Eat the World (Starting with Berlin)

Original building on Richardplatz

I had a really embarrassing moment when I tried to intern at a Berlin magazine. I had been in Berlin long enough to know enough, but there were still gaps in my knowledge.

"Have you been to the Rixdorf Christmas Market before?"
"No, where is that?"
"On Richardplatz."
"Where is that, exactly?"
"Neukölln. You know Rixdorf is just the original name of Neukölln, right?"

I did not know. And my cheeks burned with shame. Still do actually, when something I feel I should know is exposed. That is why I am always happy to expand my knowledge. Even better when it comes in the form of a food tour.

When I received the invite to join eat-the-world.com's latest offering in Neukölln I was ready for some serious eating and to learn more about our former Kiez. We had lived in Neukölln for about a year (among our kajillion sublets) and never felt totally at home here. The cemeteries are dreamy, the foreigner vibe - new and old - was strong, but it felt like a place between. I wanted to know more about its background, its secrets and possibly its future. Learning about its food seemed a good way to start.

Berlin by Boat

Even with Berlin’s wonderful transportation options, the city can be a monster to traverse. Walking is inevitable no matter your mode of transport, a fact that becomes abundantly clear every time my parents are in town. They bravely put on their walking shoes, but a jaunt between major attractions can rack up quite the miles (or kilometers if you're being European about it).

Luckily, there is an easier way to check out Berlin's top sites and save your parent's feet/sanity. We joined one of the popular boat tours with a departure point around Berliner Dom to get a fresh perspective on Berlin's most impressive tourist sites.

Getting all Willy Wonka in Berlin: Ritter Sport Bunte Schokowelt

My parents were on their third visit to Berlin and though we'd had a great time checking out baby stuff and traipsing about Switzerland, I was determined to show them more to love in my adopted home. After all the war memorials and major tourist sites, I thought chocolate might be the easiest way to charm them.

But 5 minutes away from the Ritter Sport Chocolate Shop we were forced to turn back by thundering rain and hail. HAIL! Oh, April weather. Brave Northwesters that we are, we were ultimately undeterred and found our way back to the site of one of Germany's most famous chocolates.

Officially called Ritter Sport Bunte Schokowelt (Ritter Sport Colorful Chocolate World), I had heard that you can make your own chocolates there. I knew it could be gimmicky and touristy, but this was my chance to be Willy Wonka and there was no way I was passing that up.

Funkhaus Nalepastrasse Tour

This city is full of nondescript, even decrepit-looking buildings that hide a world of Berlin history. So we weren't put off when we arrived in the middle of nowhere (technically Oberschoeneweide) to what looked like a never ending waterfront of abandoned factories.

We had been invited by a friend to take a tour of Rundfunk der DDR and really had no idea of what to expect. But as we're usually ready for anything, a tour of an East Berlin radio we would do.

Day trip to Pfaueninsel

Our first year in Berlin we traveled all over Germany. We loved train travel and getting to know small-town Germany. This time around, we have discovered the wonders of budget air travel and have been able able to go a bit further afield (but still just in Europe).

But a little bit of cash poor means that we have shrunk our circle of travel to day trips around Berlin. This isn't a bad compromise considering there are hundreds of places within just a few hours of Berlin. We've been canoeing in the Spreewald, to a "tropical island" and a Berlin Garden House. Next on the list: the rural attractions of Pfaueninsel.

In my new gig as Germany Travel Guide for about.com, I was disappointed to see the site was already written about by the previous guide. I need to make these fun times count people! But really, there was little to be disappointed in. The weather was brilliant, we were enjoying one of our last days with an expat couple that have become our best fiends abroad and Pfaueninsel was the perfect place for an almost springtime wander.

Berlin's Allied Museum

We hadn't planned on visiting the Allied Museum. It is located by the American embassy all the way down in Dahlem and we had never even been that far south except on the U3 Ublau.

But then a friend visited at Christmas, was surprised by his wife at the airport, and promptly lost his passport. It was a bit of a roller coaster.

Impromptu visit of the American Embassy at Christmas time!

Berlin's Asian Market: Dong Xuan Center

Sometimes called Berlin’s ‘Vietnamese mall’, the Dong Xuan Center was originally run and frequented by East Berlin's expat Vietnamese community. It is now a recommended Berlin destination complete with guided tour groups.

The internet had promised us that this compound of warehouses would fulfill all of our Asian food needs on the cheap. As Seattleites, we are used to a high level of Thai and Vietnamese food and Germany's attempts (although infinitely better than when we arrived in 2007) are generally disappointing. We hoped the (fun-to-say) Dong Xuan Center would offer us the tools, ingredients and cheap eats we were looking for.

We stepped off the bus with really no idea what we were getting into. As we approached the gates, I realized we were in for something so much weirder than a shopping trip.

