Time to explore this alluring city, first port of call was meeting up with some friends at Mauer Park. On Sundays this park comes alive, there is a flea market, full of antiques, vintage clothes and an amazing array of foodstalls – The apple strudel is the best I have ever experienced, doused in vanilla sauce, and all for around 3 Euro! After exploring the markets we joined in for some karaoke!
Hundreds of locals head to the park, for some straight from the club’s for a Sunday wind down drinking session, some karaoke and a few drinks, and drinks I must say a beer takeaway from the bottleshop is around 50 cent’s Euro! Hello Berlin I think this is the beginning of a long relationship!
It’s fascinating to walk around and learn about the history of the once empire of the world that came crushing down to rubble. From the cold war, to the Holocaust, to the Berlin wall. So much history surrounds every part of this city and you can still sense the shame and disgust amongst some of the Berliner’s. We spent an afternoon in the Jewish holocaust museum, and got more of an insight to the Nazi horror that went on during the holocaust. It was emotionally draining. The design of the building is amazing. Outside and above the underground museum there are 2711 grave-like stone’s rising from the ground, which gives a sinister feeling when emerged into it.
Another afternoon was spent wandering alongside one of the few bits of the Berlin wall that has been left intact and named the East side galleries. Where 28 years after the wall has come down, which once divided the city in East and West this 1km stretch has been drenched in hundred’s of murals by artist’s from around the world depicting there depiction of this gruelling time in Berlin’s history.
Having been in Berlin for over 3 weeks now, we are starting to get our favourite little local places, and area’s off Berlin. We tend to stick to the East of Berlin, the West is a bit to prim and proper for our liking. Melbourner’s – it’s a bit like the North Side to the South Side – people from Fitzroy stay in Fitzroy and same goes for the one’s from South Yarra and Prahran!
We have started full time German and the basics are coming along, but I never thought learning a language could be so difficult! It’s mainly the frustration of there grammar, and feminine and masculine words, and than when it all starts to make some kind of sense there becomes a formal and non formal way of saying what you are trying to say depending on who and where you are speaking! One day it will hit home… I hope!
We have grown to love the Turkish Markets of Kreuzeberg / Neukölln. They are held every Tuesday and Friday along the canal. There is a very big Turkish community in these suburb’s and the food on offer is so cheap and so amazing. We have our dried fruit and nut man. The exotic options are endless, from candied kumquat’s to dried Islamic dates all for next to nothing. Than we have our French Cheese man where around 200g of Chévre goats cheese can cost you approximately 2.50 Euro’s!
The rules are, we shop for the essential fruit and vegetable items, than we get the extra naughty indulgences and to finish of this tiring task we finish with THE best falafel wrap this side of the middle east, and sometimes if there is room left in there for a German tradition called Quark, which is curd that resembles the taste of yoghurt – my personal fav is the chocolate nougat topped with kirsch (Fresh Cherries) There is usually always a bohemian, hillbilly band playing some extraordinary music to watch and unwind down to.
Thus far exploring and enjoying what we have so far experienced in Berlin has been a great stepping stone for much more to come. The downfall at the moment is getting an apartment. The system here in Germany is totally by the book, so many forms and documents needed. Now we have all these documents ready to go, seems as though the 3 Australians are not really who gets the houses and they give them to the local German’s I guess as a safe bet they must think. So the game goes on and hopefully one day soon we get a fantastic apartment and we can spend our days exploring this enticing city and less running around to find a home!
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