Berlin for an Afternoon

Tuesday, 12 June, 2012 - It was 10:30am and I had just landed in Germany after my much too long flight from LAX. Although I slept more or less the whole flight, I was incredibly groggy as we taxied to the gate, and it was thus that I found myself alighting from the plane not quite yet fully functioning. I had planned a nine hour layover in Berlin on my way back to Vienna so that I could do a whirlwind tour, seeing at least a few sights, and get lunch with Abby. Heck, if the option was there, why not? My bag was checked all the way through, too, so I found a bag-holding place for my carry-on in the airport and headed out to meet Abby.

Conveniently the transportation system around the city is almost exactly the same as Vienna's (I suppose it is most places, I'm just still a country girl that's not sure how standard big city public transportation actually is), so I had no problem getting to our rendezvous point. I was awake again by this time, thankfully, and feeling ravenous, so Abby took me to an amazing Korean food place which was oddly shrouded in religious wall hangings (even the menu was smattered with religious doctrines). The fellow who took my order maintained a straight enough face when I asked for my dish not to be spicy, but the chef, a tiny old woman, came out three times to clarify that no, I did not want my meal to be spicy. Once that was absolutely clarified, though, the meal was fantastic!

After that I followed Abby around some U-bahns and we ended up near the Oberbaum bridge on the Spree River, hanging out by the canal near a sort of bum campout area which had, I kid you not, teepees. I guess the Germans really are taken with the "Cowboys and Indians" theme.

We lounged for a bit, chatting, planning potential summer excursions, and enjoying the view and mild afternoon weather. It was actually a charming little place, and nice and low-key dangling our legs over the water while I was trying to reset my internal clock.

Our view of the River Spree 

Section of the Oberbaum Bridge

After enough relaxing she took me across the bridge and down a nearby stretch of some of the remains of the Berlin Wall. I had of course seen pictures before, but I was taken aback by how good, although often quite macabre (which I'm all for), the art was and how little graffiti there was across it. Even with all of the tourists walking the length and taking pictures, it still felt surreal being there and the area felt... quiet? I don't know how to describe it, but it was a sobering experience.

Once past that we caught another U-bahn to somewhere else near the Berliner Dom, got some surprisingly good gelato, and walked through a nearby street market which had some of your typical crafts and clothes and the like, as well as some more funky offerings, like hand-painted umbrellas.

We perused for a bit, then walked to the nearby Berliner Dom and Altes Museum by way of the old Rathaus and a pretty little fountain.

 Old Rathaus (City Hall)

Altes Museum 

Berliner Dom

Alas, I really didn't have time to go inside either of them because it was nearing time for me to get back to the airport, but it was fun seeing everything at least. Plus I now know a bit more specifically what to come back and see (although the above hardly even touches on it all).

Feel like a bit of a whirlwind of a recap? That's because it was a bit of a whirlwind of a trip, especially as I kept alternating between feeling like I was still on California time and like I was back on European time. Though the glimpse told me a few things. The city has character, that's for sure. There was graffiti everywhere you looked.

Often I found myself wondering how much of it was locals just wanting to get a say out and how much was actually professionally done. Some of the art covered entire sides of buildings which would obviously need scaffolding to be completed, so they had to have had permission. Possibly even been commissioned? I can't tell, but I'm curious. However there was something about all of the graffiti everywhere. It made me uneasy, and I can't quite explain why. Or maybe it wasn't all of the wall art, but it's something I haven't quite put my finger on yet. It's almost like Berlin doesn't really have an identity, which, to some extent, it doesn't of course, but it was just unnerving being surrounded by all of the... uncertainty? It definitely left me feeling uncertain. Or maybe just being so close to such recent history. Anyway, it's a really fascinating city and I know that people love living there, but I'm not so sure it's a place that I would move to. Even though they do offer these little gems:

On a bicycle built for five...

With all of the questions buzzing through my head, I took my leave of Berlin for a while, though I aim to be back later this summer.

Until then!