All work and (almost) no play

Today the Wifi search has brought me and a friend to Café CK in Prenzlauer Berg (my favourite of Berlin's more central districts). I have already had my meagre knowledge of coffee beans and roasts insulted, but other than a little staff snobbery this quiet gourmet coffee shop makes a pleasant change from the endless crowds in St Oberholz. We've just spent (quite) a while in St George's English bookshop just down the road. Resisted the temptation to buy any more books because of the implications for the weight of my suitcase on the flight home.
Quite a lot has occurred since the last post. One of my flatmates and me visited the Pergamonmuseum and the Alte Nationalgalerie on Sunday, giving our weekend a serious cultural injection. After a quick but hearty lunch in Fraulein Burger - an all-organic, all-homemade, all-delicious burger bar - we spent four hours from late afternoon into the evening working in St Oberholz, watching the nighttime crowd filter in around us.
By Monday morning my cold had well and truly settled in. Used an embarrassing amount of loo roll as no one seems to sell single packets of tissues in Berlin and I didn't want to commit to buying 12 packets in the supermarket. Had my first ever doner kebab for lunch from a Turkish place around the corner from the offices - an incredibly tasty way to feed a cold. Decided to skip the afternoon trip to Mercedes World (the planned visit to the Garten der Welt couldn't go ahead because of the drizzly weather) and went for a guided tour of the Berliner Philharmonie instead. Architecturally the building is a masterpiece; every curvature of its concert hall was designed to create the best possible acoustic experience, from the tilted walls to the wooden sails hanging from the ceiling. It's most definitely one of my favourite buildings in the city.
After the tour I retreated back to St Oberholz and hid myself upstairs with a chai latte (newly discovered hot drink of choice). That evening, as none of us in the flat had made plans to go out, we stayed in with plenty of cheese, salami, bread, salad and Rittersport and pigged out in front of some German-dubbed American television. Blissful.
Yesterday involved a very long day in the office. When we finally did leave at nearly 5:30, it was to head out to Kreuzberg to find a German restaurant - dubbed by Marcus as "touristy" - called Max und Moritz's. The six of us who had headed out there enjoyed some good wine and very traditional, flavoursome German food. Overall immeasurably more successful than our previous attempt to find a German restaurant in Kreuzberg (see the "Mutti" incident from 6 September).
This morning was our final writing workshop; even though we've only had three in total, it feels like the end is already approaching. There's still so much to do before the project is finished - writing the final reviews, editing and finalising the layout designs to name but a few tasks - but the flights home are drawing close worryingly fast. Having been here two and a half weeks I now appreciate that one month in this glorious city is simply not enough. When I leave next Saturday, although I will have done so much in my time here, I will leave behind so many places I wanted to explore, so many things I wanted to try. It's safe to assume that Berlin will draw me back before long.

The morning after the night before

I use the term "morning" purely for poetic purposes. After last night's events, it was after 2pm before I hauled myself out of bed.
Unfortunately the sobering-up process is now beginning.
Last night was my first German clubbing experience. A group of us, after a protracted afternoon in picturesque Potsdam, left the flats at about 2am - standard going-out time in Berlin, we're told. After nearly two hours of detours, pointless wanders and numerous questions asked to passers-by, we found the club we were searching for.
KaterHolzig had come highly recommended to us by my roommate. We were told it was a club on the riverside that played techno (like almost every other big German club) and was open well past the early hours. When we arrived at 4:30 this morning (and all got let in, miraculously), the place was still packed. We bought some not very competitively priced drinks and danced until around 7:30, when we decided it was probably time to go home. Having been up for over 24 hours by the time we returned to the apartments, I was out like a light when my head hit the pillow (the alcohol consumed may also have contributed).
As a first experience of Berlin's late-night life, it was pretty spectacular. We joined scattered others stumbling home on the S-Bahn this morning, taking advantage of the ever-reliable public transport, reflected on the night and decided that we had succeeded in having a cracking night.
The trip yesterday to Potsdam is also worth a mention. We visited Park Sanssouci and Friedrich II's summer palace, the Neues Palais, enjoying the unexpected afternoon sunshine and snapping as many photographs as was socially acceptable. The Neue Palais itself was something to behold; the building had a lived-in feel that is lacked by so many stately homes and palaces. It is a requirement that you wear peculiar slippers over your shoes in order to protect the parquet flooring. Owing to their cumbersome presence on our feet, we skated rather than walked around the Palais.
Getting home involved over an hour of waiting for public transport, during which we all wished for the efficiency and regularity of Berlin's trains and trams. However, it was most definitely a worthwhile afternoon.
Currently in St. Oberholz - again. I have the sneaking suspicion that I may have to head home soon; after spending significantly more than I had planned last night, I have no burning desire to stay here and drink marginally overpriced coffee. The prospect of camomile tea and biscuits at home is overwhelmingly tempting, not to mention a sofa to work on rather than a rigid chair.
And the autumn cold that I'm fast developing is not helping matters.

