Raw Berlin

I just need more time.  That's all I can say about this city, and the staff here in Berlin.  I need more time.  

Like a year.

At least.

First, let me introduce you to the cast of characters.

Blakley: whatever you need - he's you guy!  Party? Call Blakley.  Life advice?  Definitely Blakley.  Paris, Berlin... wherever... ride bikes with Blakley.

Ingo: our fearless host.  What else can you say about this lovable German?  

Kylie: the New Yorker.  No, we don't really speak the same language, but we try to meet at the Mason-Dixon line.

Me:  I fall down a lot.  (Thanks Blakley.)  And I like to dance.  And wear neat hats.  And purple jackets.

The beginning of a great night....

Our fearless leaders (Ingo and Blakley) are maybe two of the world's most generous people.  They are happy and kind and ridiculously fun. They love their jobs and their city - they eat, sleep and breath Berlin.  

Imagine a city that is constantly changing, growing, moving and transforming before your very eyes.  Minute by minute - it is different.  It is relevant - it's history is relatable.  You ride through the city and see bombed out buildings, squatters villages, shanty towns and graffiti.  You ride past the Berlin wall crossing from the East and the West several times just to get to your destination - yet even during MY lifetime, this has not always been possible.

The Holocost Memorial.

Bike tour with Blakley in front of the Reichstag or German Parliament.

Sniper tower from the Cold War.

Berlin Wall.

Bike tours by the Berlin Wall.

A bombed out building.  Not everything has been restored from the war.

Modern Berlin - overlooking the river.

East side gallery - the longest remaining stretch of the Berlin wall.  Now filled with amazing paintings and art.  Behind these are beach bars where people hang out all night.

This is truly the city that never sleeps - as I discovered as we rode our bikes home after a night out to a beautiful sunrise and to the sound of roosters crowing "Kiki-riki" (this is what German roosters say... French roosters say "Coco-ri-co"... where did American roosters get "Cockadoodle-doo?"... but this is a separate conversation.)

Evil geniuses at work.

This building (in the middle of Museum Island) would display anything you could create with the words it provided you.... thus, "Bend Ueber...." compliments of the evil masterminds above.

Absinthe.

This is an old bombed out building (squat) that they've turned into a 5 story bar.  Complete with dance floor.  And tons of bands.

Staircase to the top.

Its art is available to everyone in full view.  Banksy said, (and yes, he's British... but this applies) 

Bus stops are far more interesting and useful places to have art than in museums. Graffiti has more chance of meaning something or changing stuff than anything indoors. Graffiti has been used to start revolutions, stop wars, and generally is the voice of people who aren't listened to. Graffiti is one of those few tools you have if you have almost nothing. And even if you don't come up with a picture to cure world poverty you can make somebody smile while they're having a piss.

This city recognizes its history - both good and bad - it doesn't wallow in it.  It is modern and ancient all at the same time.  To live in Berlin, I think, would be to be a part of history in the making.  Paris is Paris... it always will be what it is right now.  I think this is the best way to describe it: 

Paris (to quote Blakley... who I think was quoting Wolf) is beautiful, but Berlin is raw.

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Do you like chocolate, french fries, beer and waffles? Then Belgium is for you.

But ya, there's not much else to say about Belgium.  I realize more and more that my mindset going into a place plays a HUGE part in my perception of it.  Not a huge fan of Barcelona.  Go figure.  

Have you every come to a place and realized that for this exact moment in your life THAT place is exactly where you need to be?  It encompasses all of your thoughts, your mod, your tastes, the sights, the smells, the attitude - everything that YOU currently ARE is what that PLACE has always  BEEN.  It's like a city soul-mate.

I found that place in Bruges.  It's a place to be quietly alone among like-minded travelers - not Americans, mostly Europeans.   Everyone rides bikes down the wrong side of the road - which could possibly be a metaphor for my life.

Its not too sunny, not too cold, not too big, not too small - and more than anything, everything is smothered in chocolate.

It's called the "Venice of the north" for a reason.

They even have statues to bicycles.

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Gracias... Merci... Barthelona

So... Santa might not eat tapas, but I DO!!!!

I would most definitely say that the bike tour was my favorite part of the trip... but that was also the only day that it was sunny.

In front of the Arc du Triomphe du Spain

Opera house... I love the crazy Barcelona architecture.

A fountain that 2 guys and Gaudi designed... but just like almost everything else in Barcelona, it was under construction.

The market right off Las Ramblas was one of the coolest places... it was like the Versailles market - except they sold smoothies... I miss smoothies.

Other interesting things you see in Spain... a full pigs head.  My only question is, what exactly do you do with that?

Candyland... literally.

Then there's Gaudi.  I'm not really sure if that's where the word "gaudy" comes from... but it definitely applies.  This is the Sangrada Familia - a church that has been under construction since 1882 and is only about halfway done.  

Notice the giant Christmas tree between the spires.

The back looks much more cubist than the front - they knew they would never be able to duplicate Gaudi's style.

The Park Guell... I wish it had been sunnier - my pictures are all kinda washed out.

This park and the buildings were also designed by Gaudi... imagine a real live Dr. Seuss land and you have the Park Guell.

Liz and I on the beach.

Erin and I with sangria

Another Gaudi house.

Lots of very natural forms... the attic looks like you're literally inside a fish.

And we found a cool attachment thing that distorts pictures... count how many mouths Erin has... very Picasso-esque.

The Tour de France also came through Barcelona the last day we were there, but it was raining so we didn't want to go search for where it was coming through the city.  So around 4:45pm, I jumped on the metro to start heading towards the airport for my flight back to Paris.  Let me just say, the train system in Barcelona... not so good on the labeling.  I got totally lost and about 2.5 hours later I end up at the airport - missing my flight by over an hour.

So I had to stay for an extra night in this hotel by the airport...
I can't even tell you how frustrated I was.  You'd think that flying would be faster and more convenient - but no... it just ends up being a huge hassle.  

All in all, Barcelona was ok.  One of the FTBT Barcelona guides and I were talking about the difference between the two cities.  Paris is very intellectual - snobby sometimes, a little full of itself, but it still has those very bohemian undertones as well.  Barcelona is more of a party city - its a beach town!  Go clubbing, drink sangria, lay out on the beach.  Its not really my scene.  So I'm glad to be back in home sweet Paris.

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