Feeling Better about Berlin

I’d previously visited Berlin at New Year. It had been cold and miserable and I’d felt uncomfortable in the streets as random fireworks exploded all over the place with seemingly no control or concern for the safety of bystanders. The sheen of marvellous  museums and galleries soon rubbed off as we wrapped and unwrapped ourselves of heavy layers of clothing all day, and whilst some parts of the city were majestic, it was mostly grubby and dark. I’d found the city’s history overwhelming and grim and left feeling like I’d misunderstood the place somehow because everyone else I knew had loved it. I returned this summer because, to my great consternation, my youngest had decided that this was where she wanted to live. I was a little apprehensive but as it turned out, I had the best few days imaginable.

When my daughter asked how to plan for my visit, I realised all I wanted was to see how she lived, where she went, and who she spent time with so I’d gain some clarity around her decision. Her Berlin is in and around Neukolln; a hip, edgy, and diverse borough of the city with heavily graffitied walls, not much road traffic, loads of bicycles and the trendiest young people I’ve met in a long while. Her social group comprises young artists and creatives, start up entrepreneurs, designers, and ‘freelancers’ (Neukolln speak for the temporarily unemployed) At the moment my daughter is a freelancer.

She’s also is what I call a conscious consumer – mainly vegan, with an egg included every now and then for additional protein, and meat only when its impolite to turn it down. I heard a great definition of this lifestyle just yesterday: a reductivist; one who attempts to minimise the impact on the planet through mindful choices in personal consumption. As a result almost every place she chose to feed me was vegan or vegetarian but all offered such a delicious variety that the absence of animal products was barely noticeable. I was inspired to photograph every menu and start something similar back home but then I remembered the only part I love about of being a foodie is the eating.

A leisurely brunch is a popular pass-time in Berlin and the options seemed endless. My child took me to several places I would have passed without a glance and they were all great. My favourite being a session under umbrellas at Café Mugrabi where we enjoyed a mid morning vegan feast accompanied by several Mimosas. We sat chatting in the sun for a couple of hours surrounded by young and old lovers, parents with toddlers, singles reading books, and a boisterous group hosting a surprise birthday celebration.

We walked off the Mimosas in the glorious gardens of Treptower Park. This is home to the Soviet Memorial to fallen Red Army soldiers and is a beautiful space on the Spree River. It was empty compared to Berlin’s other tourist hot-spots and it’s varied attractions were being fully utilised by local residents.

Later we joined a group of Michelle’s friends to watch the World Cup Soccer final on a huge screen at the Tempelhof Park, This used to be the airfield American and Allied forces used to fly all the supplies required for West Berlin during the Cold War (It is now home to about 3000 refugees) An impromptu picnic on the airstrip that evening finished a perfect day. I was struck by the peaceful family atmosphere among a crowd as diverse as any I’ve ever joined. Even though the soccer match had just finished, the victors and the vanquished dispersed cheerfully and those remaining settled in to watch the sun set. I saw no loud or aggressive drunks, the toilet facilities were clean and orderly, and the only mild interruption came from a few enthusiastic vendors trying to get rid of the last of the food on their trays. It felt completely safe even though we were nowhere near the best seats in the city.

On my last day we ventured to the ‘right’ side of the tracks for an afternoon of shopping, interspersing the experience with a visit to the rooftop bar at Soho House followed later by a superb meal at Katz Orange (I’d also recommend dining at Volt if you enjoy an excellent degustation experience) As many of you know, I’m not much of a shopper but, had I not already been overweight (and sadly I’m not only referring to my suitcase), I could have done some damage to my wallet in Berlin. The fashion was a touch edgier than the homogeneous offerings in most other large cities and I regretted not making enough time to fully investigate. Note to self – next time bring an empty bag.

Sated by loving cuddles, I left the following morning with a clearer understanding of why Berlin is so well loved by the brave, the beautiful and the adventurous.