It was a fun night that ended rather late but that is what Berlin is all about!

Saturday included many of the same activities - seeing different areas. Breakfast was deep in the eastern suburbs, while lunch back in the west!

Gabor (Chrissi's boyfriend) was also in Berlin for the weekend and it was great to catch up with them both. Moabit has a really nice feel about it. Nice tree lined streets with small shops and cafe's. Really comfortable.

After a long touristy day on Saturday we planned to head to a restaurant / wine-bar called Weinerei. I had heard about it via the New York Times - 36 hours in Berlin article. What attracted me is the theme of the bar. It operates on an honesty system whereby you pay however much you feel the drinks and food is worth. They have been running since 2003, before you ask if it is a viable business model! In fact they worked out that people on average pay more than their share. There were 6 reds to try and drink as well as 4 white wines from all over Europe. They simply put food out on a side-board with a help yourself type system. The food was wholesome and well made. Not over the top but simple appropriate food. The night was going along really well until Hamsa had her bag stolen. This obviously changed the dynamics of the evening sadly. (Luckily the story ended reasonably well in that she got her bag and most of the belongings back the next day.)

Sunday, after some time with Chrissi and Gabor it was time to head back to Mannheim for class. We dropped into the big flea markets but didn't find anything exciting purchases. Although it was a great visit. One notable part was two girls singing and playing guitar to attract people to their mini-garage-sale and also homemade cake and tea. A great way to spend your Sunday morning!

We dropped into Leipzig for dinner but really spent most of the day in the car trying to get home. It was a long drive but well worth while. I really hope I can get to Berlin for an extended period of time sometime soon!

http://picasaweb.google.com/ajoest/Berlin#