Berliner Diary

“Berlin combines the culture of New York, the traffic system of Tokyo, the nature of Seattle, and the historical treasures of, well, Berlin.”

-Hiroshi Motomura, US Law professor, 2004

Europe is a connected network of low-cost, no-frills airlines: a triumph of efficiency over humanity. Fortunately, on RyanAir flight from Bologna to Berlin, we opted for oxygen supplements – selectively choosing our conveniences! 🙂

Berlin welcomes our return with green buds and stirring sidewalk cafes. The German capital surprises in so many attractive ways: cosmopolitan street life, intelligent, well-mannered people, amazing restaurants, civic order, “edgy” museums, music, emerging vibrant neighborhoods where locals, hipsters, techies, immigrants and visitors mix effortlessly.

Our desire to return was prompted, in part, by comforting memories of Hotel Am Steinplatz – a newly renovated, accommodating gem in charming Charlottenburg. A beautifully designed room where we can carve out relaxations and solace.

We’ve opted for two weeks here to “go deeper” in an unhurried residential visit.

Mornings start with simple breakfast elements improvised in our room: dark seeded breads and snackebrot, creamy yogurt, full-fruit preserves, crisp apples from the Austrian “Sud-Tyrol”. I am partial to everyday indulgences in the hotel’s spotless Nordic sauna as  tonic for the travails of the road.

This city is possibly fashioned by hidden hands of unseen grandmothers, as hearty café lattes and kitchen-baked cakes are resurrected from childhood memories (apple, poppy seed, dry farmer’s cheese cake, tart strudels).

Given the surfeit of comfy cafes along every strasse, we are unapologetic – starting our daily explorations from a Teutonically grand Starbuck’s on nearby Kurfürstendamm. Braced for adventure, caffeinated, locked into our GPS co-ordinates, we are ready to roll!

Aided by handy metro-passes, our exploits, both planned and spontaneous, provide rich textures, histories, and modern delights (did I mention food?) of Berlin.

We take in the Jewish Museum of German History (designed by architect Daniel Libeskind of Manhattan’s Freedom Tower fame), the Hamburger Bahnhof (an old train station) which houses great Warhols and exciting installations from radical new innovators.

Berlin is a city with a focus on the future. Most recent history has been obscured by physical destruction (allied bombs and punishing Russian artillery) and by an unspoken shame. Among the town’s ground cover of cobblestones are Stolpersteine – a European-wide art installation embedded in walkways where countless people were taken from their homes during the dark stain of  “National Socialism 1933-1945.”

Potsdam is a 30-minute metro-ride that offers access to the summer palace of Frederick the Great, well-preserved residential streets, and the historic “bridge of spies” where US and Soviets reciprocated high-profile cold war transfers.

And…we discover all of these recreations are made easier with less civic friction once you “learn the Rules.” And there are Rules everywhere for everything: don’t J-walk; don’t J-walk when children can see you; don’t make noise in the afternoon when elderly may be napping; don’t tread on dedicated bike lanes.

Drinking beer from large glass bottles as you walk down the street appears to conform to the Rules. Many people eagerly comply.

At many stops on the precision-run transit system, performers, social reformers, and beggars with a flair for the dramatic, audition for donations. We are surprised how often they are successful in attracting geld – not sure the small triumphs stem from an abundance of guilt or charity, but the fund-raising works. On warmer days there is a discernable…um, gestank on some of the carriages. Modern hygiene is still a work-in-progress with some.

Every grocery store has automated plastic bottle collection machines that dispense instant refunds. This technology has generated a considerable industry of trash picking seen everywhere; a model of economic incentive.

Food in Berlin is superb! Beyond the hearty Bayern classics –wienerschnitzel, calf’s liver in caramelized onions, knodel (dumplings) of every persuasion, we delight in world class Vietnamese pho and bun chay (noodle salad), hot borscht at Russian “Pasternak”, “green” Asian fusion, North African street food (koshary), and ever-present doner kebab joints.

Our regard for Arabic food is raised to “oh my God” status after lunching at Azzam in Neukolln, an emerging district that could easily be mistaken for Damascus or shadowy corners of Istanbul. We split a plate piled high with crispy chicken “sniglets”, hummus, lettuce, raw onions, pickles, and garlicky yogurt sauce.

We sit shoulder to shoulder with sullen, quiet men, women in full burka, crying kids, shouting cooks – all connected to the formidable task of serving and eating a mid-day meal. Our order came with an entire package of enormous pita breads. Sipping sweet, dark hot tea was a perfect accompaniment. Respect!

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