Postcard from Berlin

Street art, street food and well, just street . . .

Just a reminder that there’s no Friday 5 this week but paid subscribers will receive my top 10 picks from the latest additions to Waitrose’s range in time for the bank holiday weekend. (They, like other supermarkets have 25% off six bottles at the moment.)

Although I’d been to Berlin before it was back in 2014 so my visit this week almost felt like starting from scratch. And my partner was going for the first time so we needed to tick off all the obvious sights.

Our hotel is near Checkpoint Charlie so that was the first port of call. Initially underwhelming but then we found the open air exhibition that explained how it has become the iconic landmark it is.

Exhibitions that tell the story of the war are by and large free including the striking and shocking Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe with its stark tombstones of statues and devastating personal histories of those who lost their lives in the holocaust.

It’s impossible to visit without feeling the weight of the city’s - and the country’s history. (I bought an excellent little book before I went called The Shortest History of Germany by James Hawes which will make up for any deficiencies in your knowledge.)

You can also see sections of the wall in the Mauerpark and there’s a list of other sites on the excellent Visit Berlin website.

The city may not be divided politically any more but it still is in many ways.

Between its sober past and its vibrant, funky present.

Between the often grey buildings - and bear in mind we’re here in late spring not in the bleak midwinter - and the luxuriant green leaves that cover them. I was amazed by the climbing plants all over this hospital.

Between the clean lines of the modern, often brutalist architecture and the splashes of colourful graffiti.

Between the currywurst stands and the state of the art natural wine bars.

It’s a city to walk through for sure but then what city isn’t?

Berlin though has some particularly quirky features. My favourites so far a shop devoted to rainwear, the Ampelmann shops where you can buy souvenirs carrying the image of the little red and green men that tell you when you can and can’t go across a pedestrian crossing and a shop that sells both hats and wine.

It’s also a city to graze your way through. There is so much street food from the ubiquitous currywurst and kebabs to the absolute feast of world food you get at the Markthalle Neun on a Thursday night.

Not to mention the wickedly good ice creams at Hokey Pokey which has a number of different branches throughout the city. (Order the raspberry and yoghurt if it’s available.)

In less than a week of course we’ve barely scratched the surface but if you want to take advantage of my Berlin bucket list and travel tips as well as what have proved to be the highlights of the trip stay tuned for the next post …