Travelfood

Berlin is surely one of Europe’s most dynamic capitals. Everything works fluently and the city is clean, sympathetic and tolerant. When I rented a car in Berlin, I was able to drive through the city without having to stop for traffic lights turning to red, because the city traffic is designed to flow fluently for both drivers and pedestrians. This leads to lesser fuel consumption. It shows that the Greens are a big party in Germany, because already from the motorway you can see lots of huge windmills producing wind power.

My first visit to Berlin was soon after the wall had fallen and it felt strange that the city had two different metros, which had not been connected to each other yet. Now East Berlin and West Berlin are connected, but on the countryside of eastern Germany you can still see lots of tarnished buildings that have not been refurbished as efficiently as they used to be in West Germany. When I have travelled to Dresden and Leipzig, I have not noticed that the Germans would be very different from their western neighbors. Maybe they are a bit more humble and maybe the prices are a bit lower in the east than in the west.

The delicacies in Germany should not be underestimated. Always when visiting Germany, I like to taste fish treats in the fast food chain Nordsee. The country is also known for its sausages, especially for Berlin’s currywurst, and they are at their best with good German beer. For side orders, I would like to mention spätzle, which reminds you of spaghetti but prepared of fried wheat flower slices. Berlin also has lots of good kebab places, especially in the Turkish city part Kreutzberg. If visiting German cities in December, try honey-roasted almonds, caramelized apples or German spiced wine (Glühwein) served in the Christmas market. 

In eastern Germany especially beautiful nature stone formations in Sächsische Schweiz and their pride, the Bastei, by the river Elbe are recommended for a visit. In Berlin there are several monuments of the war and the separation between east and west, but perhaps the most moving sight is the Jewish memorial for victims of the concentration camps. Well placed stones look identical at first sight but they get new shapes when looking at them from different angles. This if anything is a celebration for individualism!

Berlin, Europe, food, Germany, travel, travel experiences