As Bowie said “The greatest cultural extravaganza that one could imagine”

For the ones that know about music or a little about David Bowie I’m talking about Berlin. The city has a long history starting with the Kingdom of Prussia and more recent Capital of Germany, but in the trajectory was involved in the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and even separated by the infamy and notorious Wall.

Classic Traffic Light

I spent 6 glorious days, and the city has it all. Parks, restaurants, monuments, museums, and even a mental nightlife. I’ve been looking forward to this trip in a long long time, many anecdotes of friends telling me a brilliant experience and unique place, the one that comes to mind (don’t know why) it’s an awesome party in a sewer.

Kunsthaus Tacheles a former SS central office, Nazi Prison, now an Art Centre

Not to be missed, Brandenburger Tor, Berliner Dom, Rotes Rathaus, Reichstag (you have to send an email to get access to the dome, the panoramic view and the Norman Foster design is worth the time and hassle), a stroll in Tiergarten, walk in the bank of the Spree, the impressive Neue Synagoge, Museum Island specially the Pergamon Museum to admire the Ishtar Gate of Babylon and the Pergamon Altar, a picture with the Turkish looking US soldiers in Checkpoint Charlie, Hamburger Bahnhof to  contemplate the imposing Warhol’s Mao Zedong portrait, and of course the Wall while listen Pink Floyd homonymous album.

Brandenburger Tor

Riechstag, Norman you're a genius

There are a few places to see some of the rest of the Berlin Wall after the wall peckers did their job, such as Potsdamer Platz, in Mitte near the Topography of Terrors site of the Gestapo, the most colourful is the East Side Gallery which is full with street art, and finally the shocking one is the Berlin Wall Memorial, where you can see the full layout with the death strip and a watch tower on Bernauer Street.

Pink Floyd's Street Art on the East Side Gallery

If you like street food, Berlin is a paradise, don’t forget to try the Berlin speciality Currywurst, and also a doner kebab which was invented there. Also a good repertoire of fine dining places, beer gardens, unique night clubs, and even a container ship transformed into a swimming pool along the Spree.

Currywurst from Curry 36

And don’t forget to take your picture at any of the Photoautomat.

I didn't

Berlin! Berlin! Wir fahren nach Berlin!

When I thought about Berlin before what came to mind was the Seinfeld episode “The Virgin”.

Marla: So, how was your trip to Berlin?

Jerry: Trip to Berlin?

Marla: Remember? That's why you put off doing the closets. You said you were going to Berlin for a while.

Jerry: Oh, right, right.

Marla: The wall had just come down, and you told me you wanted to be part of the celebration.

Jerry: Yes, yes, I did. But, you know, I was watching it on CNN, and they covered it so well I thought, "Why knock my brains out?"

Marla: You, know my boyfriend went.

Jerry: Really?

Marla: Yes, I told him all about you going and he got all excited and decided to go.

Jerry: Oh, did he like it?

Marla: I don't know. He never came back


Berlin
Germany

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I want to ride my bicycle

I have been trying to use the Barclays cycle hire since a long time ago. So last week on a not so common sunny Saturday I went to Waterloo and took one of the bikes. The system operates 24 hours, just use your membership key or pay the access in the terminal in any of the 400 docking stations, as they say just turn up and go.

The Bikes

Two hours journey around Westminster for a while then decided to have a bite in Covent Garden, after my stop for lunch I took another bike and went towards Chelsea, just at the north bank of the Thames, made a small stop to contemplate Battersea Powerstation while listening “Shine on your crazy diamond”.

Covent Garden 

Punch & Judy Covent Garden 

Admiralty Arch 

Parliament 

Battersea Powerstation 

 A small pit stop to have a Guinness in the King William IV pub in Pimlico. Then to end my journey I cycled around Sloane Square to finally reach my destination in Chelsea.

 King William IV Pub

King's Road Chelsea

Bicycles remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Seven” where Elaine gets in love with a bike she wanted when she was little.

Elaine: Oh, look at this!

Jerry: Boy, I miss the days they made toys that could kill a kid

Elaine: Oh, cool! Look at that!

Jerry: Yeah, I'm right there with you

Elaine: That is a Schwinn Stingray! And it's the girl's model! Oh, I always wanted one of these when I was little

Elaine: What do you think Jerry? Jerry?

Jerry: Huh?

Elaine: What do you think?

Jerry: Oh yeah, be great for your paper route

Elaine: I love it. I'm getting it

Elaine: Can you help me get it down, Jer? Jerry?

Christie: I think your friend needs some help over there

Jerry: You know, the only way to really help her is to just let her be

Burger Wars Episode IV: A New Cattle

My last stop in the search for the best burger in London was in Black & Blue. Their aim is to provide the best steaks and hamburgers in London, and they owned the butcher shop to control the quality of the meat. I had to visit them, I felt like they were calling at me.

Black & Blue

I went to the Wigmore street restaurant near Bond Street tube station. This time Taylor joined me, I’m not sure how he didn’t suggest going to Noodle Oodle, probably he knew after a week in Hong Kong I was in need of a detox of Chinese food. My first impression, good décor, all the posters were frame and surprise!!! They were the album covers for bands and artists such as Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, and Genesis, I felt like eating at home, can you imagine eating with a picture of Genesis 1974 album “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” for me just priceless. The restaurant was almost empty, but in their defence it was a late Sunday night. We ordered the burgers, with crispy bacon, melted cheese, and guacamole, you could also ask for BBQ or mushroom sauce, and foie gras, to be honest I was really tempted to add foie gras but I passed in this occasion. Also you can have a vegetarian or a chicken option, and the burgers come with fries so no need to ask for anything else but a cold beer.

The veggie burger reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Handicap Spot” where the group goes to a shopping mall to buy a present for a wedding and George decides to park in a handicap spot.

Jerry: Do you believe the deal we got on this? A big screen TV? At that price?
Elaine: What a sale, huh? And how about that store, delivering it tonight? We're gonna be swimming in thank you's
George: What did I get the veggie burger for? You got a veggie burger, so I had to get the veggie burger, I'm all over crumbs
Jerry: No-one's gonna have a better gift than this big screen TV! Good for them, love the Drake!
Elaine: Got to love the Drake!

Crispy Bacon, Melted Cheese, and Guacamole Burger

The verdict, the meat was cooked nice (medium rare as we asked), good flavours, juicy, the guacamole was ok nothing special I think they could do better on that, the fries were crispy, and the portions were ok.

The damage, 17 quids for the burger and a cold peroni.

The conclusion, nice place, excellent atmosphere, the service was good but we were the only ones in the place to be honest so how wrong can you go with that. The food was good, I will give them a 6.5, I was expecting more options and toppings, maybe a blue cheese, mozzarella, or a camembert, I don’t know, but anyway who am I to question that. Definitely I’m coming back to try the burger with foie gras.