Two Nights in Berlin

Wilkommen im Berlin

This is the start of Hector and Marg’s fourteenth Summer Vacation. Once again Marg and Hector are resident at The Best Western (Osloer Strasse, Wedding) which they advertise as Berlin Mitte. We are in the midst of three U Bahn Stations, none of which go directly to anywhere one would wish. Eventually we find ourselves at Friedrichstrasse and Marg announces that Lunch is more important than the Brandenburg Gate. Treffpunkt Berlin I have passed many times, today the Soup called, Bier later. This was definitely the Spiciest Gulasch Suppe since Buttenheim, 1997, not the thickest and so not the best ever.

In 1982, on my first visit, there was a Wall. In 1992 Kenneth and Hector walked straight through the Brandenburg Gate, because we could. Since then this has not been possible. There is always something happening at this locus which means erecting temporary fences at least on the West Side, today the whole area was cordoned off. I suspect that some people secretly wish The Wall was still there.

As one does, Hector and Marg walked East along Unter den Linden, marvelling at the architecture as we approached Museum Insel. Then we encounter the Breadbox Monstrosity. I blame the planners. Arriving at Alexanderplatz, Marg’s coffee evidently did not achieve its purpose. We were soon on the U Bahn back to Osloer Strasse for the customary WLD.

Bier Time

Hector does not rate the Bier of Berlin that highly, and so Dear Reader, do not despair at what follows. Charlottenstrasse is parallel to Friedrichstrasse. The latter is as close as we were able to get to our destination thanks to work in progress. Fear not, when The Chaps come at the end of the month the U Bahn 6 will take us straight to the new Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt.

Everything felt right, the individual tables and chairs. The dark stained wood-panelled walls, The Chaps serving. We agreed to have a Bier before ordering food. Bert was upon us before I had a chance to check the Bier Karte. Es gibt Edelstoff vom Fass? – I assumed so, but had to ask. Vom Holzfass – was his reply. There are few Germans I have wanted to kiss, Bert beware. Finally, without the excessive gas as served at Source in all München outlets, Gravity poured and from a wooden barrel, not the metal we are used to. Needless to say the Bier was sheer joy, more followed quickly, we had better eat.

Schnitzel is something eaten by most beginners, I have come full circle. This is how to avoid the big lump of pork that prevails throughout Deutschland. Washed down with more Edelstoff, perfection. Marg was not in full holiday mode yet, Sprite was her tipple. Her time will come.

I could have stayed at Augustiner happily for the rest of the evening. Given that Eschenbräu does not open until 15.00 in the summer months, this could prove to be a problem when The Chaps come – I know, we shall go for a Curry in our Garden Suburb, by then it will be opening time.

Arriving at the Keller just before 23.00, the Hut was closed, everyone was inside. I suppose as sound has a habit of travelling upwards, they have to decant everyone else the neighbours in the overlooking flats would be driven demented. The Weizen was ordered, there was no chance of the Weizen Bock, we were just too lucky in 2010. It is good, very good, but not a patch on the Bock version. What was new at Eschenbräu was the proliferation of artwork relating to the pressing of apples. Cider is now part of their repertoire, but again only seasonally.

By the end of the first day I had resolved that these would be the only two Biers I would drink the next. When one is away with The Mob, one goes with the flow, just let me at the Edelstoff again.

The Fourth of July – Wedding Anniversary #9

Breakfast for Marg was at Alexanderplatz on the top floor of the Kaufhof. We then sped back up to from where we had come to Wedding and Curry at the Naveena Path. Given the wait and the subsequent welcome this took much longer than envisaged. The plan was to go back to the the Park Hotel and go up to the roof when it opened at 15.00. We were an hour later and then we discovered that their claim is fantasy – theirs is not the best view of Berlin. This is unless one adopts the Warsaw logic of the best view of the City is from the Monstrosity that blocks every other other view. Next time, the TV Mast.

The DDR Museum deserves its own write-up, it passed an hour, the technology was suitably appropriate, as in primitive. One could be tempted to raise a smile, but then one only looked in from the outside. The DVDs of Goodbye Lenin and the unbelievably wonderful Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others) were on sale, pity I own them both already. So where was The Wave?

A Wed Wose, how Womantic…

Retiring to Wedding, Marg sent Clive a text in response to his well wishing. She used the term – Romantic -, this put the kibosh on the evening instantly. We have learned that for us this term means disappointment. And so it was at Restaurant Sara (Osloer Strasse, Wedding) that the Chap who took our order for food not only forgot the order, he forgot he had ever taken the order.

After some forty minutes his colleague approached us having observed very little action in the way of drinking. We had to wait all over. We had lost an hour of VDT. Hector, by now the master of the U Bahn managed to save some time by taking the train one step beyond the normal stop (Leopoldplatz) to Amrumer Strasse, one minute’s VDT was thus saved. At Eschenbräu it was very much a quicky and on to Augustiner. Drei Bieren, zusamen in ein Tag fur ein Deutsche Urlaub, unglaublich!

The Brewery and Brewery Outlet visited:

Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt – Charlottenstrasse 55, 10117, Berlin

Eschenbräu – Triftstrasse, Wedding, Berlin

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