Once in Berlin…

… so, once we arrived to Berlin, my friend left on her way, and I took mine. It was a time for nice german holidays!

I contacted my host Henry, and went to his place. It took just a bit more than  5min. to understand the metro system of Berlin and after that I felt like at home.

My 4 days home was one room flat, with quite cozy kitchen, a lot of japanese spycies, and big windows. Henry has made me a launch – pasta with fish and salad… Isn’t it a nice feeling when you are somewhere and somebody you don’t know yet is preparing you launch while you’re taking first shower in 2 days?

As Henry was working, I didn’t want to disturb him, I went for a walk in the city. Actually, to be more precise, he gave me his old, crapy bike and I went on a ride with it. Half of the way I was thinking that I will break, another half – I was surprised how it didn’t brake. Anyway, it broke just next day.

I’m terribly bad with maps, I don’t understand, why if in map it’s shown that you should turn to the left, in real life you should turn to the right… The consequence of me, not having good relationship with them, is quite cleer – one hour of looking for one street which was supposed to take me to East Side Gallery. Anyway, I didn’t lose my hope and last guy, whom I asked where was that street, said that I should go just 4 km further and I’ll see it… Sonnellea, or something like this is still one of those streets which you remember with fear.

Berlin, 2013

Anyway, after that 1 hour of riding everywhere, passing park, full of wheet smell, I found what I was looking for. The Wall. The paintings. The words for freedom. The sense of humour.  The atmosphere. I was trying to imagine what did those people who paintend it, felt. What was their emotional state in that moment. What was the feeling to live in Berlin in 1989. I was 4 in that moment… What was the feeling to see people from the other side of the wall. What was the feeling to wake up next morning of August and realize, that you already live in another world… It should have been so amazing, emotional and interesting.

East side gallery

 

… evening eating hamburgers and drinking german beer went just fine. To be hosted by someone you don’t know is amazing experience. You never know what you’ll meet, where you’ll sleep, but probably for sure you’ll get some inspiring stories.

Berlin has something. Something special. It is not city like, for example, Rome, full of ancient stuff, ancient stories and histories. No, it’s the heart of the history of XX century. It’s the reminder of what was done and alert that it shouldn’t repeat. The history can’t repeat itself, but first of all we have to learn and to understand it.

This is what I liked the most of Berlin – being honest and not trying to avoid the responsability. Like, I guess, one president of Germany has said: we are not responsible for what has happened 50 years ago, but we are responsible for what will happen next. Just brave and wise nation could say this.

to be continued…

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