Ahh Berlin…a city of contradictions. A city built and rebuilt and rebuilt again. A city that manages to have a buzzing hope for the future while still managing to be reverent of its complicated past. A dirty city – a beautiful city. A city full of cranes and restaurants and museums and monuments and massive garden parks. A city full of cigarette smoke that we could never seem to escape. A city once split in two - we constantly had to remind ourselves…are we in the east or the west side? If you like complexity, history, and a diversity of experiences, then Berlin is your spot!
We made our way to Berlin from Amsterdam using our 4 country Eurail pass that we were lucky enough to obtain at the rail station just prior to our train ride (we had a momentary scare when they told us the system was down). We crowded into 2nd class accommodations without a reservation and had a lovely chat with a nice Scottish guy who currently lives in Hong Kong (we later realized we did not have to cram into 2nd class and sit on the floor because, in fact, we had unwittingly bought 1st class tickets!). When we disembarked, it soon became apparent that our 1st Airbnb was located in a hip up-and-coming Mitte neighborhood. While the apartment itself was just ok, the nightlife and restaurants surrounding us were full of energy.
Some good food recommendations should you find yourself in Berlin in the near future: Hartweizen Italian (great wine, friendly service, good pasta dishes, cool artwork); Good Morning Vietnam (excellent noodle and curry dishes); Café Gorki Park (great Russian breakfast with neat architecture); Herman Belgian Bar (wide, wide selection of Belgian beers – not on tap, but still great); and, just in case you get a hankering for some food from home, the “California” burrito place Dolores. We also at Japanese, Indian food, and of course some German fare, illustrating the diversity of options, but these were nothing to write home about!
Some good food recommendations should you find yourself in Berlin in the near future: Hartweizen Italian (great wine, friendly service, good pasta dishes, cool artwork); Good Morning Vietnam (excellent noodle and curry dishes); Café Gorki Park (great Russian breakfast with neat architecture); Herman Belgian Bar (wide, wide selection of Belgian beers – not on tap, but still great); and, just in case you get a hankering for some food from home, the “California” burrito place Dolores. We also at Japanese, Indian food, and of course some German fare, illustrating the diversity of options, but these were nothing to write home about!
In the pouring rain, we embarked upon our first day of sightseeing while included a walk to the iconic Brandenburg Gate, an amazing piece of architecture which is even more fascinating when you think about the different people and armies that have marched through its arches throughout history. We then wandered around the massive and beautiful Tiergarten, stopping to observe the artistically reverent memorial honoring the Roma and Sinti peoples who were persecuted during WWII, as well as the Soviet memorial that commemorated all those soldiers who fell during the war. We had a special moment as we waited under some gigantic trees, which protected us from a rather violent rainstorm that broke out in the middle of our walk. We finally made our way to the Victory Column in the center of the park before walking along Tiergartenstrasse and marveling at the various architectural designs of multiple national embassies, as well as the memorial for those who were killed for being mentally ill during WWII. This street in particular took on special meaning as we were reading the book In the Garden of Beasts, which is a historical recounting of the year 1933 when Ambassador Dodd was representing the U.S. in Germany during the rise of Hitler’s power. It was truly humbling to read the events that transpired and then walk down the very street that the Ambassador and his family lived on during that time.
Other notable sights that we took in during this first week include the Olympic Stadium and the Pergamon Museum on Museum Island. The Olympic Stadium tour was fascinating as it charted the venue’s use first as a horse racing track, then built for the 1916 Olympics (which never happened), then greatly expanded to show the power of the 3rd Reich for the 1936 Olympics, then remodeled in the 1970s for the FIFA World Cup, and finally, completely gutted and remodeled for the 2006 World Cup. We (unfortunately!) had just missed the UEFA Champions League Final, which had been held at the Olympic Stadium the week prior, but it was cool to see the locker rooms, the press rooms, and to sit in the chairs of the elite. Also, the surrounding areas were neat with a training field, smaller stadiums and a swimming pool that has since been converted to a public swimming area (a great idea for kids for a hot summer’s day – just don’t let them climb on the pool’s stadium seats, which are not up to code since they have not been secured since the 1970s). The Pergamon Museum was great as well (make sure to get tickets online before arriving – no wait time!). While it was under construction when we visited, it had amazing large-scale architectural reconstructions of famous historical sights, including the Babylonian palace of Nebuchadnezzar and the Market Gate of Miletus (and the Pergamon altar which we didn’t get to see). While these items were stupendous, it was a little disappointing that many of the other items in the museum were in fact replicas of artifacts rather than originals. Overall, I would still recommend a visit to Museum Island because the churches and museums are stupendous in scale and grandeur, even if you do not venture inside. An interesting observation from Cameron – these buildings exemplified the scarring and pockmarks, which bear the atrocities of war in their bullet-torn facades.
Other notable sights that we took in during this first week include the Olympic Stadium and the Pergamon Museum on Museum Island. The Olympic Stadium tour was fascinating as it charted the venue’s use first as a horse racing track, then built for the 1916 Olympics (which never happened), then greatly expanded to show the power of the 3rd Reich for the 1936 Olympics, then remodeled in the 1970s for the FIFA World Cup, and finally, completely gutted and remodeled for the 2006 World Cup. We (unfortunately!) had just missed the UEFA Champions League Final, which had been held at the Olympic Stadium the week prior, but it was cool to see the locker rooms, the press rooms, and to sit in the chairs of the elite. Also, the surrounding areas were neat with a training field, smaller stadiums and a swimming pool that has since been converted to a public swimming area (a great idea for kids for a hot summer’s day – just don’t let them climb on the pool’s stadium seats, which are not up to code since they have not been secured since the 1970s). The Pergamon Museum was great as well (make sure to get tickets online before arriving – no wait time!). While it was under construction when we visited, it had amazing large-scale architectural reconstructions of famous historical sights, including the Babylonian palace of Nebuchadnezzar and the Market Gate of Miletus (and the Pergamon altar which we didn’t get to see). While these items were stupendous, it was a little disappointing that many of the other items in the museum were in fact replicas of artifacts rather than originals. Overall, I would still recommend a visit to Museum Island because the churches and museums are stupendous in scale and grandeur, even if you do not venture inside. An interesting observation from Cameron – these buildings exemplified the scarring and pockmarks, which bear the atrocities of war in their bullet-torn facades.
Finally, one of the coolest (and most relaxing) excursions was a visit to an open-air movie in Kreuzberg on the lawn of an old hospital. Thankfully, the movie was in English with German subtitles (Reese Witherspoon’s Wild – which was very good by the way), and we got to lay back in lounge chairs and drink beer! This was made possible by a friend of my sister-in-law, Annika, because she put us in touch with an old college friend named Nicole, who suggested the outing and met us there. The weather was perfect. The company was perfect. The movie was great. Too bad that the German girl directly in front of me decided to smoke her entire pack of cigarettes during the course of the movie. I left with my eyes watering and a scratchy throat, but the experience, I think, was quintessentially German!
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