Brian here, trying to catch us up on the blog which is officially a year behind! We've been busy though. International move, new jobs, new house, new baby. Just a few things on our plate. If we didn't have Sydney and didn't move back to California, we absolutely would have taken another trip to Berlin.
Berlin is one of those cites that we visited with no preconception of what to expect. We knew there was a lot of history but that's about it. What we didn't know was how at home we would feel.
We rented a hip apartment in a trendy East Berlin neighborhood called Prenzlauer Berg. We immediately fell in love with the area. The tree lined streets, the weekend open air market, that park with kids playing and parents sitting outside in front of cafes having beer and an afternoon coffee. Instantly we could picture ourselves living here. Drawing parallels to San Francisco and again realizing how cities around the world enable their residents to live a more balanced life.
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| Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood |
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| Just outside our apartment |
We expected to spend the week drinking beer and eating sausages, but were pleasantly surprised to see a massive Vietnamese population in Berlin; a remnant of communism and another example of how history shapes even the most seemingly mundane aspects of a community. Being starved for good Vietnamese food in Dublin we had no less than 3 Vietnamese meals in the 3 days. The first of which still evokes memories of the best Bun bowl we've ever had.
After getting settled in and fed we dove head first into the history of Berlin. I have always been fascinated by European history and Berlin has so much recent history, of course much of it very dark, packed into a small area. We spent half a day on a Berlin walking tour that took us through the major sites.
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| Berlin Cathedral & the Radio tower in the back |
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| There was SO much construction - see all the cranes |
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| Brandenburg Gate |
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| Holocaust Memorial |
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| Checkpoint Charlie |
We're typically not ones for walking tours, preferring to explore destinations on our own. A guide is essential in Berlin though, there is just so much to see yet much of the history is hidden to the naked eye. Woven into the modern day, bustling city and unknown to the uneducated weekend visitors such as us.
Ghost stations under the sidewalk,
Hitler's Bunker under a parking lot next to an apartment building, and amazing stories of tragedy and triumph trying to
escape over parts of the wall long lost.
Exploring on our own we managed a stop at the
Berlin Jewish Museum, an impressive tour through ancient and modern Judaism with a powerful installment on Berliners killed in the Holocaust. We also went to the
New Synagogue, badly damaged during Kristallnacht and the war, but still surviving in all it's Moorish splendor.
After a fascinating and at times somber tour of the sites we were left with the rest of the weekend to relax and explore the modern side of Berlin. This of course consisted of our standard weekend trip itinerary, leisurely strolls though the streets, popping into shops and cafes. Sipping beer at happy hour and watching the city go by. Seeking out farmers markets, design shops, and craft beer halls. Dining on everything we couldn't get in Dublin ranging from sauerkraut and sausages to pho and falafel.
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| Dinner in our neighborhood |
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| Beer and sausage - yep, this is Germany |
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| One of the beer gardens we went to |
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| Inside the beer garden |
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| I love the train in the background of this photo |
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| Artsy Berlin |
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| One of the Vietnamese restaurants we ate at |
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| We were so happy for a bowl of Pho |
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| local beer |
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| Pretzel sando - this is a dream come true for Michelle! |
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| I thought these street vendors were awesome. They sell Currywurst - which is Berlin Hotdog |
We rented bikes one day and cruised all over the city. Naturally, we started at a beer garden for lunch, then swung by the
East Side Gallery on the Berlin Wall, and finished the day at Mauerpark for the flea market, food carts, and the most amazing open mic karaoke I have ever seen.
Since 2009 people of all walks of life have gathered on
Sunday for karaoke. Even on a grey and drizzly day the hill was packed with locals and visitors alike, cheering each other along and singing with abandon.
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| lunch |
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| The outdoor beer gardens are really nice |
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| I love that all the tables are communal |
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| Quick stop for a photo opt |
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| The Berlin Wall |
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| We rode by this art installment of the Berlin Wall as well |
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| This is the Karaoke in the park |
Sitting on the hill watching karaoke, an elderly German man took his turn and belted out "What a Wonderful World" in German, a cappella of course. The crowd joined in and a couple thousand folks were suddenly in harmony. I reflected how a city with such a troubled past,
occupied and divided is now one of the most progressive in the world.
Berlin is accepting and open, modern and hip, but conscious of its past
with a keen eye on the future. It's rare that we visit a city and say "we could live here" but Berlin is one of those few locations. Outwardly friendly but still with an edge, full of growing families, diverse and smiling faces, delicious food, beautiful sites, and bright prospects. Buy your real estate now, it's only going up from here!
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| Michelle couldn't leave berlin without a waffle - it just looked too good |
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