Welcome to Berlin – the land of beer, bratwurst and bizarreness

By Anna Taylor

Flying in from party town Mykonos, there was little chance that I wasn’t going to be sick in Berlin, but just how sick was unexpected. On my first morning in East Berlin, I woke up feeling like an A380 airbus had crash landed on my head. My girlfriend helped me get dressed and slung me over her shoulder to go off in search of a doctor. Arriving at the surgery, we discussed the real issue at hand; we had flights to Munich for Oktoberfest in five days’ time.

The verdict: I had a bad case of tonsillitis. So what were our real options for lederhosen in a week? After being handed a ten-day antibiotic prescription, I sheepishly asked if I would be well enough to drink at Oktoberfest. The doctor replied, “Yes that’s fine. Just limit yourself to no more than three steins.”

Three steins. For those of you who don’t know the volume, that is three litres. Welcome to Berlin.

After five days of barely moving from bed (despite the doctor’s recommendation to drink half my body weight in beer) we decided Oktoberfest wasn’t such a good idea. Cancelling flights and moving hotels, we were keen to start experiencing Berlin so we ventured out for dinner.

We arrive at a really cute traditional style restaurant filled with an amazing home cooking aroma. The menu is completely in German so we do our best to order, managing to get the delicious pork belly and of course, a stein of beer each. One thing on the menu that confuses me is ‘Kartenspeilen’. From my half-arsed recollection of Year 9 German, I think it has something to do with the word ‘play’. Whatever it is, it sounds interesting so we order it and ask for some water.

The waitress brings more beer (apparently ‘water’ here) and a pack of cards. We glance around at the other tables in the restaurant and realise that this is completely normal. Although everyone else was probably playing something a little more sophisticated than our championship rounds of snap, playing cards really does complement a meal. We even got a scorecard and one of those little pencils.

The next day we were back into tourist mode. On a bike tour around the city we were sit-up-the-front-of-the-classroom keen to learn about Berlin’s tragic, interesting history. We saw the Berlin wall that once divided East and West Berlin, and stood above Hitler’s bunker where he not only married his wife, but where they both took their lives. The image that has stuck with me is the monument to all the lives lost. It was a field of these huge concrete blocks, each 10,000 Euros in value. As Berlin is known for its amazing graffiti art, they had to spray a protective coating over each of the blocks to ensure they couldn’t be defaced. According to our tour guide, post graffiti-proofing the field of monuments, they discovered that the company they used was actually the same company that supplied the gas to the Nazis, which took the lives of millions of Jews. Disgustingly ironic.

Despite the extremely depressing history, Berlin is an amazing city.  Whether you are interested in learning more about the city’s past or going to a café where you literally feel you are in a moving artwork, it’s a must on the travel list.

Exploring Berlin

By Thea Easterby

Normally I prefer to explore a new city on foot, however due to the sheer size of Berlin, I purchased a day ticket for one of the hop on/hop off bus services.  This tour allows you to explore what once was the East and West sides of the city.

With so many options to leave the bus and explore, I found the major stops below hard to resist:

• The Checkpoint Charlie Museum, at the former crossing between the American and Russian borders is worth visiting.  The museum showcases the various ways people tried to cross the Berlin Wall from East to West Germany and the dangers they faced.

• Close to the museum along Friedrichstrasse and Zimmerstrasse is an outdoor photo gallery. The displays provide pictures and stories from during the Cold War, ranging from the stand off in 1961 between Soviet and American tanks, to the constant changes made to the checkpoint itself, to what was referred to as the ghost stations in the train network.  The museum and the gallery offer a valuable insight into what it might have been like living in a divided city. Seeing photos of Potsdamer Platz after World War II and during the time of the Berlin Wall and viewing the area now reveals an amazing transformation.  After the fall of the wall, the approximately 60 hectare property was one of Europe’s largest construction sites.  Potsdamer Platz is now a combination of commercial buildings, apartments, The Sony Centre, cinemas, shopping complexes, and much more.  The spectacular glass and steel roof of The Sony Centre, designed by Helmut Jahn, can be seen from various points in the city.  Though it’s hard to imagine, during the Cold War this area was a barren wasteland, largely a no go zone between the East and West.

• No visit to Berlin would be complete without gazing up at the iconic Brandenburg Gate.  From the Gate, take a stroll down the lovely boulevard of Unter den Linden.   If you think Berlin is all about history – think again. While in the past the city has been a cornerstone of European history, it is now a thriving modern metropolis with much on offer.

I can always tell if I resonate with the personality of a city.  Midway through my visit, I found myself checking visa requirements and investigating short term rental accommodation, with the goal of returning for a longer stay.  Berlin is definitely one of those cities and I can’t wait to go back.

Check out Thea’s new blog here: www.writechangegrow.com

Berlin Zoo

By Thea Easterby

It was definitely love at first sight.  The moment I walked into the Berlin Zoo and laid eyes on my first giant panda, I was in love.

Luckily my timing was perfect.  For Bao Bao, it was feeding time.  After snacking on an apple, it was onto the main course – a pile of tasty bamboo.  For me watching this beautiful creature was pure joy.  Sitting on his butt, Bao Bao used his ample belly as a table of sorts, picking up dropped pieces of bamboo from his stomach as he enjoyed his meal.  If you get the opportunity to watch a panda eating up close, pay particular attention to his ears.  They take on a life of their own, pulling towards each other across the panda’s head as he chews.

One of the zoo’s main attractions is Knut, a three year old polar bear who was born and raised at the zoo.  Though Knut is no longer a fluffy white cub he is still quite the celebrity.  In his enclosure, Knut stands up to scratch his back against a tree and cameras click wildly; you can hear an audible ‘awh’ from the crowd.

For me another highlight occurred at the gorilla enclosure.  Seeing a young girl’s face light up, I followed her gaze to see what had caught her attention.  A regal-looking male silverback was climbing out of the moat encircling his enclosure.

When they fed the lions, they bought them inside (I assumed to keep the male separate from the lion cubs during feeding).  The inside cages allowed us to get an incredibly close view of the animals.  From behind the safety rail, it felt like if you had really long arms (and you were really stupid) you could lean across and touch the lions.

The zoo is spread over 35 hectares of land so be prepared to do some walking.  Grab a map and a list of feeding times when the animals are most active and plan your adventure.

As for Bao Bao, eventually after four trips back to his enclosure, I managed to say goodbye and drag myself out of the zoo.

For further information about the Berlin Zoo, please visit http://www.zoo-berlin.de/en.html

One of my friends, photographer Enzo Amato was there the night the wall came down.

Here is his story;

‘One night, while wandering around the eastern part of Berlin, I witnessed that very moment that would change our world forever. I never expected it, but would often think about it with anticipation when I used to cycle up and down the west side of the wall.

That very night, on one of my many visits to the east, I was leaving Alexander Platz to go to Friedrichstraße to catch the train home back to west Berlin in Neukolln. That night trains were unusually crowded and there was a lot of confusion and excitement. Thankfully my German partner at the time, Rosemarie, realised what was going on and pulled me into the mass crowds of people for a long night of celebration at Check Point Charlie.

I was totally and deeply taken by this event and my deep curiosity to capture the changes that were unfolding before my eyes drove me to take my camera on trips between the east and west so I could relive these moments again and again, memories in images that will stay with me forever.’

- Enzo Amato

Please note that this story was first published in Enzo’s newsletter. Apologies to anyone who has already read it and a big thank you to Enzo for letting me share it with you.

For further information about Enzo Amato, please visit www.enzoamato.com