Day two. Hmmmm pretty good breakfast here at the circus hostel, which I can't recommend enough - the hostel not the breakfast. Did the museums at museuminsel or museum island, apparently, plus the beautiful Berliner dome. Crazy space devoted to galleries and museums, and nothing's done on a small scale. They're all huge with a gazillion things on display. Old museum, new museum, new gallery, pergamon - the buildings themselves are just lovely to behold and walk around, and here's a confession on something I actually realized back in Singapore - I generally like wandering around in museums, sometimes more than I enjoy the exhibits themselves. The spaces here lend themselves to wandering, which is great really. BUT - a lot of the historical stuff leaves me a little cold. Apart from wondering at the sheet sophistication of some of the work and thought put in by people hundreds and thousands of years ago, there's little I'm actually taking away. So loving the architecture, exhibits are ok but I'd rather be at art or design galleries. This all feels a little like admitting I don't enjoy Shakespeare all *that* much...
Lunch was at a little cafe off the museuminsel stretch, where I decided to go for eisbein - Er I think that's what it was called. Asked waiter fella and he patted his hip so I presume that's the part of the pig I was eating. He could of course have just been insulting me. A Berlin middle finger as it were. Kinda stewed pork thingum served with sauerkraut and potatoes. Crawled out and managed to squeeze in the rest of the museums.
On way back checked out a pretty cool space - there're all these 'hidden' nooks and alleys with cafes and shops (of which i'm sad i don't know the location of more) and decided to support a local cinema (will show ticket when technology allows). Movie's mr nice, which I suggest you avoid. I mean I WAS sleepy but the film has really got v little going for it. Thinking of changing things up by going for Harry potter tomorrow night at that big cinema down at potsdamer platz!
Did a bunch other galleries today (day three, thurs) and now just chilling, waiting to meet some hostelites for dinner. They're at least ten years younger I think but friendly enough, and anyway Dax you chose to stay at youth hostels so what the hell did you expect.
God grief. Who reads this stuff??
So how long more u in Berlin?
ReplyDeleteGo south to visit some of the concentration camps. That should leave u cold in a different way
sigh. visited dachau years ago, on my first trip to germany. probably the most depressing/sobering experience i've ever had. that said, the books i bought on it, still remain unread, somewhere on my shelf.
ReplyDeleteam determined to make this, really, the most relak trip ever.