New Years in Berlin

We were told that we must go visit Berlin, so we did.

Need gummy bears and a "maybe baby" pregnancy test? No worries, Berlin has vending machines at most U and S-Bahn stations with both items and a whole lot more.  

Had a couple of beers in Berlin but wasn't impressed. Picked up the Black Flag shirt at a swap meet in a bar we accidentally ran into. We asked for a recommendation of a place to grab a home cooked meal and was told that Zum Schusterjungen in Prenzlauer Berg serves nice dishes. 

Yum!

43 year old currywurst virgin no more. 

Sure Berlin has Check Point Charlie, The Wall, Brandenburg Gate...etc. we eventually got around to all that but it certainly wasn't no Currywurst Museum. 

Eat your heart out IKEA.

Going for the gold.

Ana's new occupation.

We stopped at a Christmas market for some good eats.

Käthe Kollwitz-Mother with her Dead Son is a World War II memorial. 

Do you like pricy thrift store shopping? Prenzlauer Berg is a goldmine.

We spent New Year's Eve at Schokoladen and saw some electronic music. The opener was a one man show of impersonations of other musicians...a parody of covers.

If you miss the sounds of living in a war zone head to Berlin for New Years. Call it a surround sound of explosions for the 5 days we spent there. The above is the firework remains on the sidewalk outside our apartment. I may be a little old fashioned, but throwing large firecrackers into a train station is a little unnerving.  

Nothing says "f**k the needy" like burning their donation drop box with fireworks. This may sum up Berlin.

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe memorial has caused a lot of stir and prompting other groups to erect their own such as the Memorial to Homosexuals persecuted under Nazism.

If the Currywurst Museum has you on the fence about visiting Berlin, then the Ramones Museum will seal the deal. What do the Ramones and Berlin have in common? Actually, nothing. Maybe I'll open a Klaus Nomi museum in Tijuana.

5 euros gets you a lifetime entrance fee plus a beer. 

We did a conventional bike tour of the city on one day and a walking tour of the alternative Berlin the next. Our first stop was Tacheles Squat, once the epicenter of the underground art scene recently had its doors closed. To read more click here.

The nazis really like the reinforced concrete bunker concept.

The alley leading to the Anne Frank Zentrum in Mitte.

There is a plan by the city to renovate/gentrify buildings along the Spree. Some are a little upset about this. 

According to our guide, the world's largest stencil. 

East Side Gallery is the famous 1.3 km stretch of the Berlin Wall that remains. 

During our stay we did have a chance to catch a couple of films during the American independent film festival Unknown Pleasures at Kino Babylon. These murals are painted on opposite walls leading to the balcony.

Just in case you wanted to know we saw Dark Horse and The Loneliest Planet. On the plus side several moviegoers brought their own takeout and beer...an indoor picnic.  

Just in case you're counting.