Okay, so as usual I have been distracted by life – the postdoc, group meet-ups and excessive drinking of course, to really sit down and write about my second trip to Berlin. But while I know I will not do it justice now, I do not want my good experiences to go without acknowledgement. The first trip I did in Winter many years ago, I have to say did not make the best impression of Germany. Too much cold, too many people suffering from the grumps, too many museums, and not enough real Berlin. I could totally live in Berlin, it is really akin to Sydney and Melbourne, having developed a great cafe culture since my last visit, and man so many Australians. Having lived in Germany for quite a while, this was the first time I really saw any other Australians. I now know why I have no Australian friends, they clearly are all in Germany. This would also explain why so many of my friends are German:P
When I arrived on the Sunday afternoon, waiting for my check-in time, I needed a coffee badly after my early start, and the stress of almost missing my train due to a number of transport fails. So I googled coffee places (and yes google works in Berlin, your not in Darmstadt anymore). And to my delight just around the corner from my hotel was Bondi Cafe. A cafe owned by an Australian. Talk about a difference in the menu – just like home. I was in complete heaven. I had my first flat white in forever. And while not hungry I could not resist ordering something to nimble because I could – lightly TOASTED croissant with prosciutto, kase, tomate & spinat. Toasted – can you believe it? Cause in Germany, toasted is something unheard of, not to mention savoury fillings, all for under 7 € (or 7 if you have become accustomed to tipping) with a pretty decent flat white.
Ah the nostalgia and longing to be home. It is so weird to hear the Australian accents (particularly those originating from outside Sydney). Then when I check in, I meet another Aussie also checking in from Melbourne. Immediately am asked for my number so she can have someone to go to dinner with. Brave to travel so far alone. Now we are facebook friends. Man, Australians really are friendly.
So instead of a big arse story (because I can’t actually remember very much), I will share a few highlights after the conference I attended. Weird conference too, way too broad, everybody felt totally out of sorts, a lot of bottled water, and very little alcohol considering it is a country where it is cheap as hell – oh, and Australians think I am American 😛
The highlights of my trip:
The New Sandemans Free Walking Tour and our amazing tour guide, Sarah, from Melbourne. I always recommended taking one of their tours as soon as possible, you learn so much in not a preachy kind of way, and you even get to stand in a very special car park :P. They give recommendations on how to spend the rest of your trip, other good tours to take, and can also be a big help finding the real cultural spots of a city whether you are young and just want to party, or you want something a little more tame:
The East Side Gallery is a must. The East Side Gallery is a long stretch of the Berlin wall that remains mostly intact and is adorned with amazing murals. It is a complete shame that so many people have thought it appropriate to vandalise it, but that is people for you. The history of Germany alone is enough to let such behaviour never be a surprise.
Now while you do get to wander the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe on your New Sandemans Free Walking Tour, I highly recommend going back and really walking through it alone. I think the experience is much more striking and moving. And enter the museum as well, it is very enlightening concerning the extent of Hitlers reign, the number of Jewish people that were lost according to records, and how far it reached.
Somebody may have left their entire Summer wardrobe in Australia…not saying who.
Consequently, a little retail therapy was an absolute priority. And where better to waste money but in Berlin to really enjoy one’s holiday and have a mini shopping extravaganza.
For mainstream, you can’t beat Alexanderplatz, and it is great on a very hot day to actually be in a building that has air conditioning. There are also a lot of shops along Friedrichstrasse and near the Dali Museum, which I also recommend. However, I prefer doing my shopping in cute little boutiques or op shops so that every item I buy has a great story to tell about my travels abroad. So just wander the streets around Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain and Neukölln and you will stumble across these places. Not to mention the Saturday and Sunday Markets that you will find at Boxhagener Platz.
You should definitely check out the Dali Museum as well, which I may have already mentioned. It is pretty small, so if you have an hour to kill, wander on in.
So for great places to eat and drink:
- For a catch-up with a friend or to spend the day chilling and reading a book with coffee and cake, try Bullys Bakery. It is in the hip area of Neukölln with many cute eateries, op shops and little boutiques that I did not have time to explore unfortunately. Alas, next time I find myself in Berlin then! Not just cakes, but decent coffee including the Australian Flat White and a few very creative Flammkuchen by German standards. I had promised a friend I would practice my German, so naturally ordered in German when the guy responded in a British accent and also thought I too originated from there. So practising my German in Berlin was just never going to happen, way too many non-Germans.
