lampoondish

the reputation of berlin itself still burns with its recent history. it just makes the experience of the city, of its people all the more immediate and powerful.
friends thought berlin more grey (well, it is literally more brown, grey) and preferred the other german cities (munich, duesseldorf), but i felt berlin had a stronger undercurrent of spirit- people just seemed tougher, even if rough-edged. you could see the general standard of living to be poorer- lives typically dont coast along here. the rampant graffiti in some places, the dulled facades of some buildings.. its like rubbing your hand on rough gravel- its no manmade velvet, but it was real and reverbrated with Life. somehow, individualism still manages to come through instead of coming across, as in most big cities, as one vast mass. the raw energy is quite thrilling.

whats contained in the city is thrilling enough- the pergamon museum.. and the entire mitte with the artery being Unter den Linden is great 360deg the whole walk.

i realise ive filtered that experience through my own perspective; but berlin did leave an impression on all levels- the sense of history still lingers, there really is an overt sense of the alternative in people’s lives, and the food is generally cheaper, heartier than in most large cities.