Ich liebe Berlin

---

Hi everyone,

how's things? hope things are fine and/or dandy.

I guess it's time for another entry because I need to tap it all out before I forget. I don't actually take notes (what kind of writer am I really??), so I need to tell you now before fatigue and/or inebriation wipes it clean from my memory.

After Hamburg, I've travelled 3 hours south to Berlin.
I'll be honest right here and now. I dig Berlin. Berlin is sehr schön, Ich liebe Berlin.

Through all my travels to date, I have not come across a city that has really grabbed me the way Berlin has. I admire its history, its lack of pretention and I love the liberal ways of Berliners. That, and they have a great music scene 😊

Where to begin, where to begin??
I guess first and foremost, it's recent history is what sets it apart. The story and history of the Berlin wall and the people's resolve to have it removed is deeply inspiring. The things people were willing to do to get across it, the propoganda of both east and west, it's an amazing story. And the speed at which they have reintegrated the eastern side of the city is phenomenal. The hostel I was staying at happened to be just on the east side of the wall off Friedrichstraße, and the entire area has sprung up in the last 15 years or so.

Ah the hostel. I was staying at the 'Heart of Gold' hostel, and I can confirm the following:
- yes the owner is a big hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy fan
- the first thing you see on the leaflet is 'don't panic'.
- I stayed on 'deck 1'

But the place was far from geeky. It had a 24hr bar (which was handy), all they played was rock and indie/alternative music (which was cool), and the two receptionists (Jana and Natalie) were rockin' kind of girls who were always nice and helpful (and provided the odd free drink which was very cool). But I digress.

Berlin is also a place rich with Art and Culture. I visited Humboldt University, which boasts names like Albert Einstein, Neils Bohr, the brothers Grimm etc., a few art museums and galleries, which sadly are a bit of a blur at the moment.

And they are a bit of a blur because of the sparkling nightlife that Berlin has to offer. Firstly, over the few days that I was there, they had two acts playing that I wanted to catch: Sigur Ros and Julie Delpy.

I saw Sigur Ros with Giampiero (an italian guy I met at the hostel) and I was absolutely blown away. I had heard they were amazing from a few people (Mihalis, Ryan, Ally, I'm talking to you!), and I hadn't even listened to one song before I went, but it was really impressive. The lead singer has an amazing voice, and they create this ambience and mood with their music that is so hard to describe but oh so easy to immerse yourself into.

Berlin is also known for their clubs, and I figured I should at least see one whilst I was there. I visited a drum'n'bass and backbeats club (so I'm told, I'm a bit of a newbie to this genre), and it was actually quite ok. Well, the backbeats DJs were good anyway, I think the drum'n'bass guys were a little bit too relaxed or uninterested, one or the other. And the handy thing in Berlin is that the buses and trains run 24 hours on friday and saturday nights so you'll never be stranded after a big night 😊

But my final night in Berlin was spent with Julie Delpy. Julie Delpy is actually an actress that also happens to be a singer/songwriter as well.

Hi, She's Julie Delpy, You may remember her from such films as:
- 'Before Sunrise' and 'Before Sunset' (highly recommended if you haven't seen it already)
- Krzysztof Kieslowski’s 'Three colours white'
- American Werewolf in Paris (Does anyone even remember this one? Unlikely)

Though I don't know any of her music, I needed to see her in the flesh and to see her perform. She has a special place in my heart.
She's the reason why I'm going to Vienna.
She's the reason why I'm catching the train to Vienna.
She's the reason why I catch the train everywhere in Europe.
She's the reason why I tried to learn French )

She has an eclectic mix of songs, and she's heavily influenced by the kind of music she listens to. Some of her songs are slow and dark like Portishead, others are kind of rock and grungy like PJ Harvey, some are just fun and silly like Juliana Hatfield or Laura Imbruglia. But she made for a dreamy end to my stay in Berlin, and it will be one of the places I definitely visit again if I have the chance.

ok, time to go, happy hour beckons.

keep safe and don't panic.
cheers,
Ben

---