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Published: March 28th 2010
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Mmm Berlin in the spring. It has been a great weekend, first and foremost because its WARM! I haven't felt warm in a long time. Certainly in Mallorca but that's expected. This was perfect.
We came to Berlin to visit with Shannon and her friend while she is visiting Europe anyway. It was a great chance to get away for the weekend. Its been a mixed weekend. I've got quite used to staying in Kreutzberg and enjoying the endless opportunities here, great bars, fantastic ethnic food, independent stores selling beautiful clothes. I thought Berlin would be a great choice because I always have a fantastic time here. We met with Shannon on the first night in, straight from the airport and got caught up on each other's lives in the apartment, it was great. Dzl and I went out afterwards and began our determined hunt to enjoy everything Kreutzberg has to offer. We started with Currywurst at 3am then a quick fix of Turkish sweets, and Dzl needed a Schwarma to top it off before we started in on some drinks. We went to Roses, the gay bar that's decorated with red fur, disco balls, a tiger coming out of
a mirrored wall, jesus paintings, psychadelic lamps and dancing dj/bartenders. (Pouring while dancing, 3/4 glass rum, 1/4 coke, Rum and Coke).
The next day we did some shopping which was fun, seeing Uhlanderstrasse, with all its many shops. I resisted some red insane shoes that I had to have at the time but it wore off over the next 24 hours. (That's the trick by the way, wait 24 hours and if you still absolutely need to have those shoes to keep breathing, then go back and get them). We went out on Saturday night to a club that wasn't there and thus began the bad coincidences of Berlin's Laissez Faire attitude. In Kreuztberg, this is expected, shops or cafes will open anywhere between 9 to 11 or not at all depending on their mood. This is the norm. Outside of Kreutzberg, we encountered three separate instances of clubs/bars saying they were open on their website (Sundays, 18 to late!) and not remotely being open. In one case (Saturday) we were guided to the OFFICE of the club rather than the club itself. Nearly joined a crazy birthday party in an industrial area but moved on and went back
to the city.
On Sunday we went on a boat tour (all in German but pretty nonetheless) and learned that Berlin is home to the world's largest library, with 5 million books. I wonder if that's the largest, its crazy. We had a nap and went out for some Thai food but at 15 euros a plate, it turned into going for falafel outside the thai place. We headed to the Erdbeer bar, (Strawberry bar) where most drinks are made with strawberries. However, apparently it wasn't as nice or tasty as I remember, and was dead on a Sunday night. Maybe I've gone out with different crowds other times and had enough people to make our own party but this time, we ended up at a dirty strawberry bar, with 10 euro drinks. Not the highlight of the trip. I think last time I went I was visiting with a very cool interactive artist and we had a great amazing conversation about work and interactive installations and so it was a great experience because of that inspirational conversation.
Monday we relaxed. Woke up late, went for breakfast at Ubersee cafe on the Ufer canal, visited with friends in
the area, and had sushi for dinner and enjoyed the sunshine. Apparently we enjoyed everything so much that our brains fell out and we couldn't calculate what two hours before the flight time was and we arrived to the airport at the precise moment our plane left. Luckily, EasyJet offers an emergency fix, and gave us tickets for the next day at a reasonable price.
So now I'm sitting, once again, in Morena cafe, eating their amazing breakfast of fruit, chorizo, cheeses, yogurt, egg, and coffee and loving life. I love Berlin, its an incredible city. The food, the people, the diversity, the artistic energy, and the relaxed atmosphere that lets me forget my troubles so much that I forget my plane.
Back to work for now...would love to work here every day, Morena or another beautiful cafe with a big breakfast that lasts all day long, free internet, wonderful coffee and a great atmosphere. That is DEFINITELY better than any office I've ever experienced.
Tschüss und bis irgendwann Berlin, we'll be back soon.
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