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Berlin wrap-up

The rumors were true. Berlin is very, very cool.

There are artists, and graffiti, everywhere:

The popular snack is currywurst - sausage drowned in ketchup and curry powder. There’s roughly a 10 minute window between “Wow, this is delicious” and “I’m seriously regretting this.”

Day 2. A visit to the zoo, which never fails to entertain me. Eliot and I arrived at feeding time. How’s that for a steak?

What, did you think the lion makes it himself?

Reminds me of a few professors I’ve had:

After the zoo, we headed to the Sachsensee lake for a swim. Hard to believe something this beautiful is only a 20 minute metro ride from the city center.

And sunset atop the only real hill in Berlin…

The next day, I tried to busk. Counting the bus fare downtown, I actually lost money.

That evening, my last night in Berlin, Eliot and Elza brought me out of my bad mood by inviting me along to an artists’ party in Kreuzberg, the “countercultural” neighborhood. I was excited because Kreuzberg embodies what I had been hearing about Berlin - it’s full of artists, punks, and squatters (and combinations of the above).

On the way, we stopped at this park. It was originally a bomb crater which was then covered in grass. Very cool.

To the abandoned factory where Eliot and Elza’s friend rents workshop space:

And… they’re playing ping pong. Of course. Unexpected at the time but it totally makes sense.

There were maybe 8 of us. We played - all 8 of us around the table - 6 hours of ping pong. Welcome to Berlin.