Germany

I left Paris on the high speed train from Gare de l’Est, another beautiful example of magnificent art/architecture . The train traveled at speeds of 180-200mph, I’ve never experienced anything quite like it, it was a little scary at first, but I’ve adjusted! I arrived in Essen, Germany, where I house and pet sat for three sweet cats - Sammy, Vito, and Ellie. My host, Miriam, and her daughter have a welcoming and comfortable flat that became my home away from home for the next nine days.

Exhausted from very active few days in Paris and being “on the go”, I knew I was exhausted and was worried I’d get sloppy - and, I did, I left my backpack on a bench in the Frankfurt train station, with my laptop in it. Fortunately I remembered quickly and jumped off the train and grabbed it. I was also WhatsApp chatting with my friend, Robyn, and totally didn’t get off to change trains in Mannheim. I was able to reroute myself and still manage to get to Essen fairly easity. Fortunately, all’s well that ends well. I specificaly took a few days in Essen to just chill, no planning or navigating, and getting some rest!

Over the next several days, I explored Essen and the surrounding area, with the aim of experiencing what the locals experience, as Essen is not a tourist destination. While it is definitely time well spent visiting historic sites and doing the touristy thing along the way, it is feeling more rewarding to live like the locals live and to experience the similarities and difference to life in the States. Essen is a city with an industrial history, a little gritty, and seems now to be upcoming urban and contemporary. The people I encountered were warm and welcoming, and allowed me to practice the little German I’ve been learning with the help of Babbel. The most intimidating was not being able to understand the written language. I went to Aldi’s for some groceries and was challenged with knowing what I was buying, and you might as well forget about self-checkout. Google Translate came in handy, but what a chore trying to figure things out that way. And there was difficulty with appliances again! The choices for the dishwasher and clothes washer were in German and I had to reach out to my host to figure out how to start the dishwasher.

I spent an afternoon visiting the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a massive former industrial coal mine and coking plant in Essen, like a small city, really. After it ceased operation as a coal and coking plant, it was transformed in to a cultural and creative center with museums, sculpture garden, biking paths. The buildings have been preserved, the rail tracks of the complex are present. It was easy to imagine the rhythm of the place when it was in full swing, it must have been something with all the sounds of the equipment and what was likely billowing black smoke! A highlight of the complex for me was a visit to the Red Dot Design Museum. It exhibits 1500 contemporary products that have won the prestigious Red Dot Award: Product Design. Everything from books, furniture, electronics, appliances, tools, vehicles, packaging, branding, and many everyday objects. The temporary exhibit is called “Brands & Communication Design” that showcases the 2024 winners of the Red Dot Award. It was so fascinating, those of you interested in design and technology would be over the moon! I’ve included some photos that describe the museum and exhibits, taking photos of the objects was verboten.

I took a few day trips by train. First to Cologne. I purchased a self-guided walking tour through the Old Town. It is a charming city, with a juxtaposition of old and new architecture. The Cologne Cathedral is magnificent. I stopped at a cool old oompah style bar to have a Kohln beer. It's locally brewed and a source of pride for Cologne, and a tradition for the locals. For someone who doesn’t drink much beer, it was delicious! My second day trip was to Hattingen, a pretty nearby village with half-timbered houses, typical for these old German villages. Unfortunately, It was Good Friday and absolutely everything was shuttered up. Note to self to understand the local holidays and traditions in the planning process, as this was a bit of a bust for me as there was a specific cafe I had my heart set on. And lastly, Werden, another charming village, similar to Hattingen.

