Tag Archives: Berlin

Berlin…and food

Firstly , here’s the over-all video my friend Aviva and I filmed about our whole trip to Berlin – featuring the Reichstag, Berlin Wall, city exploring, and even longboarding.

But for now, FOOD! After experiencing so many delicacies, I had to just make a dedication to what I’ve been eating. YUM.

1. Authentic German Breakfast

Our friend Theresa, who is from Germany in our exchange program, kindly opened her Berlin apartment to host us. Promised a German breakfast, we took our time at the breakfast table having cappuccinos sprinkled with chocolate powder, fresh milk and organic yogurt, 2 different homemade jams, 6 types of cheese, NUTELLA, and that-morning-baked bread. YES. Although there weren’t typical meats/coldcuts which are also typical German she said, we were not complaining at all as we relished our feast.

2. “Berlin” soup

German potato and vegetable soup with sausage.

3. Kreuzberg Markthalle 9

Thursdays: Local. Fresh. And Every type of ethic food “street-food market”. It reminded me of Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market but full of less tourists and more locals and beer drinkers. It became one of my favorite destinations from the trip. After hunting through every food stand we made our choices.

DEER

The most tender, fall-apart-in-your-mouth deer on bread with crunchy kohlrabi slice on the side. – Aviva’s dish

RACLETTE

Process of melting a Swiss Raclette cheese onto a food of your choice. – Theresa’s

AMAZING SPANISH WRAP?

Although I have no idea what it was called – mouth wateringly it was a crispy thicker corn tortilla with Spanish chorizo sausage, guacamole, beans, chipotle salsa, and greens. ON POINT. – mine

4. Currywurst

Originating in Berlin, we went to the original currywurst “Curry 36” and I ordered the “Bio-Currywurst ohne darm”: organic sausage without sausage encasing. A little light on the curry powder but still a great experience. I was also recommended a great currywurst place in Freiburg, Mensa 3, excited to check that one too…

5. Doner’s on doner’s on doner’s…

A Turkish specialty, we see doner kebap pubs everywhere and anywhere in Germany. Equivalent to a fast-food, quick eat – I have yet to be disappointed by a doner joint. It includes meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie that is sliced off and topped with lettuce, cabbage, onions, cucumber, tomatoes, and yogurt sauce on a thick toasted flatbread.

6. Little potatoes and sheep cheese

I‘ve had these little potatoes many times before in Europe, moist flavorful and tasty. Alongside is salmon, just a favorite fish of mine. We also tried sheep cheese with vegetables and found it had a sweeter and curd-ier texture and taste to it.

You’re welcome, your mouth may now be watering. And Bonjour Paris next week!!

Location: berlin, germany

How? How is it already July?

Hello everybody!

I know I’ve been behind on posting, but I have midterms today and tomorrow, so I’ve been preparing myself for those. Along the way though I have discovered something about Germany that makes me never want to leave: every corner I round, every street I cross and every building I come across seems to have been taken out of a fairytale.

I’ve been to two places specifically that appear as though designed for a fairytale: Sans Souci (literally French for “without worries”) and the town that surrounds it, Potsdam.

So Potsdam has a loooooong history of being the royal getaway for the Kings of Germany. Frederick the Great built the place as his summer home. Yep – he just spent his summers here. Don’t worry though, he never got lonely, he would house his friends in his numerous summer apartments surrounding the area, some as far as about a mile away. He spared no expense when building it, which resulted in a completely lavished, Versailles-inspired palatial complex fit for numerous Kings; although only used by one. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed inside of the palaces, so pictures of the outside will have to fuel your imagination…

My favorite spot in Berlin is one that I’ve visited numerous times already, but had yet to properly photograph it. Its a little patch of grass sandwiched in between the Altes Museum and the Berliner Dom on Museum Island called the Lustgarten.

Here is the perfect expanse of grass that locals and tourists alike gather on to play games, drink, people watch and be around others. I was lucky enough to get to climb the Berliner Dom (way higher than I’d imagine from looking up at it all those times before) and try to conquer my fear of heights. While I am not completely cured of my fear, I was rewarded with a completely breath-taking panorama of Berlin from a very different vantage point.

The marrying of old and new, tourists and locals and the quiet roar that I hear in Berlin everyday are just a few of the things that will make this city hard to leave at the end of this month…but as always…

Until Next Time,

Casey R

Location: Berlin, Germany

Who? What? When? Where?

To kick off this GeoBlogging program – an introduction is in order…My name is Casey Repasy. I’m currently a senior (ah!) majoring in Art History, with a concentration in Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo art, and I am pursuing a dual minor in Architectural History (with a concentration in Meso-American architecture) and German. As you can imagine, there are many factors that have influenced me and drove me down this multicultural path. For starters I live in a small town about 45 mins. outside of Philadelphia, PA. I have been lucky enough to travel multiple times to Mexico and Europe (that’s me in Rome over spring break!) in my life and am proud to say that I am about to embark on my most exciting journey yet – studying in Berlin, Germany for 6 weeks during the summer.

