So, Berlin. We arrived on Sunday pretty damn sleep deprived but chucked our bags in the hostel and went out to get our bearings. Found out way to the Maerpark Flea Market, great deceptively huge market full of peoples junk, instruments, clothes, and even some artwork, one stall had a mans homemade prints and zines which were absolutely beautiful but overpriced. Great place, loads of things I wanted and probably should have bought. Later on we made our way toward the Boxhagener Platz Flea Market but missed it, so went for food at Roots which was a great little veggie place with huge painted carrots on the outside. Some of the best homemade chips I’ve ever had with a mega burger, and really good value. Then we went to White Trash, worth going to, it looks great inside and out and is a really interesting bar/restaurant, brilliant live band in there, good booze and puddings, but a little unsure what the entrance fee was for, and the staff weren’t the happiest. (probably forgotten stuff)
Monday we got up and went down the road to a big charity shop and bought a supermarket breakfast of pretzels and juice (pretzels are amazing). Found a photo automat and made our way to the touristy bits. The Brandenburg Gate was good to see up close, beautiful building and interesting stories about the various embassy’s leading up to it. The memorial was quite surreal to walk through, I almost think it looks better from the inside than out, and it gives you a fuller idea of the scale of it. Strange to try and make your mind up about how people treat it, some people stand on the blocks, put their feet up against them, run around etc. I still can’t make my mind up if it’s disrespectful or not? I personally just felt like I should be quiet and look around it.
After the memorial we tracked down the BG for the Nan Golding exhibition (the main point of the trip). There was 72 works in the exhibition and you’re given a piece of paper with the simple titles of the photographs, such as “David in the van, Bad Herzfeld, Germany, 1992”. This was great as you’d keep track on who was who, and notice the difference in year. For instance, there were 3 photographs in a row of a man called Clemens in very similar poses, 2 in 1996 and 1 in 2009, so it was interesting to see the difference in features, hairstyles, and so on in the photographs. The pictures really do tell a story and they are great photographs in their own right, however it wasn’t until the end of the exhibition that I really felt quite how effective they are. They had one of Nan Golding’s films showing on a television at the end of the exhibition explaining the lives of many of the subjects as well as herself, and once you know their stories, the photographs seem much more real and emotional. Great exhibition.
After this we walked along the river for a long time and eventually grabbed a slice of pizza somewhere I forget, but it was great pizza. Then went to find a place called ‘Nils’ on Oppelner Strasse and had the most incredible falafel, and the biggest portion of the whole trip, got it all over my hands and face but it tasted amazing.
Later on that night we found a great little bar called ‘Yesterday’ that was a little like a hippy cave, couldn’t quite tell what it was from the outside but once in it was an eclectic mix of fairy lights, parachute ceilings and Jim Morrison murals. Then we moved onto 8mm which was a mysterious black smoke pit of a bar, but had a whole lot of character. Old films were constantly projected onto a wall as a dj played some pretty decent music. We went to one more sweet little bar after but I can’t remember the name of it, bit of a 50s/ikea mix but nice and relaxed, again with good booze and music.
All in all a great place and a great trip, I wanted to stay longer and as soon as we landed in England I wanted to go back. The hostel was a winning find, cheap but nice, good location, and we got a great view.
http://www.meininger-hotels.com/en/home/
More photos on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/guygrimshaw/
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