And then to Berlin, for which there is so much to share, I’m not sure where to begin. I spent a week in the city, initially taking in the history - the rise of Nazism, WWII, the Cold War, and the end of the Communist East Germany with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Each of these things have shaped the city architecturally, artistically, and culturally. I did the major touristy things that relate to this, it was all pretty fascinating and somewhat hard to imagine that I was in the midst of where all that horror took place not so long ago. Checkpoint Charlie, an American checkpoint between East and West Berlin and the tensions with the Soviet Union, and the Brandenburg Gate, which stood next to the Berlin Wall and became a symbol of reunification and freedom with the fall of the Wall. The Stasi Museum was fascinating. The Stasi were essentially the secret police and one of the most intrusive intelligence agencies in history, whose mission was to maintain total control over the population by preventing rooting out any opposition to the Socialist Unity Party. The museum houses the vast majority of elaborate files kept on individuals as they were preserved because revolutionists stormed the headquarters when the Wall fell so they could not be destroyed. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, was particularly disquieting and evoked an emotional response. It is an abstract display of 2700 large concrete stones, in varying heights and placement, that is chaotic and unsettling, which I think was intentional to mirror the horrors of the Holocaust - brilliantly done. I ventured to the East Side Gallery. It is a stretch of the Berlin Wall that has been preserved and transformed into an open-air gallery featuring over 100 murals by artists from around the world, with each symbolizing freedom, hope, and political change. These murals are protected as a living monument.

Berlin is an eclectic city and one definitely worth visiting - probably more than once. Since much of the city was bombed in the war and the fall of the Wall opened up opportunity for development, the architecture is an eclectic mix of things, from old to new(er). The city is composed of diverse neighborhoods, each with its own unique vibe and style. Exploring some of these neighborhoods was the best part for me. I’m very interested in the counterculture and subculture that has contributed to the identity of the neighborhoods, so I spent a great deal of time walking through them and soaking it all in. Berlin is a haven for people on the fringe—artists, activists, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals, and others who might not easily fit into more conservative or conformist environments. This welcoming and tolerance is rooted in the city’s complex history, particularly its post-war division, its countercultural scenes in West Berlin during the Cold War, and its transformation after the fall of the Berlin Wall. You can see this expressed in various ways throughout the city, with many socially and politically expressive building murals and street art, which we may call graffiti, but it is much more than that in Berlin. It is prevalent on nearly every building and public space imaginable and seems to serve as social commentary - expression of political dissent and activism, welcoming those in society on the fringe, and a connection to the oppression of the past, the East Side Gallery being a prime example of this. After World War II, Berlin faced major housing shortages due to war damage and population shifts. Many buildings were abandoned or left in poor condition, creating opportunities for squatting. The squatters were often young, politically left-wing individuals who began occupying vacant buildings in West Berlin. I found my way to one of the more famous squats, called Kopi, which is today a legalized squat. It seems to have been highly publicized, as evidenced by the very high fence that obstructs the building from view and from the request of the squatters to be left in peace that you will see in one of my photos.

The true highlight for me, and Berlin would not have been the same without this, was connecting with my Arlington neighbor, Emma, who now lives, studies, and works in Berlin. We shared meals - amazing Korean at Wa Wa and even more amazing Vietnamese-French fusion at Kai Maison - and memories, hopes and dreams. I was able to see where she works and lives and she shared “her Berlin” with me. She treated me to a guided walking tour of her neighborhood, Schoneberg, where we learned about the pre and post-war character of the neighborhood. I watched the Netflix documentary, Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate, that was recommended by our guide. It was excellent and I’d recommend it to you if you want to begin to develop an understanding of Berlin, past and present.

It was in Berlin that I learned of the death of a very dear friend, Joan Black. I am devastated by this and in being so far away from home and her family. Joan would have loved hearing about my experiences in Berlin, particularly about its counterculture and subculture. She was an activist her entire life, a strong promoter of democracy, women’s rights, human (and animal) rights. I spent the week carrying her with me through Berlin, having the conversations with her that I had hoped to have with her on her front porch in Arlington. Thank YOU, Joan, for all that you have been to me for so many years.

The last few days in Berlin were spent with two quirky and lovely dogs in the lovely flat of Emma and Fede in the Freidrichshain-Kreuzberg neighborhood of the city. I was across from Volkspark Freidrichain, the largest park in the city, and it reminded me of Central Park in New York. I loved the vibe of the neighborhood - gritty and loud, partying in the park.

As I write this, I am on a ferry in the Baltic Sea, traveling from Kiel, in northern Germany, to Gothenburg, Sweden. Stay tuned for updates about my Scandinavian adventures.

Peace and love to all, and especially heartfelt love for my friend, Joan.

Laurie