Berlin… a degustation for the senses
Apart from being as sick as a dog and coughing up my lungs all night long, Berlin was amazing. Fortunately, it was the second time I had visited so I didn’t have to undertake all of the annoying but necessary touristy stuff that everyone does the first time they visit a city. Keck had the city locked down and was based in the super funky area of Friedrichshain. Despite the clubbing being renowned throughout Europe, we managed to keep a lid on it and stuck to the restaurants and bars. It was refreshing to be able to enjoy good food at reasonable prices – somewhat of an impossibility in the UK.
I’ll attempt to sum up the dining experience. Thursday dinner: fantastic Italian – sublime antipasto, tagliatelle ragu and misto dolce. Friday breakfast: fresh croissants and rolls with coffee from across the street. Friday lunch: organic lentil and curry soup. Friday dinner: a massive serve of Thai with some refrigerated beverages. Saturday breakfast: repeat Friday breakfast. Saturday lunch: zwei currywurst mit frites. Saturday dinner: Chinese noodle soup with some awesome tea, but perhaps a tad too much MSG in the soup. Sunday breakfast: sleep. Sunday lunch: bagels. Sunday dinner: some gourmet pizza followed by a serving of crepes (who would have guessed).
Other highlights of Berlin include seeing all the quirky shops and cafes around town that I never had a chance to before, watching Keck kick some arse at indoor soccer (football) and discovering the Moscow Mule (vodka and ginger ale garnished with a strip of cucumber – wonderfully refreshing). Also, seeing the hostel I stayed in on my previous visit brought back some good memories. Ahhh… the 2004 Berlin vodka challenge and, of course, the Euro 2004 final. Who were those Greeks and where did they come from?
Then I was off to see the wizard (I mean airport) at 4am. Thank goodness the German public transport system is perfectly efficient. I mean the online route planner was spot on. Train arrives on time, bus arrives on time, it calculates the exact time for me to walk from the station given height, weight and average stride length and speed. Ok, so the last bit was a tiny exaggeration, but you get the point. Efficient! Manchester take note – the Germans know how it’s done. I clicked my heels and there I was… back in Manchester (via a cheeky layover in London) and straight off to class. What a productive “Reading Week”!
Apart from being as sick as a dog and coughing up my lungs all night long, Berlin was amazing. Fortunately, it was the second time I had visited so I didn’t have to undertake all of the annoying but necessary touristy stuff that everyone does the first time they visit a city. Keck had the city locked down and was based in the super funky area of Friedrichshain. Despite the clubbing being renowned throughout Europe, we managed to keep a lid on it and stuck to the restaurants and bars. It was refreshing to be able to enjoy good food at reasonable prices – somewhat of an impossibility in the UK.
I’ll attempt to sum up the dining experience. Thursday dinner: fantastic Italian – sublime antipasto, tagliatelle ragu and misto dolce. Friday breakfast: fresh croissants and rolls with coffee from across the street. Friday lunch: organic lentil and curry soup. Friday dinner: a massive serve of Thai with some refrigerated beverages. Saturday breakfast: repeat Friday breakfast. Saturday lunch: zwei currywurst mit frites. Saturday dinner: Chinese noodle soup with some awesome tea, but perhaps a tad too much MSG in the soup. Sunday breakfast: sleep. Sunday lunch: bagels. Sunday dinner: some gourmet pizza followed by a serving of crepes (who would have guessed).
Other highlights of Berlin include seeing all the quirky shops and cafes around town that I never had a chance to before, watching Keck kick some arse at indoor soccer (football) and discovering the Moscow Mule (vodka and ginger ale garnished with a strip of cucumber – wonderfully refreshing). Also, seeing the hostel I stayed in on my previous visit brought back some good memories. Ahhh… the 2004 Berlin vodka challenge and, of course, the Euro 2004 final. Who were those Greeks and where did they come from?
Then I was off to see the wizard (I mean airport) at 4am. Thank goodness the German public transport system is perfectly efficient. I mean the online route planner was spot on. Train arrives on time, bus arrives on time, it calculates the exact time for me to walk from the station given height, weight and average stride length and speed. Ok, so the last bit was a tiny exaggeration, but you get the point. Efficient! Manchester take note – the Germans know how it’s done. I clicked my heels and there I was… back in Manchester (via a cheeky layover in London) and straight off to class. What a productive “Reading Week”!
posted by Aaron McGovern at 1:19 AM
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