Berlin : The Good, the Bad and the Wurst
After a flight of just and hour and a half, we landed at Tegel Airport, just north-west of Berlin. The world famous German precision was immediately noticeable, as we experienced our easiest airport arrival ever. Passport control was at the top of the ramp, another 10 steps and we had our bags, and 10 more and we were outside at the bus stop. A nice change, considering the great trek that's involved with landing at Heathrow or Gatwick.
Winters Hotel is situated in East Berlin, not far from Checkpoint Charlie. Our room was modern and functional, and would rank high up on the list of the quietest places I've ever been to. We heard no car, plane, footstep, or even squeak, and it felt like we were out in the middle of nowhere, let alone in the bustling German capital city.
Since the fall of the wall in 1989, the city has experienced a remarkable regeneration and is now the home of young artists, musicians, and generally people looking to have a good time. The average age in the city is 29, and the locals are as varied as the multitude of museums, with everything from the Museum of Homosexuality, to one purely on JFK. There is an extraordinary clash of old and new, and I don't think I've ever come across the sort of innovation of architecture and design that is commonplace. The negative spin on this regeneration is that Berlin is officially bankrupt, owing in the region of 60 Billion Euro's. Those in charge seem to be more concerned about the look of the city than it's welfare, with recent cuts to healthcare and education. The people seem pretty positive, but I just hope that the mayor, Klaus Wowereit, who recently said that 'Berlin is sexy but poor', manages to save a somewhat sinking ship.
A while ago, while visiting Porto, I set myself the task of tasting 3 of the local specialities. Berlin was a bit easier. I decided to concentrate on the currywurst and the beer. The weather over the weekend was perfect, with blue skies and mild conditions. We made the most of this, and explored with vigour. This was made easier by the incredibly efficient and extensive public transport network. I think the Berliners take this system for granted, and have forgotten how to use their own built in transport systems. They seriously have got no idea how to walk in crowds. There is a fine of 10 Euro's for crossing a road in Berlin when the red man is showing and I think they should rather use these resources to fine people for walking like idiots. We nevertheless managed to negotiate our way around town, taking in the most famous tourist attractions like the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and the Berliner Dom (cathedral). Our last stop for the day was the TV Tower, which is the 2nd highest tower in Europe, boasting the fastest lift in the world. We arrived at the top just before sunset, giving us the opportunity of having an aerial view of the city by day and night, and we relaxed with a quiet Berliner Kindl (pilsener) at the bar.
By now I was a bit peckish, and we made our way back to the hotel, past the Brandenburg Gate (which is a must see at night) and past 2 currywurst pit-stops (this I will discuss in a bit more detail later on). The unbelievable peace and quiet of our hotel room was calling, and after a power-shower we were fast asleep.
Our plan on sunday was to learn a bit more history, so we joined an organised walking tour. Even though we'd already spent a day exploring, the tour took us to spots we hadn't come across, and it was hugely informative. We visited the Holocaust Memorial, situated between East and West Berlin, and explored it's truly unique layout. It is an ordered collection of 2711 concrete plinths, of different heights, covering an area of 19,000 sq/m. The combined surface of the plinths has gentle undulations, and these hide the depth of the ground in the centre of area. Peter Eisenman, the architect who designed the memorial, originally designed the layout with the intention that visitors would write graffiti like messages on the plinths. This was rejected by the powers that be, and the blocks were covered with an anti-graffiti paint. This paint was bizarrely supplied by a company that has links to the Nazi regime. A memorial to one of the most terrible crimes in history, the attempt to completely wipe out a people, is not an easy thing to achieve. It may be abstract and controversial, but my view is that it achieves it's goal of forcing the visitor to feel something about the Holocaust. As Jackie and I strolled between the columns, we became seperated, and this feeling of disorientation was my take on the memorial.
We continued our tour, and passed a famous car park which apparently was the site of Hitler's bunker. This was the scene of Hitler's death, which makes for an interesting story. He firstly tested the efficiency of the cyanide on his dog. He and his wife, Eva Braun, then took some, and just for good measure he also shot himself in the head. He had ordered his guard's to burn their bodies, but they were not completely destroyed, and Hitler was later identified through his dental records. There is a rumour that Hitler's skull is being used as an ashtray somewhere in the Kremlin.
We also passed the ex-Luftwaffe headquarters (which is now the Tax Office), and one of the sites of the book burnings that saw 20,000 non-germanic books being burnt by students. In the 6th picture above, if you look closely you can see bullet holes and shrapnel on the pillars. There is a huge debate at the moment whether these pillars should be patched up, or if the remnants of war should remain. The walk ended just after 2, and we found a restaurant and settled in for some lunch. I ordered the Eisbein, and what arrived a while later was something special. The combination of rich, tender, slow-roasted pork with the sauerkraut, the hot mustard, and the dark beer is certainly a match made in heaven. Jackie enjoyed her lunch, and washed it down with the local beer called Berliner Weisse. It is pretty sour and acidic, so the done thing is to add some raspberry syrup.
