What I Love About Berlin
What makes a city truly exceptional? Everyone will have their own opinions on this, but for me it’s a combination of beauty (both natural and manmade), history, culture, diversity and a free and open-minded way of life. Berlin has all this and more. I took a German history in college a few years ago and have been fascinated by the country ever since. In its relatively short existence as a nation state (founded only in 1870, it is the youngest of the European powers), Germany has lived through more drama and tumultuousness than most states could ever imagine to. In less than a century and a half it has gone through 5 radical government transformations, implemented every mainstream political ideology, from Fascism to Communism and everything in between, almost taken over the world twice and lost… twice. It’s been completely decimated and rebuilt. It has acknowledged the horrors of its past and taken serious measure to make sure nobody forgets, and nowhere is all of this more evident than in Berlin.
Topography of Terror: A place of remembrance on the site of the SS central command
This last trip was only my second time in Berlin so I feel like there is still so much more to discover. You could live there for years and still find new neighborhoods and experiences that you never knew existed. This trip was the perfect combination of work and fun, which is my ideal way to travel. On the first night I went to an annual dinner for the Museum Berggruen. This museum houses one of the most incredible Picasso collections, alongside other 20th century greats like Klee and Giacometti. Museums are special places that give you a lens into the past, how artists felt and saw the world in their time. We all interpret art in our way, but museums are a place where everyone can come together and embrace different ideas and perspectives.
Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei stopped by the Museum Berggruen event!
The menu for the Museum Berggruen dinner that night featured this classic Picasso painting, “Dora Maar with Green Fingernails”.
At the entrance to Museum Berggruen. Wearing BGG Couture
Another highlight of the trip was bike riding around the city. It’s something that I rarely do living in LA and forgot how satisfying it is. You are able to see so much more and really get a feel for the city in a way that you never can in a car. There is a beautiful park right by the Brandenburg Gate, in the middle of the city, that as soon as you enter you feel as though you have been transported into a field in the middle of nowhere. You forget that you are in a major metropolitan city, except for when you get glimpses of the buildings peeking out through the tree tops. It’s magical. I remember thinking to myself how much I want to hold on to this way of life and connection to nature when I go back to LA. There are so many opportunities to spend time outdoors that I don’t take nearly enough advantage of. It’s amazing how much we take for granted what’s in our own background.
This trip to Berlin was such a tease as I wasn’t there for nearly enough time. There’s still so many more restaurants I want to try, museums I want to visit and neighborhoods I want to explore. Berlin is a city that never fails to surprise me and I can’t wait to see what it has in store for me on my next visit.
A Doner Kebab in Berlin is possibly my favorite meal in the world. For a full list of my favorite Berlin restaurants, visit my instagram page- Never Waste A Meal