Ich bin ein Berliner (I am a jelly donut)

This is my happy place.

God bless John F Kennedy for messing up the grammar of the German language because goodness knows I've done plenty of that in the past few weeks. One of JFK's most famous speeches was given in West Berlin in June of 1963, and trying to show his solidarity with the German people (as well as his support for democracy and condemnation of communism/socialism) he said: "Ich bin ein Berliner", which he intended to mean: "I am one with the people of Berlin". They obviously understood him because the speech went over very well, but due to the fact that German articles are the devil incarnate and grammar is nonsensical, good ol' JFK (technically) told the world he is a jelly donut.

After visiting Berlin, I'm totally on board with John. First off, it is a magical place and I would 100% live there and be very happy. Second - their food is SOOOO GOOOD. If I could be a jelly donut from Berlin I would be a very happy soul.

Berlin is one of the few places I've been where I can literally feel the culture and history. The wall fell only a few years before I was born, and the marks of communism and a city, nation, and world divided and then stitched back together can be felt everywhere you turn. Every neighborhood we explored, little shop we went into, food we ate, or museum we visited had a different story to tell - and all of those stories made up my own little unique Berlin storybook experience.

So here are the highlights - my favorite chapters, if you will - of my trip to this amazing city:

FOOD

Currywurst + fries.

Currywurst is Berlin's signature food. It's basically Heaven. Take a bratwurst & throw on some spicy curry ketchup & seasoning & add some fries for good measure & you have the most delicious street food meal of your life.

Tagliatelle bolognese *drooling just thinking about this*.

Italian food in Germany? Heck yes. After currywurst, Berlin's food is basically a selection of immaculately cooked dishes from all over the world. This pasta dish was one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted. Aaaand then there was dessert...

Creme brulee AND tiramisu. We were living large.

I DIED A LITTLE. So freaking good. If anyone reading this ever goes to Berlin, be sure to check out Trentasei in Kreuzburg for some amazing Italian food & a great ambiance.

Mexican food featuring Rosie & I.

I have been craving good Mexican food for SO LONG. Vienna does a lot of things right, but Mexican food is not one of them. I had corn quesadillas with picadillo (meat + potatoes & spices I think) which ended up being kind of fried like an empanada and was unbelievably delicious.

Fun side note: Rosie called to make a reservation at this place & tried talking in German, then switched to English, and finally got the job done in Spanish.

SUSHI.

We ended up in this sushi restaurant because Jenny & I had to pee & we were getting hangry & we just walked into a random-ish place that didn't look ridiculously expensive. It was one of the best flustered decisions I think I've ever been a part of. Not only was the sushi delicious and cheap, but the drinks were great (I got a mojito - Mom I'm turning into you) and the dessert was a magical confusing masterpiece. I didn't get a photo of it because it was gone too fast, but it was a scoop of green tea matcha ice cream and a scoop of wild rice, then our waiter poured coconut milk over the whole thing. After a second of a collective "uhhh what are we eating", we devoured it.

Also, I successfully asked the waiter if the ice cream had lactose in it in German (it didn't - thank goodness). I'm learning things!

The Bauhaus Archive

The south entrance to the Bauhaus Archive.

Two years ago, I took a class called Color Theory and it changed my life. I swear, I'm not being dramatic. I'm that nerd who waits in anticipation for Pantone to release their color(s) of the year and points out how the wall colors in a random building are meant to influence you. My dear professor for that class, Frank, is an eccentric old man that I will never forget - both because he introduced me to the wonderful world that is color and also because his class was kind of hellishly difficult and time consuming (in all the best ways).

Many of the projects we did in that class came out of the Bauhaus Movement - a school and later ideology that focused on merging art, design, and everyday life so that we can have items that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. It also helped make design and other art forms more respected. Each student at the Bauhaus school took an intensely interdisciplinary course of study instead of focusing on one area, so the idea was to further creativity in as many ways as possible. It sounds like Heaven and I wish it still existed (unfortunately, it was shut down by the Nazis before WWII).

These projects displayed in the Archive are pretty much exactly what I did in my Color Theory class.

Jenny, Rosie, & I at the Bauhaus Archive.

East Side Gallery

The south starting point of the East Side Gallery.

East Side Gallery is a long, painted (and often gratified) still-standing stretch of the Berlin Wall. It was fascinating to see all of the different designs, graffiti, stickers, and ideas plastered onto this huge part of history. This was one of those places where you could really feel the culture. Each painting, and each little (or large) piece of graffiti on top of it, had something to say.

The painting, sometimes called the Socialist Fraternal Kiss, was painted by Dmitri Vrubel. It is formally known as "My God, Help Me to Survive This Deadly Love" (the words at the bottom) and is a recreation of a photograph from 1979 taken during a celebration for the 30th anniversary of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany).

I just really like this one (& its message).

Is it an accident that there's a bike chained to the fence in front of this one? I don't think so.

Bye for now, Berlin

Berlin was a dream. I would go back there in a heartbeat because I know I really only got a snapshot of this wonderful city. If you ever get a chance to go, DO IT.

Sorry for the slow posting updates - I've been busy starting classes & enjoying Vienna! Stay tuned for updates on my other trips to Brussels, Bruges, and Amsterdam!