Tom Eleftheriades
My Berlin
My Berlin
Despite minor turbulence, my landing at Schoenefeld was uneventful and getting through customs was, thankfully, even less so. The weather was welcoming but nevertheless I was apprehensive. I had no idea what to expect.
After dropping our luggage at what was to be our home for the next 6 weeks, we headed for some of the sights of Berlin.
In all honesty, on my first visit to the Brandenburg Tor, its importance was lost on me. Similarly I had to ask a friend who Marx’s companion – Engels – was as we passed statues erected near Alexanderplatz in tribute to the revolutionary philosophers. I felt a little out of my depth in Berlin’s vast ocean of culture.
As the weeks passed and I became accustomed to seeing a new place of historical significance each day, my understanding of the city and its countless attractions began to grow. Embedded in its past are many stories ranging from sorrowful and poignant to resilient and even victorious. With each story came further explanation of how Berlin has evolved into such a fascinating place where new and old co-exist seamlessly.
Having hosted the frontline of an international conflict that ended less than two decades ago, it has done remarkably to remain in such good condition and not simply give in. The hallmarks of old regimes once used as weapons in war are now preserved as traditions to keep the memory of a time where people were in constant fear and subjected to extreme suffering. The spirit of Berliners of those times is not forgotten and now forms part of a new spirit that is unmistakable and admirable given the adversity the city faced.
But Berlin is more than just a city with a history. The troubles it has gone through have provided its newer generations with a motivation to explore their freedom and they have not ignored this calling. As well as a cultural plethora it has a nightlife so vast and diverse and so many different places to visit it’s difficult to decide where to go and what to do.
Of course it has the draw backs of any major city: street-salesmen, busy roads and long queues in shops for example but somehow these things are erased from any memory I have of Berlin thus far. The experiences I can recall tend only to be positive ones.
Tom Eleftheriades
My Berlin
My Berlin
Despite minor turbulence, my landing at Schoenefeld was uneventful and getting through customs was, thankfully, even less so. The weather was welcoming but nevertheless I was apprehensive. I had no idea what to expect.
After dropping our luggage at what was to be our home for the next 6 weeks, we headed for some of the sights of Berlin.
In all honesty, on my first visit to the Brandenburg Tor, its importance was lost on me. Similarly I had to ask a friend who Marx’s companion – Engels – was as we passed statues erected near Alexanderplatz in tribute to the revolutionary philosophers. I felt a little out of my depth in Berlin’s vast ocean of culture.
As the weeks passed and I became accustomed to seeing a new place of historical significance each day, my understanding of the city and its countless attractions began to grow. Embedded in its past are many stories ranging from sorrowful and poignant to resilient and even victorious. With each story came further explanation of how Berlin has evolved into such a fascinating place where new and old co-exist seamlessly.
Having hosted the frontline of an international conflict that ended less than two decades ago, it has done remarkably to remain in such good condition and not simply give in. The hallmarks of old regimes once used as weapons in war are now preserved as traditions to keep the memory of a time where people were in constant fear and subjected to extreme suffering. The spirit of Berliners of those times is not forgotten and now forms part of a new spirit that is unmistakable and admirable given the adversity the city faced.
But Berlin is more than just a city with a history. The troubles it has gone through have provided its newer generations with a motivation to explore their freedom and they have not ignored this calling. As well as a cultural plethora it has a nightlife so vast and diverse and so many different places to visit it’s difficult to decide where to go and what to do.
Of course it has the draw backs of any major city: street-salesmen, busy roads and long queues in shops for example but somehow these things are erased from any memory I have of Berlin thus far. The experiences I can recall tend only to be positive ones.
Tom Eleftheriades
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