Berlin Loves Klangkunst in the Spring

The city of Berlin captured my heart when I first visited in 2002. On each return visit I have discovered more reasons to love it. There is a certain magic that takes place when you surrender yourself to Berlin’s charms and let chance meetings and synchronicity take you on a series of strange and wonderful adventures…

Kreuzberg still rocks!
I have to confess to never having visited the East-Side Gallery, that remaining stretch of wall at Warschaeur Strasse where the tourist buses set down throngs to view the 1990s artwork left celebrating peace after the fall of the wall. The place I like to go is on the other side of the canal along the back of the wall, where you can view more recent graffiti and enjoy a take-away coffee from one of the nearby shops while sitting under the willow trees, accompanied by fishermen and escapees from the Berlin disco scene.

The strangely satisfying redbrick ramparts of the Oberbaumbrücke provide a nice backdrop (with a recent sighting of actor Martin Donovan walking across, probably visiting Hal Hartley, whom I hear hangs out in Berlin these days). The first café you come to directly under the bridge towards Schlesische Str. will top up your caffeine levels with cool Berlin music and local ambiance. Or walk on down Falckenstein Str. to the best pizza and ice cream bars in the city, two euro a slice freshly made thin crust delicacies, mouth-watering sorbets and gelato. Continue on to Görlitzer Park to burn off some of the indulgence, and enjoy the family mix in the park.

The Görlitzer Bahnhof area is not as trendy as it used to be, that scene has moved deeper into Kreuzberg around Schönleinstrasse. After your walk in the park, there is some excellent food opposite the pool on nearby Spreewaldplatz. The Assam Indische Specialization on the corner is cheap and tasty, while the Morrokonisch Rissoni does a huge fresh Haloumi Teller or couscous with vegetables for around four euro.

Across the road from the U-Bahn the best breakfast buffet you will find in Berlin is at Morgenland. If you end up in this area at night, take a moment to discover the World’s Smallest Cinema, a few blocks farther down Manteuffel Str., which could be playing cult westerns or schlock horror, the fake rain in the doorway is worth the visit, and make sure you go all the way to the basement. Crossing over to Oranienstrasse is NGKB New Society for Fine Arts, a democratic contemporary art gallery with an excellent art bookshop.

Berlinische Galerie, the state museum of modern art, photography, and architecture, shows work related to Berlin, with a current exhibition: HANNAH HÖCH–ALL BEGINNING IS DADA!