In his time, Oscar Wilde said: Life is too short to learn German. It took me a shameful number of years to realize how accurate these words are. Growing up, I was always keen on learning languages, but in terms of German, after finishing my long linguistic adventure with this language, all I knew was how to introduce myself and say I'm 16. Despite language barriers, I'd grown a huge desire to visit Berlin as it always seemed to represent the European capital city characteristics most accurately. And even though I could only communicate with the locals in English, today I surely picture myself living in Berlin, and having a life-long relationship with this place.
Day 1
I arrived in Berlin on a September Sunday around 6.30 PM at the main station, an immense glass Hauptbahnhof. I'd laced contact with my host a few days before arrival and been already blown-away by his kindness. He picked me up at the concrete staircase just next to the restaurant at the southern side of the station, facing the Spree River nearby. He invited me to leave my bags at his place, and on our way I got first glimpses of the streets seen from the London-like bus upper floor. Schöneberg, the area he was living in, was once a residence of Christopher Isherwood, so I was beyond exited to experience staying there.
Day 1
I arrived in Berlin on a September Sunday around 6.30 PM at the main station, an immense glass Hauptbahnhof. I'd laced contact with my host a few days before arrival and been already blown-away by his kindness. He picked me up at the concrete staircase just next to the restaurant at the southern side of the station, facing the Spree River nearby. He invited me to leave my bags at his place, and on our way I got first glimpses of the streets seen from the London-like bus upper floor. Schöneberg, the area he was living in, was once a residence of Christopher Isherwood, so I was beyond exited to experience staying there.
After dark, we took a train to Prenzlauer Berg, a chic district filled up with cute cafes and restaurant gardens. On our way we equipped ourselves with Club-Mate, a drink I'd been reading about back at home, and then examined its intriguing, caffeine-honey flavour in Mauerpark. We were closely observed by a stranger sitting behind us around the Colosseum-like arena, so we took off further. After a long walk through the dark streets of the neighbourhood and smoking too many cigarettes, we reached Schöneberg again and called it a night at an Indian restaurant, where I warmed myself with a wondrous lentil soup.
Day 2
My host went to work early in the morning, we left his place together. I started my Monday with getting lost, no surprises though. I'd been used to it already and realized once more the peculiar tendency of mine to always take the opposite directions rather than the proper ones. I intended to head to the Potsdamer Platz, but instead north, I went south. Without any guidebook, I relied on maps at the bus stops, but it took too many of them until I grasped my whereabouts. And it started raining. Eventually, I found myself at the Sony Center, where I decided to harbour at Starbucks and read (cliche alarm!) Goodbye to Berlin. There was no chance of getting dry in the upcoming hours while sitting, so I finished my chocolate mocha and I left the place. I went underground to randomly find a shopping mall, the Arkaden. Then I strolled to Tiergarten, but didn't spend much time there due to the unpleasant weather conditions. Having taken some photos though, I was quite delighted with the places I'd seen so far.
Later on I spent some time around Wittenbergplatz, where probably all the best mainstream shops in Berlin are located. Then I found myself at Nollendorfplatz, a place so representative for the aforementioned novelist and storyteller, mr. Isherwood. I sat to a steaming Chai Tea mit Milch und Honig at a lounge called Maibach. The service - super nice. A few moments later I was texted by my host and proposed to meet back around the Potsdamer Platz. When evening approached, we spent the remainder of that chilly day at the Martin-Gropius-Bau Museum at Niederkirchnerstrasse. Out of the temporary exhibitions, we chose to see Oppenheim's works, and I'm so glad we opted for that one. I got a notion of a pure German artistry. From sculptures through drawings to paintings, it oscilled somewhere between surrealism and realism, channeling dreamlike manners to showcase pure feelings of an artist. Afterwards we warmed ourselves at a cafe near the Potsdamer Platz with fresh peppermint teas and cigarettes. On our way back home, we made some grocery shopping to prepare the dinner. With fanel, pasta, nut sauce, champignon mushrooms and eggs, it couldn't get anything beyond perfection. Before hitting the sack, we watched an episode of Sex and the City.
