It's true what people say that Berlin is one of a kind; a world of its own.
First of all, never have I stepped into an airport where arrivals, immigration, baggage claim and customs all begin and end at the same gate.
And I haven't even started on the street culture.
Every step I took, every corner I turned, there they were .. graffito in abundance.
Walls of buildings, trucks, escalators, poles, train stations, trains and inside the trains, all of them,
served as canvases for raw tags and paintings of street artists from the better known GFA-Crew and Blu, to the anonymous. It felt as if I was in a boundless gallery displaying unlimited collections of ingenious and clever works of art - no admission fee needed.
Adverse weathers didn't stop me either, from walking along parts of the city where a certain wall which once divided this German capital stood.
I might have read a little too much of its history or I may just have too vast an imagination, but I could honestly picture and feel how immense the conflicting energies of love and hostility this wall generated during its time.
Quite an experience indeed.
On another subject, I was told by a friend that while here, one must definitely do the Photoautomat - 2euros for a strip of perfectly contrasted black and white photos taken in a booth .. something I name ideal as a memory of Berlin to bring home.
All in all, despite the weather (sleeting one second then snowing the other), missing a night of good music, and time constraints yet again .. this city leaves me begging for more .
First of all, never have I stepped into an airport where arrivals, immigration, baggage claim and customs all begin and end at the same gate.
And I haven't even started on the street culture.
Every step I took, every corner I turned, there they were .. graffito in abundance.
Walls of buildings, trucks, escalators, poles, train stations, trains and inside the trains, all of them,
served as canvases for raw tags and paintings of street artists from the better known GFA-Crew and Blu, to the anonymous. It felt as if I was in a boundless gallery displaying unlimited collections of ingenious and clever works of art - no admission fee needed.
Adverse weathers didn't stop me either, from walking along parts of the city where a certain wall which once divided this German capital stood.
I might have read a little too much of its history or I may just have too vast an imagination, but I could honestly picture and feel how immense the conflicting energies of love and hostility this wall generated during its time.
Quite an experience indeed.
On another subject, I was told by a friend that while here, one must definitely do the Photoautomat - 2euros for a strip of perfectly contrasted black and white photos taken in a booth .. something I name ideal as a memory of Berlin to bring home.
All in all, despite the weather (sleeting one second then snowing the other), missing a night of good music, and time constraints yet again .. this city leaves me begging for more .
P.S. mucho danke for the lovely dinner and company R, S and D .. I'll see y'all in spring !
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