Day 25-28: Kreuzberg, Checkpoint Charlie, Tempelhof, Berlin bars

I enjoy being what is called a slow traveler, I have a base in Berlin for a while for the reason of better discovering the location, cutting down on expenses and being in no hurry to cover everything. It also allows me to quite conveniently explore nearby countries and when I come back to Berlin, I don’t run around trying to locate something on a map, I know where I’m going. It feels good calling Berlin home, at least for some time.

Since coming back from Stockholm, I have explored Kreuzberg a little bit, which means I’ve been there at least 5 times, once two times in the same day, I quite enjoy the surroundings there and Oranienstr. which appears to be the main hub for entertainment and drinking and eating. They even have a Madonna bar there, but sadly enough they serve mostly whiskey there (and as you all know I now am a beer fan). Out of the places I’ve been to, I thought Bierhimmel had a pleasant atmosphere. Kreuzberg also has a small joint called Anglio Pizza – well, don’t go there unless you’re really hungry, the pizza wasn’t bad, but it definitely wasn’t fantastic, also smaller than the regular size, so it was a bit of a disappointment for a regular price.

A noticeable trait about Berlin bars and pubs is that they’re almost always cold. Of course it encourages you to drink more, so the reason is pretty clear, but nevertheless when I enter a certain place, I like being warm there and after I’ve made an order, drank it and then only then began to feel the warmth spread through my body.

I have also taken a stroll down the entire Friedrichstr. and stopped by Checkpoint Charlie (with a McDonalds right behind it), a famous landmark that had a group of American tourists stalking the "guard".

In the last week here I have also taken a walk at former Tempelhof airport most famously associated with the Berlin blockade and also boasting a fantastic location, it’s situated almost in the center of Berlin (I could reach it in about 10 minutes with public transportation from my home) and it could have been a good place to visit, except it wasn’t. Nothing to see there except grass and two old airplanes behind a fence, I wonder why they call it a park nowadays and where exactly those investments went – or maybe the money is to be invested, I don’t know. Anyway, it’s pretty boring out there, but very convenient for jogging, cycling and rollerblading. I guess it is sort of cool, jogging down a former runway. Maybe I should do that myself; that or continue to eat peanut butter like the world is about to stop turning.

One of the areas of Berlin I haven’t discovered yet (only very briefly) is Prenzlauer Berg, but I have time on my hands, so one of these days you can spot me in PB snooping around.