Berlin

I got a last minute cat sit in Berlin for a week, I’m glad I took it. I’ve been curious about Berlin, and this is my summer of Germany. The place I stayed in was in the Alt-Treptow neighborhood, on the border of Neükolln. My first impression was of trendy vegan restaurants and Organic (bio) grocery stores and sweet little coffee shops. I spent the weekend walking all over, taking in the history of this city, which is palpable and very accessible. There is a lot to read and see everywhere, from the East Side Gallery that highlights the history of the Wall, to Checkpoint Charlie and the Museum Island. The train stations have photos and plaques explaining the trains that went to concentration camps and the atmosphere in the city during WWII. There are walls of graphics and text to walk along and read in different areas, this city is still processing, moving through it’s history. It is moving, touching, difficult and brave.

To move back into the present, I looked for things to do that interest me. I hadn’t seen a film in a theatre in months, so I searched for theatres with films in English. Well, I found a list of 11, and went to Kino for a screening of 20th Century Woman. The spot was very sweet, with a café and bar, small theatre and I loved the film and the experience. I also searched for dance classes, found a few but wasn’t able to work it into my schedule, worked most of the week. There was a potter on my block, I stopped in to chat with her and bought a few small cups, my souvenir of choice while traveling. They are handmade, packable, unique and connected to an artist, which I love.

As usual, I had a lot of wonderful walks around my neighborhood, the river creating nice spots for people to hang in parks and at cafes. There was a popular outdoor ping pong table spot, always busy and filled with laughs. I also explored several other areas and found a wonderful Mexican spot, Dolores. The guacamole was perfect, the chips authentic (in California terms), and the Carnitas burrito sated my craving for sure.

I feel like I only touched the surface in this super cool city. I’d love to return and spend more time. It seems like a place I could find and develop community given more time.