Catherine says: I like Berlin. We stayed in a large (former) East Berlin apartment block at Strasbergerplatz. Large functional blocks line many streets in this part of the city and, according to the apartment owner, prior to German unification our block housed members of the STASI on account of the fact that it provided larger and more luxurious accommodation than that of most (an equal) East Berliners. I don’t know if his story was true - he may have decided to add a bit of spice to his sales pitch – or maybe we looked like former members of the Politburo. Jason’s holiday “Lenin-look” beard and the Kalashnikov poking out of my rucksack may have created this impression. However our newly decorated apartment showed signs of another great attempt at creating an egalitarian and classless society – IKEA. What better way to control…er…I mean, empower the proletariat than arm them all with their own, identical flat pack furniture? Personally speaking, interrogation by the STASI seems a whole lot more attractive than an afternoon in IKEA.
It’s twenty years since the wall came down and there was a day of celebration in Berlin on Saturday. We headed to the Brandenburg Gate and joined in the party by watching the German version of the X factor final on a large screen followed by a local band perform. I can see why German pop music never really caught on….but it was fun and given that there were so many people out and all dedicated to drinking as much beer as possible, it was a great atmosphere and felt like a real celebration.
4 October
On Sunday we headed to experience the centrepiece of Teutonic culture - Oktoberfest. Berlin's version was on a significantly lesser scale than that of Munich. Having walked for an hour through some of the less salubrious parts of the city and then along the more scenic riverside to get there, we were brimming with anticipation as we approached the welcome sign and police cordon. Having got the body and bag search over with we headed for beer tent. Perhaps because it was Sunday afternoon or because Berlin doesn't even try to compete with Munich, but frankly it was disappointing especially as Jason had gone to the trouble of dusting of his lederhosen and I was wearing my finest dirndl. We arrived as the 'entertainment' was starting. I don't know about you dear reader, but ladies dressed as nuns, lip synching to bad pop music and then stripping down to their knickers and vests doesn't really do it for me. The waitresses did not live up to the depiction on the posters where they were young, lovely and smiling. Mostly they were grumpy middled aged women (and so was I by that time) wearing comfortable fleeces over washed out dirndls and comfy trainers over their bunions didn't add to the party atmosphere. However after a few pints of something local we cheered up and left.
Sunday evening
Possibly the highlight of Berlin for me was the visit to Berlin's parliamentary quarter - the Bundestag. The Reichstag Building with its 19th century exterior conceals a modern masterpiece topped by a magnificent glass cupola designed by Norman Foster. The design of the cupola along with the liberal use of glass partitions throughout the building allows you to see directly into the plenary chamber - the centre of government business - and deliberately is aimed to create a sense of transparency - 'shedding light' on government proceedings. The other buildings are equally inspiring, especially the Marie-Elisabeth Luders building, which is the work of Stephan Braunfels and sits the other side of the river Spree.
5 October
We went to the site of Checkpoint Charlie. This is an odd place, not least for its history but also because of the way it's presented as a tourist attraction. It all seems quite lighthearted and you can get your photo taken with an actor dressed as a border policeman. When you think of the people who died trying to cross the border and the families and friends split apart because of the wall, it doesn't feel quite right. Remembering the period of the Cold War and the fear of communism that gripped the west, it made me wonder of in twenty years time we'd be having photos taken with Osama Bin Laden lookalikes at an all inclusive resort in Afghanistan.
Jason says: Catherine captured our time in Berlin well. Here's what stood out for me...
- Attending the 20 year anniversary unification concert near the Brandenburg Gate. We were in the city that epitomized The Cold War and the divide between philosophies like democracy, communism, capitalism and socialism. The concert dragged due to less than stellar German entertainers but the moment was special
- Staying in a former East Berlin apartment near Karl Marx Allee
- Touring the spectacular Reichstag building (German parliament) at night
- Drinking in bars along Oranienburger Strasse. For some reason those places seemed a bit grittier and more real than other bars around town. A healthy dose of locals and prostitutes added to the atmosphere of the area
- Doing touristy stuff like going to Checkpoint Charlie, the (disappointing) Jewish Museum, the (especially disappointing) Berlin Oktoberfest, wandering around Museum Island and the Sony Center in Potsdamer Platz and touching remains of the Berlin Wall
- Having a great meal at the wonderful Gugelhof restaurant on our last night
No comments:
Post a Comment