Although I am nervous, I’m not taking this journey alone: from Penn State there are a total of 8 of us going to Berlin. One of them being my best friend – so far we have planned everything we can, and now I find myself packing and getting ready to go off. My program starts on June 10th, however, before I go to Berlin, I’m making a pit stop in Istanbul, Turkey.

Yes, Turkey. This is what makes me tick: I want to see as much of the world as I possibly can while our great monuments are still standing. I want to explore the great cultural connections that have followed and plagued societies since our conception as a race. This includes what I am studying – art, architecture and language. Germany is the perfect place for me to study as a great deal of art is housed in Germany, specifically about an hour away from where I will be staying in Berlin at something called Museum Island. An art historian’s dream, Museum Island is exactly what it sounds like – an island with 5 museums housed on its shores.

But for now, I’m dreaming of the Islamic art and architecture that I’ll encounter in just two short days when I touch down in Istanbul. From there, I hope to take some of what I learn about the architectural techniques of the Mughal Empire and find some sort of connection (as far-fetched as it sounds) to the great German Kaisers that built the Germany we know today.

I hope to use this GeoBlogging opportunity to document the cultures I will encounter this summer within the city limits of Berlin, as well as beyond the borders of Germany. I hope to take everyone with me and be able to inspire someone to think critically about how important cultural diversity is in our world today.

Until Next Time,

Casey R

Location: Paoli, Pennsylvania

Grüße aus Pennsylvania!

Hello and welcome to my GeoBlog!

My name is Ian Button, and I am a rising junior pursuing dual finance and German majors as well as a minor in international business. Outside of the classroom, I strive to read and write about geopolitics. Of particular interest are the concepts of “financial power” and the role of finance in hegemony.

In just 11 days, I will arrive in Berlin’s Tegel Airport for a 10-12 month study abroad experience. The Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) and Humboldt Universit�t zu Berlin will serve as my home base as I explore the city’s economic, political, and cultural scenes. I hope to use my time in Berlin as a launching pad for my eventual thesis research. As I gain exposure to the world of geopolitical risk analysis, global political economy, and strategic studies, I will refine the below assessment of the U.S.-Germany relationship.

Germany and the United States enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship anchored by strong trade ties. While neighbors such as Canada and Mexico, our first- and third- largest trade partners, are perhaps more vital to the American economy, Germany occupies a distinct and important position that cannot be ignored. Other members of the European Union – particularly France – are often wary of greater economic interdependence with the United States, often obstructing free trade agreements and other political measures. Germany, however, has voiced its support for full economic integration at a swift yet sustainable pace while also advocating fiscal austerity in the wake of the European financial crises. Historically speaking, the United States has pursued similar objectives.

Since the end of World War II, the United States has been heavily involved in German affairs. Beginning with the Marshall Plan, an aid package designed to finance the rebuilding of a then-broken Europe, trade ties between the two nations have taken on a new significance. As one of the world’s largest exporters – competitive even with the likes of China – it is imperative that Germany not jeopardize its relationship with the US, the single largest consumer of goods worldwide. This relationship may not guarantee agreement on any given issue but it does create an environment rife with trade and economic liberalization, to the benefit of both nations.

This fall will prove interesting in light of the German Bundeswahl, or federal elections. Chancellor Merkel will face rivals from other parties, each of which is jostling for position. If Merkel is reelected, austerity in Europe will reign supreme. If not, Germany may see the rise of a Francois Hollande lookalike. A pivot now, given the tempestuous economic state of Europe, would likely have a dramatic impact on globalization and trade between the EU and the US.

Ian R. Button

Location: Bellefonte, Pennsylvania

Two weeks later: Maastricht, Berlin, and life in Europe

Hello all!

So I thought I’d wait until I’d started classes to write my first blog abroad, in order to have ‘enough’ interesting things to write about… turns out there are more than I could ever describe in 10 entries! But I’ll give you a brief overview of my life abroad thus far. I will make a list of events so that I won’t forget everything:

1. Arriving in Maastricht

I took a 7 hour flight into Brussels, where a taxi van driver picked me and 4 others from the CES program up to drive the 45 minutes or so it took to get to Maastricht. Upon meeting my peers at the airport I realized that I brought nearly double the luggage that they each did, but I chock this up to being the only girl in the group lol. Traveling with that much luggage reminded me that I want to learn the skill of ‘packing light’ while I’m here.

After moving into my sweet digs (single room that was big enough for two by Penn State standards) and taking a much-needed jet lag- induced nap, I met my coordinators, Nathalie and Laura, who then showed the group of us (which now included 2 more later arrivals) around downtown Maastricht for the rest of the day. The next day we all met up again to have a nice breakfast of bacon and eggs (fabulous) and then orientation activities with Nathalie and Laura for the rest of the day.

