Berlin

It's time for another installation of 'Where has Paul been?'

Anna and I arrived in Berlin and were met by Anna's mum (and our host for the next few days) in Potsdam, a beautiful city 15 miles from Berlin.

The next morning I decided some exploration would be in order so I headed for Berlin, I saw many sights and took many pictures. I feel at this stage maybe the photos might tell you a better story so here follows a few choice examples. I hope you like them :)

This is the holocaust memorial:

As is this:

After I ended up at a beautiful park in the middle of Berlin where I captured possibly the best picture I've ever taken:

The colours in the park were utterly amazing! Autumn had quite literally exploded all around me and I was so happy being there to witness it. I spent the whole day walking around West Berlin and once it got dark I met up with Anna on the train home. The next day I decided to explore the Eastern part of Berlin.

I had so much in East Berlin I almost forgot to take pictures! Can you imagine that?

Overheard in Berlin in English:

Young boy of around 11 - 'Mummy I like rape music!'
Mum - 'Oh, that's nice dear'

Anyway.........After spending most of the day walking round Berlin for the second day I decided to go and find a vegan cafe that had been recommended to me. By the time I got there it was getting dark and cold out. It was very dimly lit but I went in and ordered some soup to warm myself up. I sat in this cafe waiting for some friends to finish work. The soup was pretty mediocre although they did change some light bulbs while I was there brightening the place up a bit......I found out my friends were out of work and at the other end of town.....Off I went again back to Potsdam :)

Back in Potsdam station I saw a sign for bubble tea. The last time I saw this was in New York with my friend Kristine. I decided another sample of 'alien food' was exactly what I needed. I went for a warm rooibos fruit alien drink with passion fruit squidgy bits. I noticed two punks walking by. Each had a German Shepherd (although I suspect they are called something else here...) and each with a large crate of beer on their shoulders. The tea really lovely and different form the New York bubble tea. The squidgy bits weren't chewy like New York alien drink, no! The German version made every individual orb burst in my mouth with the taste of warm passion fruit. It was most pleasant.

After this my friend Moritz (we originally met in Samaipata, a small village in Bolivia) messaged me to say he would meet me in a bar called Olga and gave me directions. Olga turned out to be a building site so I sat in the bar next door, drank 8% banana beer (cos that's how I roll!) and listened to Tom Waits on the juke box. It's been a month and a day since I left the UK.