Judgement Day

Today in St Oberholz I am joined by a new friend. Its name is Chocolate Brownie, and unfortunately I don't expect it will be with me for long.
This has been the afternoon of decision-making in the office. We recapped who was reviewing what essential sights, places and locations in and around the city, finalised some internal deadlines, and discussed our stylistic rules. It turns out that once you get down to the nitty-gritty of writing processes and production, there are an awful lot of particulars to be agreed upon. Deciding upon them all feels a bit like splitting hairs, but it's all necessary for the production of a professional product. For an example: will we be using contractions? When we write the date, which comes first: number or month? How will we write opening times - 24-hour or am/pm? Etc etc...
Now that the practicalities have been decided we are all free to crack on with our individual work schedules. My own appears to be turning out rather nicely; I've mostly chosen to review cafes, eateries, and musical centres. Aside from all the money I'll be spending and the weight I'll probably gain, it's a pretty decent way to spend the next few weeks. Obviously there's all the writing to be done, and I've put myself forward as an editor (so I'll be scrutinising everyone else's work as well as my own), but I'm looking forward to keeping busy. Plus I'll be doing what I love - exploring and writing.
(And eating and drinking and being a classical music snob.)
I'll try to get as much work as possible done before next Friday, when the boyfriend is coming over. By then there'll be so much to show him - more than could possibly be squeezed into a week, let alone a weekend.
We'll be spending one night in a hotel and hostel in Prenzlauer Berg, which I'm reviewing for the project. We'll have to scrutinise everything, from the bed linen to the breakfast (which means actually getting up for breakfast, something we tend not to bother with in hotels normally). Since he will more than likely have to deal with me contending with work for the first night at least, I've booked us into somewhere nice for the following night. Shan't say what it is on here, because if (as I hope) he's reading this blog I don't want to let the cat out of the bag. Ordinarily he's not a big fan of surprises, but this one he ought to appreciate.
Considering I'm the one who paid for it, I'll be appreciating it as much as is physically possible.

