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Published: August 21st 2012
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Having arrived in Berlin after a whirl wind of flights from Victoria Falls to Botswana then to Namibia, Frankfurt and finally a connecting flight to Berlin we were exhausted but excited to be back in Europe.
We got off the plane in a daze and waited for our bags to come through, always a nerving experience, they were there but mine had been obviously opened. All of the clips were open and the contents completely mixed around and worse our SLR camera missing! I felt completely sick, we checked all the lost and missing desks before making our way to the Air Namibia desk where we were told that the camera would have been taken in Victoria Falls and that their policy did not cover items going missing from bags and therefore neither would our insurance, the way she went about it gave us the feeling that this happened quite often. I felt terrible as just before we checked our luggage in we decided to put the camera in so that we did not have as much carry on, so began our third camera purchase.
We were lucky that we had backed up all our photos onto the computer
and that we were now in Germany where there were numerous electronics stores and the Australian dollar compared with the Euro was almost equal. While this helped to lessen the blow, I couldn’t help but feel violated, knowing that someone had gone through my entire bag and taken what they wanted.
Berlin was a fresh of breath air after Africa; Germans are extremely efficient in everything they do which was a nice change from African time. After our camera purchase, my next stop was a haircut
(very desperately needed and an interesting experience where I as given a number and like a deli at Woolworths called up to wash my hair, wait again then called up to have my hair cut and finally dried) and a pedicure. The pedicure was absolutely necessary after Africa, even the girl who cleans peoples feet for a living was looking at mine like they were hobbit feet.
Feeling refreshed we were ready to hit the streets of Berlin. Our first stop was East Side Gallery, a section of the once Berlin Wall, now an open air gallery. We took the train over and spent an hour walking down the length of the
wall before having lunch along the river. The public transport in Berlin is fantastic, we caught to bus to and from the airport and the trains were fantastic for zipping in and around the city.
We did a walking tour of the city which took us to all of the major sites including, Brandenburg Gate, Check Point Charlie, Museums and parts of the Berlin Wall, but the best part about the tour were the stories that our guide so fantastically told. Seeing parts of the wall made us reflect on the separation wall we saw in Palestine so recently, and ask why? We tried the famous curry worst, an interesting contraption of sausage, curry powder and about a litre of tomato sauce, which was actually not too bad and enjoyed strolling around Charlottenburg in the evenings. As we were in Berlin over the weekend, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to hit some of the local markets. Berlin with its beautiful gardens, green suburbs and its picturesque buildings is a city where you feel like a local at once, we really could have stayed here longer!
A Guide to Markets and Thrift Shopping in Berlin Markets For bargain hunters or those who are just happy to browse, a stroll through one of Berlin´s bustling flea markets is a great way to spend a sunny Saturday or Sunday morning. Besides the usual stock of second hand books, clothing, records and bric-a-brac which you would expect to find at flea markets across the world, keep an eye out for Russian icons, or freshly pickled Spreewald gherkins. And if you want to try out some authentic German leather shorts (Lederhosen), you´ll save a few Euros (and a lot of chafing) if you buy a pair which has already been broken in.
Straße des 17 Juni at Tiergarten
Sat & Sun 11.00-17.00 One of Berlin's biggest and most touristy. Less trash and more treasure, a busy and fashionable market with a variety of stalls selling everything from fancy buttons and a variety of hand-crafted items to funky second hand clothes, jewellery and records. Because of its location and popularity it tends to be a bit on the pricey side
Purchases: German pin 50c, Soviet pin $1
Boghagener Platz at Friedrichshain
This flea market is a gem! Basically
locals selling the stuff they collect or don't want. We came accross this market quite by chance in Friedrichshain, quite a hip area with lots of cafes and little boutiques.
Purchases: Nothing, but there were some great jackets and such for around $6
Mauerpark Fleamarket at Bernauer Strasse Sun 08.00-18.00
This market is populated not only by some younger hipsters, but also the more international, grunge-yuppies of the neighbourhood. There is lots of treasure to be found here for very cheap prices. The goods range from private household assortments to professional local designer stuff, some great local food as well!
Purchases: Vintage sunnies $2, Soviet pin $1
Thirft Shopping The vintage scene is huge in Berlin! Next to the weekly flea markets the city is brimming with cool stores where you can hunt for hours on end for retro treasures. From vintage sneakers to couture to antiques, there is some serious great finds to be had in Berlin. Here are some of the ones I got to: Colours Bergmannstrasse 102 Probably one of Berlin’s biggest vintage shops, everything is arranged by colour and
Colours
Giant vintage shop where you pay by the kilo...Mikaela in her glory! class. You can find the more special and pricey items in the front of the shop, but the back of this huge store you can buy clothes per kilo!
Purchases: Light denin button up $2.80, reto scarf 50c
Garage Ahornstrasse 2, Schöneberg Garage is one of those huge second hand markets where you buy clothes by the kilogram. Obviously, with quantity like this you will end up digging through piles of trash, but it's worth it. The store is hidden in the west Berlin district of Schöneberg, far away from all the hip boutiques but once you enter you'll find a giant industrial hall full of possibilities.
Purchases: Shorts $2
Humana Frankfurter Tor 3, Friedrichshain Open Mon-Sat 10am-8pm Humana is part of a humanitarian organisation spread around the whole city, but the Humana Kaufhaus in Friedrichshain is a secondhand department store. The building is gigantic, and has several floors displaying fashion of all ages and stages of decline. The prices are so low, you'll need to dedicate some serious time here because there's tons of trash but also some genuine vintage gems.
Purchases: Denim jacket $6.50
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
I thought you were doing Africa on your way home to Australia...
but you've backtracked to Europe. What's next?