"Ich hab' noch einen Koffer in Berlin..." Berlin by challenger

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First time I went to Berlin I was 16 or so and visited a grand-uncle of mine in the East. I do remember that I thoroughly enjoyed the Pergamon Museum then, though was mighty miffed when a local kept harassing me outside and begged that I’d change some hard currency that I honestly didn’t have on me.

My abiding memory was when my grand-uncle showed me the Brandenburg Gate and then loudly started cursing the soldiers underneath it as lazy No-Gooders who never did a single honest day of work in their life. I just prayed he’d shut up. Needless to say that by the time we reached the Russian Embassy area he had already drawn enough attention to himself and was asked for his ID which was mandatory for every citizen… and which he of course never carried around as a matter of principle.

We quickly got separated and interviewed in different areas to verify that his story about his name and address was indeed correct. I saw myself being escorted away by the Stasi, but after what felt like an interminable time I was released and reunited with him.

I did say I was only 16, didn’t I?

About two or three years later right after I finished school, I went to visit some friends from school in the Western part of the city. They belonged to some alternative commune and ended up boring me stiff. All I wanted was a night out in town and I soon bid them adieu and went off on my own and was glad to see the back of them.

After these two visits I can’t say I was incredibly keen to ever come back again to either side of it. Berlin had left me absolutely unimpressed and I thought I could comfortably live for the rest of my life without ever setting foot into it again.

Boy, was I wrong…

After nearly two decades away the opportunity finally arose to visit the old/new capital of Germany again and it left me absolutely invigorated. It’s pretty much the only German city I would wholeheartedly recommend to everyone. It’s a work in progress. Can’t say I could name another city that is changing so fast and so rapidly for the good . It felt cosmopolitan and – especially amazing if you consider the current dire state of German affairs – positive and optimistic about itself.

It’s a love that took a long time to develop. Can’t wait to come back.