Winters Hotel is situated in East Berlin, not far from Checkpoint Charlie. Our room was modern and functional, and would rank high up on the list of the quietest places I've ever been to. We heard no car, plane, footstep, or even squeak, and it felt like we were out in the middle of nowhere, let alone in the bustling German capital city.
Since the fall of the wall in 1989, the city has experienced a remarkable regeneration and is now the home of young artists, musicians, and generally people looking to have a good time. The average age in the city is 29, and the locals are as varied as the multitude of museums, with everything from the Museum of Homosexuality, to one purely on JFK. There is an extraordinary clash of old and new, and I don't think I've ever come across the sort of innovation of architecture and design that is commonplace. The negative spin on this regeneration is that Berlin is officially bankrupt, owing in the region of 60 Billion Euro's. Those in charge seem to be more concerned about the look of the city than it's welfare, with recent cuts to healthcare and education. The people seem pretty positive, but I just hope that the mayor, Klaus Wowereit, who recently said that 'Berlin is sexy but poor', manages to save a somewhat sinking ship.
A while ago, while visiting Porto, I set myself the task of tasting 3 of the local specialities. Berlin was a bit easier. I decided to concentrate on the currywurst and the beer. The weather over the weekend was perfect, with blue skies and mild conditions. We made the most of this, and explored with vigour. This was made easier by the incredibly efficient and extensive public transport network. I think the Berliners take this system for granted, and have forgotten how to use their own built in transport systems. They seriously have got no idea how to walk in crowds. There is a fine of 10 Euro's for crossing a road in Berlin when the red man is showing and I think they should rather use these resources to fine people for walking like idiots. We nevertheless managed to negotiate our way around town, taking in the most famous tourist attractions like the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag and the Berliner Dom (cathedral). Our last stop for the day was the TV Tower, which is the 2nd highest tower in Europe, boasting the fastest lift in the world. We arrived at the top just before sunset, giving us the opportunity of having an aerial view of the city by day and night, and we relaxed with a quiet Berliner Kindl (pilsener) at the bar.
By now I was a bit peckish, and we made our way back to the hotel, past the Brandenburg Gate (which is a must see at night) and past 2 currywurst pit-stops (this I will discuss in a bit more detail later on). The unbelievable peace and quiet of our hotel room was calling, and after a power-shower we were fast asleep.
Our plan on sunday was to learn a bit more history, so we joined an organised walking tour. Even though we'd already spent a day exploring, the tour took us to spots we hadn't come across, and it was hugely informative. We visited the Holocaust Memorial, situated between East and West Berlin, and explored it's truly unique layout. It is an ordered collection of 2711 concrete plinths, of different heights, covering an area of 19,000 sq/m. The combined surface of the plinths has gentle undulations, and these hide the depth of the ground in the centre of area. Peter Eisenman, the architect who designed the memorial, originally designed the layout with the intention that visitors would write graffiti like messages on the plinths. This was rejected by the powers that be, and the blocks were covered with an anti-graffiti paint. This paint was bizarrely supplied by a company that has links to the Nazi regime. A memorial to one of the most terrible crimes in history, the attempt to completely wipe out a people, is not an easy thing to achieve. It may be abstract and controversial, but my view is that it achieves it's goal of forcing the visitor to feel something about the Holocaust. As Jackie and I strolled between the columns, we became seperated, and this feeling of disorientation was my take on the memorial.
We continued our tour, and passed a famous car park which apparently was the site of Hitler's bunker. This was the scene of Hitler's death, which makes for an interesting story. He firstly tested the efficiency of the cyanide on his dog. He and his wife, Eva Braun, then took some, and just for good measure he also shot himself in the head. He had ordered his guard's to burn their bodies, but they were not completely destroyed, and Hitler was later identified through his dental records. There is a rumour that Hitler's skull is being used as an ashtray somewhere in the Kremlin.
We also passed the ex-Luftwaffe headquarters (which is now the Tax Office), and one of the sites of the book burnings that saw 20,000 non-germanic books being burnt by students. In the 6th picture above, if you look closely you can see bullet holes and shrapnel on the pillars. There is a huge debate at the moment whether these pillars should be patched up, or if the remnants of war should remain. The walk ended just after 2, and we found a restaurant and settled in for some lunch. I ordered the Eisbein, and what arrived a while later was something special. The combination of rich, tender, slow-roasted pork with the sauerkraut, the hot mustard, and the dark beer is certainly a match made in heaven. Jackie enjoyed her lunch, and washed it down with the local beer called Berliner Weisse. It is pretty sour and acidic, so the done thing is to add some raspberry syrup.
My search for the perfect Currywurst ended at Curry 36, just before bedtime on saturday evening. A roadside spot, swarming with locals, and off the tourist trail , it served up my favourite sausage experience (JW here: we had to travel by tube to get to this far flung take away shop). A couple of places add a curry paste, but this place chucks on some curry powder, and the rest is history.
We both thoroughly enjoyed our time in Berlin, a place that has been through so much, and not so long ago. It is still bruised, but is rapidly healing and evolving into one of the trendiest and most dynamic cities in Europe.
posted by Brad at 10:37
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