The U2 UBlau

Once again, we took to Berlin's UBahn to drink and rate our way through an entire line's stations, simultaneously horrifying and amusing our fellow passengers. It's fun for everyone.

Why You Should Stay in Berlin This Winter

Berliners get extra ungemütlichkeit in winter as the days grow short and ice freezes in your/Ian's beard. Many try to flee the city, but I am making the case for celebrating the darkest season in the capitol. This is partly because we are poorer than ever and condemned to have no escape from the brutal Berlin winter. And since we gotta stay, we are trying to make the most of it and you should too.

Berlin's Tropical Island & Getting Naked with Germans

We first heard about the Tropical Island south of Berlin driving down to the Spreewald. Like an enormous metallic pimple, it stood out against northern Germany's flat terrain.

What is that?!

Some kind of indoor water resort. I think it may have been where they made zeppelins or something.

Intrigued by this bizarre structure and explanation, I snooped it out online. It is indeed an indoor water park - one of the largest of its kind - and it didn't actually house zeppelins (though that is a persistent rumor).

And it is large at 360 metres long, 210 metres wide and a 107 metres high. That means that it is big enough to fit the Statue of Liberty standing up, the Eiffel Tower lying down, or all of Potsdamer Platz including skyscrapers. Damn Tropical Island - you big!

Berlin Street Food Markets: Bite Club & Markthalle IX

Ian is in the habit of familiarity. If he's cooking dinner I can guess the meal is going to be Mexican and if we are going to eat out in Berlin he has his stable of favorites. I am different.

Berlin Beer Festivals: Internationales Berliner Bierfestival

Though I've posted about  festivals in Berlin and drinking quite frequently (some would say too much - sorry parents), somehow I have managed to avoid writing about Berlin's Mile of Beer at the Internationales Berliner Bierfestival. We've managed to drink there each year, just not take pics or impressions of note...which seems like a pretty ringing endorsement.

Riding Berlin's UBlau

The UBlau. Where we ride a line of the U-Bahn from start to finish, getting off on every stop to discuss, rate, take a pic, and drink. Don't worry, this has been tested on humans. We're not barbarians.

Why would we do this to ourselves again? Haven't I said we're crazy? (Exhibit 1, exhibit 2, exhibit 3...or just read the whole blog). We've done this before, so how bad can it be?

Berlin's Hafenfest Tegel

We arrived in the sleepy NW corner of Berlin to things looking just a bit different. Some people were dressed in viking-esque garb. Multiple stages with cover bands and other miscellaneous acts had been set-up. There was much German singing.

Hafenfest, had Arrived. 

 

People gathered around little tables as the music varied from oldies, to German polka to death metal.

Our friends live right around here so we had already been exposed to the wonders of Tegel - outside of the lake and the airport. When they told us about this traditional harbor festival which included a viking village and performances we were open to it. When they told us there were fireworks we were in. We're obviously a sucker for fireworks, but we should never handle them so this sounded perfect.

Männertag & Mother's Day

Vatertag or Männertag is celebrated on Ascension Day, or the much more fun to say "Christi Himmelfahrt". The holiday has been at least partially absorbed by young, not-father guys in an excuse for groups of males to get together and be manly over beers.

Wikipedia reports on the possible historic path this holiday has taken:

Visiting Dead People in Berlin

Before I called Europe home, I had only visited cemeteries for funerals. Impersonal, manicured parks... they didn't necessarily inspire return visits, even if thoughts of its residents did. Once we arrived in Berlin, I saw the ancient and modern beauty of family plots, trails of ivy and the essential peacefulness a cemetery offers. Our apartment in Neukölln picturesquely overlooked a nice one.

David Hasselhoff Visits the Berlin Wall

I had never really given much thought to David Hasselhoff. I certainly never expected to see him perform.

But that was before I moved to Germany and my American friends eagerly insisted that Germans love David Haselhoff. It doesn't appear that many actually do, but Americans seem pretty sure.

Testing Out the U-Blau

What to do on a Saturday night? 

What to do?

What to do?

What to do?

What about a drinking tour of the U-Bahn? OK! Let's call this an art project so it doesn't sound so...alcoholic.

I am skeptical about how this day will go

Falling in Love with the NFL in Europe

In the fall, a  notice briefly flashed across the UBahn monitor: “German Bowl XXXIV”. I knew immediately that we were going.

 

Berlin Pyronale = FIREWORKS!

If it is not already apparent from our blog or just life, Berliners love their fireworks (and Ian & I should never be allowed near them as our NYE almost disaster demonstrated). They love them so much, they have a whole event focused on a world championship,

Pyronale

We went for the first time* last fall and while I hardly captured the grandeur of the fireworks, I hopefully I captured a bit of the scene...a little bit of why we love Berlin.