- If you want an authentic Australian Flat White and a simple savoury croissant with cheese and ham rather than the usual sweet varieties offered in Darmstadt, you need try the very relaxed Cafe Bondi. Nothing like hearing an authentic Australian accent after 30 minutes in Berlin after a long train ride and having a desperate need for a coffee. Just look at the breakfast menu, you know you are not in Darmstadt any more. And coffee art – so back in Sydney. And not surprising since Cafe Bondi is owned and run by an Australian.
- If you love a good bagel with a very generous smear of cream cheese – you must go to Shakespeare and Sons. Not only great bagels with all matter of toppings to choose from and types of bagels all baked on the premises, but also books, books galore. Bagels and books – could there be anything better besides an amazing coffee?
- For many creative burgers to choose from – try Room 77. I can even forgive the American-style burger buns because the fillings are “amazing”, or lets just say imaginative, and, they come with thick cut sweet potato fries too – total winner. My burger had peanut butter. That’s right, you read that correctly – PEANUT BUTTER!!! But the servings are huge, so I would recommend sharing if you are not travelling by yourself. Also some major Aussie bogans on the next table to entertain me while eating and reading.
- One of the major highlights has to be Silo Coffee in Friedrichshain, and perhaps one of the saddest parts of my trip. Silo Coffee, run and owned by Australians, has the Melbourne and Sydney Cafe vibe to a T. Attracting whining Australians who have had to live with bad coffee for 2 weeks on vacation. I have to admit, I almost cried when I had a Flat White here. It was the best coffee I have had since November of last year. The milk was steamed and frothed to perfection with the characteristic coffee art I am so accustomed. The coffee was not bitter, but smooth, with an amazing aroma, and devoid of horrible sludge. And the menu was what breakfast should be – decent toastie and many other “creative” dishes by German standards. But got to love a good toastie on sourdough bread. My only complaint is that eventually I saw the bottom of the cup. The staff were amazingly friendly and helpful.
And around this area are so many amazing little boutiques for some much needed retail therapy, bar and cafes, and the local Farmers Market on Saturday, and a flea market on Sunday – both a must.
Silo Coffee also source their coffee beans from a local roastery called The Barn, and another place that is a must for a light snack and some of the best flaky and so full of ham and cheese croissants I have had in Germany. You can tell they are not mass produced here. Really great.
- Germany over the last couple of years has really been getting into the Hipster groove with so many bio supermarkets, or what we would call organic, not to mention so many vegetarian and vegan restaurants everywhere in a country synonymous with a carnivorous diet. So I think it only fitting to check out at least one vegan restaurant or cafe while in town. I can definitely recommend The Bowl. Again, the bowl is in the hip area of Friedrichshein with many surrounding places to go for drinks afterwards. The Bowl is above a supermarket where you can purchase Vegan products, including shoes.
- If you happen to be around Checkpoint Charlie, I think you will find it a little more challenging to find something other than a major tourist trap. So if you need a bit of a sit down to relax, you should pop into Westberlin on Friedrichstrasse to cup a well brewed cup of coffee and maybe grab a piece of cake too. Westberlin is a modern space, sporting a coffee bar and media shop. You can even get a Flat White here if your heart so desires.
A decent flat white at Westberlin.
West berlin - Now the service was incredibly slow, but the staff were very attentive and helpful when they remembered you were sitting all by your lonesome in the corner at A.Horn. I was attracted to this place for breakfast bagels, but alas they were not open. On my return at night, I dropped by to try my first ever Aperol Spritz, which has to be German’s national cocktail, and this lovely ravioli-type dish that was recommended by the server. I can safely say now, that the Aperol Spritz is not going to be my go-to cocktail like my German friend, but the “ravioli” was lovely. Sitting outside was lovely, and the interior had that very hipster vibe with all matter of antiques and such being used as furniture and randomly scattered about the place.
Places you should probably avoid if you have other options:
- Kaffeehaus Einstein, and anything else resembling it, should be avoided. Now there is technically nothing wrong with it, the locals definitely frequent such places, and you definitely get the traditional Viennese Kaffeehaus vibe. But it is very commercial, very expensive, and the food not particularly impressive, lacking quite a bit of flavour…and the coffee is just dreadful by my standards.
So I think I can safely leave you now, hopefully inspired to take a trip to Berlin on your next travels. So many great places to eat, shop, and enjoy the summer sun in a place that feels almost like home.
A Thyme for Science 