Day 3
On Tuesday morning I decided to get more familiar with Berlin through making the most of a pedestrian experience so I took off to the Alexanderplatz. I hit the Friedrichstrasse and Checkpoint Charlie. I guess all kinds of the H&M flagship stores are focused around that piece of Mitte. After reaching the Friedrichstrasse station, I turned right to head to the Museum Island. I took some time there to photograph the ancient-looking buildings and contemplate by the river. Then I reached the Berlin TV Tower and felt tempted to go up. Then I swirled around the Alexanderplatz, paid a visit to a pink-coloured shopping mall nearby and hid from the advancing rain under the roofs of Jannowitzbrücke. Then I made a walk through a tiny fragment of Kreuzberg. The meeting point with my host that day was the Yorckstrasse station, from where we went home to enjoy some dinner. After a long nap, in the late evening, we went out to meet his friend from Italy and had our second dinner at a potato-themed restaurant by the river, near Friedrichstrasse.
Day 2
My host went to work early in the morning, we left his place together. I started my Monday with getting lost, no surprises though. I'd been used to it already and realized once more the peculiar tendency of mine to always take the opposite directions rather than the proper ones. I intended to head to the Potsdamer Platz, but instead north, I went south. Without any guidebook, I relied on maps at the bus stops, but it took too many of them until I grasped my whereabouts. And it started raining. Eventually, I found myself at the Sony Center, where I decided to harbour at Starbucks and read (cliche alarm!) Goodbye to Berlin. There was no chance of getting dry in the upcoming hours while sitting, so I finished my chocolate mocha and I left the place. I went underground to randomly find a shopping mall, the Arkaden. Then I strolled to Tiergarten, but didn't spend much time there due to the unpleasant weather conditions. Having taken some photos though, I was quite delighted with the places I'd seen so far.
Later on I spent some time around Wittenbergplatz, where probably all the best mainstream shops in Berlin are located. Then I found myself at Nollendorfplatz, a place so representative for the aforementioned novelist and storyteller, mr. Isherwood. I sat to a steaming Chai Tea mit Milch und Honig at a lounge called Maibach. The service - super nice. A few moments later I was texted by my host and proposed to meet back around the Potsdamer Platz. When evening approached, we spent the remainder of that chilly day at the Martin-Gropius-Bau Museum at Niederkirchnerstrasse. Out of the temporary exhibitions, we chose to see Oppenheim's works, and I'm so glad we opted for that one. I got a notion of a pure German artistry. From sculptures through drawings to paintings, it oscilled somewhere between surrealism and realism, channeling dreamlike manners to showcase pure feelings of an artist. Afterwards we warmed ourselves at a cafe near the Potsdamer Platz with fresh peppermint teas and cigarettes. On our way back home, we made some grocery shopping to prepare the dinner. With fanel, pasta, nut sauce, champignon mushrooms and eggs, it couldn't get anything beyond perfection. Before hitting the sack, we watched an episode of Sex and the City.
Day 3
On Tuesday morning I decided to get more familiar with Berlin through making the most of a pedestrian experience so I took off to the Alexanderplatz. I hit the Friedrichstrasse and Checkpoint Charlie. I guess all kinds of the H&M flagship stores are focused around that piece of Mitte. After reaching the Friedrichstrasse station, I turned right to head to the Museum Island. I took some time there to photograph the ancient-looking buildings and contemplate by the river. Then I reached the Berlin TV Tower and felt tempted to go up. Then I swirled around the Alexanderplatz, paid a visit to a pink-coloured shopping mall nearby and hid from the advancing rain under the roofs of Jannowitzbrücke. Then I made a walk through a tiny fragment of Kreuzberg. The meeting point with my host that day was the Yorckstrasse station, from where we went home to enjoy some dinner. After a long nap, in the late evening, we went out to meet his friend from Italy and had our second dinner at a potato-themed restaurant by the river, near Friedrichstrasse.
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