Berliner Weisse is my friend

Back in St Oberholz again after one heck of a day. This Berliner Weisse with rhubarb syrup (tastes much better than it sounds) is well-deserved.
Myself and my flatmate had a big day planned. We set off for Alexanderplatz, ogled at the TV Tower for a few minutes, then walked down to Museum Island for a tour of the Berliner Dom. Unfortunately it was closed until 1pm for a service; it was only noon, so we decided we had to time to go down to the Victory Column (which I am also reviewing) and then come back for our tour later.
Little did either of us anticipate just how long a walk through a historical centre can be.
Over two miles later we arrived at the Column. With the temperature settled at a balmy 28 or so degrees, we completed the final mile or so through Berlin's beautiful Tiergarten, or Game Garden in English. Having reached the Column, we explored the museum and climbed the 270-step spiral staircase to the viewing platform. The view at the top was breathtaking under such a blue sky. Before, behind and around us, Berlin was basking in the heat. We took the requisite number of tourist photographs and squeezed our way back down the stairs to begin the walk back. Something was happening in front of the Brandenburg gate. Seating stands had been erected, men were alternately singing and shouting from a large stage, and the smells of chips and curry-wurst floated in the air.
We had a brief stop in a cafe for apfelstrudel (something my flatmate had been wanting to try, and luckily we found a pretty good example) and treated ourselves to a look in Fassbender and Rausch - one of the biggest and best chocolatiers in Germany. They have a chocolate model of the Titanic, for goodness' sake.
We made it back to the Berliner Dom as the heat of the day was waning. Inside, the cathedral is magnificent: the dome itself has eight mosaic panels, each containing over 500,000 individual tiles. The dome was essentially destroyed by a liquid incendiary in WWII, funding wasn't provided for its restoration until 1975, and the final mosaic was not completed until 2002. It's a blight on the city's history that it would allow one of its most recognisable and religiously significant buildings to go unattended for so long.
The walkway along the outside of the dome provided an almost better view than that from the Victory Column. The industrial and historic centres of Berlin melted seamlessly together in front of us in an amazing collusion of old and new Berlin. Quite something to behold in the late afternoon sunlight.
From there we took a quick (and unfortunately fruitless) trip to the Philharmonie near Potsdamer-Platz to enquire about concert tickets. Probably should have realised the office would be closed at quarter to seven on a Saturday evening.
Back on a train to Warschauer-Strasse to meet up with a few others, one of whom was reviewing a burger restaurant there called Burgermeister (located in a converted public convenience). The burgers were incredibly tasty and definitely needed after so many miles on our feet.
A quick stop back to the apartment to pick up my laptop, and here I am at twenty to midnight. My beautiful, fruity Berliner Weisse is almost finished - surely a sign that it's time to call an end to a very long day. The thought of staying for another may have crossed my mind if the cafe wasn't closing in twenty minutes, and if the trains weren't stopping in just under an hour.
A large group of us are heading to a flea market at Mauerpark in Prenzlauerberg tomorrow. A small amount of money may have to be spent - well, everything will be cheap at a flea market, right?

Are we ready for the weekend?

The end of the first working week has arrived. Busy, as was predicted. It feels as though there hasn't been a spare second among German lessons, workshops and guided walks. To be honest I'm exhausted already, but a social engagement has arisen for tonight. A few drinks to end a hectic first week in Europe's hippest city. There may be a club involved, but since no one in Berlin heads out before 2am I get the feeling I may have flaked before we reach it.
Last night's expedition was by far the worst event of the project so far. A group of us trekked out to Kreusberg, around an hour by public transport from the apartments, to find a fabled German restaurant called "Mutti". After scouring the entire (very long) street, we asked at a bar if they knew of the restaurant. They'd never heard of it. Disgruntled and famished we walked the half-mile or so back to the U-Bahn station and headed down to Warschauer-Strasse, where we got some cheap and surprisingly good pizzas.
Currently sitting in St. Oberholz on Rosenthaler-Platz, again. Getting here involved a bus, a mishap at a tram stop, a short journey on the wrong S-Bahn train, and in total about 30 more minutes than it need have taken.
Having had some lovely quiche and iced tea, I feel about ready to call it a night. Will probably be in bed at some horrendously early hour for a Friday night in Berlin (1am). The weather today has been spectacular, unbroken sunshine and a temperature of 28 degrees or so. The city looks beautiful in the sunlight; its Soviet constructions, architectural anomalies and grandiose monuments are all brought to life by it. Tomorrow I'll be heading up the Victory Column and the Berliner Dom (both for work), hopefully followed by a biergarten or beach bar (well, work should include regular breaks).
(And that wasn't a typo, there really are beach bars in Berlin).
The next working week ought to be more organised and settled than the last. Our own individual timetables and work schedules will begin solidifying as we decide what we'll be reviewing and fall into a pattern of work, play and writing.
Right now I don't particularly want to think about work. Tea, biscuits and bed are occupying rather a lot of my mind, but I sense they may be a long way off.
I'm sure a few glasses of wine will suffice.

Das problem mit kaffee

Over the last twenty four hours or so, I've started to come to a worrying realisation.

I could quite easily spend entire days sitting in Berlin coffee shops, reading or taking advantage of free Wifi, drinking coffee and eating kuken.

Considering this is primarily intended as a research trip, during which I'm supposed to review more than just cafes, I'm slightly worried by just how easy it is to settle down in one of Berlin's many cafes and lose track of the hours. As I have today.