2. Berlin Study Trip

Just as I was starting to get over my jet lag hangover, we prepared to go to Berlin for a study trip. I was super excited (and super exhausted) to say the least to visit a city so full of life, history, and beauty, and to see Germany for the first time. The plane ride was less than an hour, and before I knew it I was in another European city after only 3 days of being away from home! My first impression was that Berlin certainly was cold. The kind that made me want to wear all of my clothes I brought at once! Ah but it was beautiful, too, and the airport and train station were amazingly clean. The second impression of Germany was how orderly everything seemed to be; Nathalie told us that it’s a common (and true) stereotype that as a culture Germans are utterly Obsessive Compulsive, and MUST have everything in its right place and everyone doing their rightful job. We saw evidence of this almost immediately when the train we got on to take us to our hotel was delayed. Berliners have one of the most efficient and timely public transit systems in the world, but the way the people were acting, you’d think two minutes’ delay meant the end of the world, or at least a MAJOR inconvenience. Two hundred seconds of watch-glaring, finger-pointing, annoyed grumbling, and melodramatic eye-rolling ensued before the train started again and everyone sighed as if to say “Well it’s about time!”. I was beginning to think how much I’d like these crazy Germans.

We did so much in Berlin that it literally would have taken any normal person at least 10 days to accomplish what we did in four. Therefore I will give you the highlights. Firstly, we went on a fabulous (and I mean Fabulous with a capital F) five hour walking tour of the city, seeing the great sights of Berlin such as the Brandenburg Gate, remnants of the wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the site of Hitler’s bunker, the Reichstag, and so much more, all while listening to our tour guide, Tom Williamson, throw so much history at us he aptly described it as a “250 page book”! I never knew history could be so interesting, funny, and just flat out surprising, and learning it all from an ex-pat American with an iron wit was certainly unforgettable.

While in Berlin it is also important to mention we went to museums, LOTS of museums! And I mean all kinds. One day we went to a former concentration camp outside of Berlin called Sachsenhausen, which was turned into a museum of sorts. I won’t easily forget how I felt walking in the footsteps of thousands whose last days were spent there. It is impossible to not feel something when you look out across the barren property, empty save for a few remaining original living barracks, the only sign of nature being two tall trees flanking each side of a Nazi guard tower. However disturbing it was, visiting the grounds is something I’m glad I did, as it really made the history of the war and the Holocaust real for me, and I won’t forget it.

Another emotionally heavy excursion was to the Stasi prison in the former East Berlin, through which we were guided by a former prisoner. We saw the cells, torture rooms, interrogation rooms, and heard the incredible story of our guide, who turned out to be a famous anti-communist protest leader in East Germany, and who got elected to parliament when the wall fell, helping in the reunification of the country.

Besides these we went to at least five other world-famous museums that housed treasures such as the Ishtar Gate of Babylon, works by Monet, and countless others. It was incredibly hard to say goodbye to the city I fell in love with after only four days, but I’m promising myself that I will return – when the weather’s nicer! haha.

Well, that’s all for this post, the next one will be all about the start of classes.

Tot ziens, vrienden!

Location: Maastricht, Netherlands

A Lack of Preconceptions

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I’d never really thought about going to Germany until I found myself in front of a computer, booking a flight to Berlin a few weeks ago. Although I can think of a vast amount of historical associations with Germany, I had no preconceptions as to what it’s like today. And I think that’s why I loved Berlin.

Brandenburg Gate

The tempo of Berlin is much calmer than the (occasionally) frenetic atmosphere of Paris. It didn’t feel like everyone on the road was in immediate danger of death by erratic motorists. Almost everyone spoke English, and they didn’t seem to resent having to do so (as my German skills are extremely limited and practically nonexistent).

Gendarmenmarkt

Berlin was completely ravaged after the two World Wars and its years under the Nazi and Communist regimes. The country just finished paying off the reparations from World War I a few weeks ago, about 90 years later. Whole sections of the city were simply gone, and the ones that survived the bombings were cut in two by the wall. The city is now a strange combination of the strikingly new with an undercurrent of its long and painful history: the architecture mostly dates back to the last half of the twentieth century, even though many buildings were made to appear older. Berlin is marked by the past and a strong sensitivity to it. We took a walking tour that showed us the bunker where Hitler committed suicide, now under a parking lot for an apartment building. There’s a small sign that was just put up recently, because there was a lot of debate about whether marking the spot could possibly perpetuate or glorify him, or draw Neo-Nazis.

Berlin Wall

The walking tours we took were extremely informative; we saw monuments in both East and West Berlin, from the Brandenburg Gate to the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, the Wall, the East Side Gallery, and the former Stasi headquarters. The Holocaust Memorial was haunting. It’s a large space just down the street from the Brandenburg Gate, filled with thousands of rows of concrete blocks resembling a cemetery. When you walk through the rows, the ground begins to slope down until you’re twenty feet down in the shadows, surrounded by the dark columns for hundreds of meters in each direction. There are no plaques, no words, no markings to explain the monument. The number of graves, 2711 I believe, has no meaning to highlight the utter absurdity and incomprehensibility of the scale of the Holocaust. Although the monument is controversial, I think it’s appropriate – it makes you experience something that will be engraved into your memory rather than just looking at a statue or reading a plaque.

Holocaust Memorial

Location: 35 Bredowstrasse, Berlin, Germany

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