Barcelona : Wandering About

Domestic flights within the EU are a real drag. Ours from Berlin to Barcelona got delayed (again...!) and we arrived at our guesthouse 4 hours late.




Casa De Marcelo is a 2 months old guesthouse located right in the middle of lanes and lanes of quaint little shops. Marcelo used to work at the Ritz, which explains why it feels (and smells) nothing like a guesthouse.

We spent the rest of the day wandering about and soaking in the sights and sounds -












Old men and florist shops. How cute is that?




Sonar Festival 2010 - the reason why we're here!


Time for rest and rejuvenation, siesta style.

Berlin : Day 4

Britzer Garten was so serene and so h-u-g-e, but we only managed to cover less then 1% of it. We "went off the beaten track", got silly on wine and ended up rolling around on grass instead.






Currywurst with a twist at Hotel Adlon - they used ostrich meat instead. So delicious!


Berlin's nightlife scene is inimitable. The panaromic views from Week End Bar and Watergate and her no-camera policy. You just have to visit them to know it.


Ever wondered how the chinese takeaway you see in movies taste like? We saw chinese takeaway everywhere, so I got my share (fried noodles) at China Box. A waste of €3 - it was so bad!






The extremely expensive Holocaust Memorial was constructed for €25 million, not before much controversies and delay. It was designed to evoke an uncomfortable experience and "aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason". Walking through the concrete slabs was creepy - but was ridiculed by tourists (yes, not just one!) playing hide-and-seek.




Berlin has been a real eye-opener. The diverse cultural extravaganza, the edgy concrete, and the nature that is never too far away.

I already miss this place. We leave for Barcelona tomorrow, I guess that's no reason to be feeling down. Danke Schön , Berlin and I will be back for you, Michelberger Hotel!

Berlin : Day 3

All the shops are closed on dead town Sundays, so we used this day to visit landmarks and parks instead.


At Friedrichstrasse.




The majestic Brandenburg Gate, one of Europes most famous landmarks. Not a fan of U2, but I wished I was there last year when they performed.




After a tireful walk (3km..!) at the Tiergarten, we landed at the Zoologischer Garten Berlin.


Have you ever seen a gorilla in person? Let alone a Silverback? The king of all primates. This one was a real show - shoving other gorillas, banging against the glass enclosures. You really don't want to mess with this fella.



The real wanderers,







The beautiful Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. It was bombed in 1943, and has since been restored and rescued from decay.


The only shopping you can do in Berlin on Sundays are probably at flea markets, and we did ours at MauerPark. Live music, made-on-the-spot pizzas, 1€ beers, stalls that stretch to a kilometer.




Stumbled onto Bearpit karaoke - which operates on a simple basis. Random people karaoke infront of a group of 1000s, people go crazy, and then everything is filmed and uploaded on the great WWW. Repeat that every Sunday.


Germany was playing against Australia this evening - and it seems like the whole of Berlin was watching from our hotel courtyard (compare this with the previous serene photo I posted of our courtyard)

Thank god Germany won!

Berlin : Day 2

Bicycle lanes - will Singapore's eratic weather ever allow this? Our bike rentals only cost us 10 euros per day. A super inexpensive and simple way to get around the city.






Cycled all about Roxa-Luxemburg and Rosenthaler Platz. The Berliners really do love their vintage. You can find a second hand vintage store right next to an upmarket, established brand - I really appreciate the diversity.




Had a list of shops to visit on Torstraße, but we were only greeted by thousands of people marching on the street. Took awhile for us to figure out what it was all about. The Berliners aren't too pleased with the federal government's savings plans and so they took it to the streets.


We're Not Paying For Your Crisis.


On a lighter note, soccer fever is everywhere.


... even in retail shops!


Still in love with every bit of our hotel. They are having a band from Sweden play here today, organise alternative city tours and have the best breakfast spreads ever. What's there not to like?

Berlin : Finally Here

After 30 hours of running about unbathed and unbrushed (breakdown - 11 hour flight from Singapore to Milan, 2 hours of transit, an hour and a half flight to Barcelona, 6 hours of idle there, and a 2 hour flight to Berlin - not before a 2 hour flight delay....) - am Finally here in Berlin.

While at Barcelona -


Does this wall mural look familiar? It had a little cameo in Vicky Christina Barcelona - one of my favourite movies to recite lines from. Too bad it was undergoing a minor face-lift.


Spontanous buskering duo whilst on the train to Passeig de Gràcia. Promoting their CDs - Clever!

Arrived in Berlin at night time with the sun still up (don't think it ever went down..)


Our stay for the next 4 nights


Could there be a cosier or more thoughtful lounge area then this? I love that every bedroom comes with their own selection of books.




The little courtyard up front set up for the World Cup matches - looking forward to that this evening.


The recently restored East Side Gallery



Thanks to an extremely good night's rest and one of the freshest breakfasts ever, I think we're all set to explore this intriguing city.