"Cafe-culture"is one aspect of European life that I could very happily become accustomed to. In most Western European cities there are more coffee shops than you could ever hope to visit, standing out on the main drag, curling themselves around cross-roads or hiding away in the back streets under a layer of ivy or fading paintwork. It's almost certain that each one will serve coffee as good as any gourmet coffee shop in England, if not better.

In Berlin many cafes offer free Wifi, attracting in lots of people like me: students, postgraduates or young tourists wanting a place to soak up the atmosphere, get a caffeine fix and surf the net. In this city you are spoilt for choice, but a favourite of the people on the CTR project is St Oberholz on Rosenthaler Platz. High-ceilinged, simply-decorated and with plenty of seating, it attracts a flood of customers all day every day, the majority of whom are under 30 and using laptops. It's open until midnight, and it also serves beer, wine and cocktails; when you've been slaving away all day and work has to continue into the evening, the prospect of staying where you are and swapping one sociable drink for another is a very attractive prospect.

At the moment, my choice of a west-facing window seat in St. Oberholz is seeming a little silly. For the first time in three days the sun has come out and I'm being blinded. Screen glare is just about manageable, but my super-serious/pained squint must be quite a sight for passers-by.

The atmosphere in Berlin's coffee shops is great because it facilitates a variety of uses. Whether there's a group of you chatting over coffee or wine, or you're on your own getting on with your own thing, you feel completely welcome to sit and do whatever you need or want, for as long as you need or want.

I'm pretty sure I'd never spend time anywhere else if I lived in Berlin. For this reason alone my bank balance is probably glad that I don't.

A productive start

After two days in Berlin, the feeling of being "settled" seems a little more achievable. I'm sharing an apartment (and bedroom) with two other girls; I couldn't really have wished for better people to spend a month in a foreign country with.

Yesterday was primarily a cold and rainy blur. Orientation meeting in the morning, a hurried lunch break, during which all seventeen of us new City Travel Review recruits piled into one tiny cafe on the corner of Rungestrasse, and then a four-hour city tour in the best imitation of horrible British weather that Berlin had to offer. The tour itself was brilliant, covering some of the biggest historical and cultural highlights, and our English tour guide was undeterred by the drizzle. On a better day, the length of time we spent standing still to admire the architecture and listen to Chris' encyclopaedic knowledge of German history would have made an incredibly enjoyable afternoon.

A group of us headed straight back to the apartments at the end of the tour, agreeing a need to change our optimistic and soggy clothes for something warmer. Seven of us ventured out to Warschauer-Strasse after dinner to hunt out a bar. The gumption and expert haggling of one girl got us cocktails for 3€ each, an impressive discount from the 4,50€ advertised outside. We shared the suspicion that getting a group of girls to sit in their open front window was the primary motivation for the staff's willingness to slash the prices. The cocktails were all similar lurid shades of pink and orange, but upon testing we could confirm that each cocktail was indeed what it has claimed to be on the menu.

Although it was only Monday the bar we were in and those around it were filling up by 10:30. We chatted over the first and second drinks, then decided we had better head back to the tram stop so we didn't miss the last one home. I made a hasty detour into a hotel on the way to borrow their toilets. All in all a good first night in the city, and things can only improve from here on in, right?

Today has included an intense German lesson - well, intense if you're a total beginner like most of us are and the teacher refuses to speak a word of English. It's an effective way to run a language class, but after an hour and a half my brain was begging for a sentence I could understand without first analysing the infinitive.

The first project meeting with our team leader Marcus was an eye-opener. He told us about his conservative upbringing in West Berlin, how the city changed culturally after the fall of the Wall, and shared a gargantuan list of things to do and see and places to visit in the city - everything from museums and art galleries to churches and government buildings, to flea markets and vintage shops, jazz clubs and burger restaurants, cafes and lakes.

Having the chance to hear about all this from a native Berliner was pretty invaluable. It's all very well being in one of the most artistically diverse and historically rich cities in Europe, but when there are centres in every one of the twelve districts that have their own characters and points of interest it can be difficult knowing where to start. Apparently within the week my knowledge of the city, its hotspots and the public transport systems will be more solid. One can only hope.