Berlin Gastro-Rallye: A Night of Food, Culture and History

Last Updated on February 19, 2018 by Audrey Scott

A view of Berlin — its cycles of destruction and renewal and the evolution of its food scene — through the lens of a one-night gastro tour.

If you wish to learn about a place, eat your way to the answer. This maxim resonates no less so than in Berlin, a city whose history tells of a rise from the ashes and from oppression and whose present-day witnesses a continual carving out of its own identity.

For as much as we’ve learned and eaten during our time in Berlin, there was apparently still more to eat, still more to learn.

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Beer Me, Berlin!

Last Updated on June 22, 2020 by Audrey Scott

You know it's been a long day at the beer festival when guys in lederhosen start doing the moonwalk.

— The essence of the moment, Saturday night at the Berlin beerfest.

More than 2,000 beers from over 300 breweries hailing from 86 countries — all spread out over two kilometers in the middle of the city. No, this is not Oktoberfest.

So many beers yet so little time. That's the Berlin Beer Festival.

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Every Döner Tells a Story, Don’t It? It does in Berlin.

Berlin döner kebabs, a local classic

Last Updated on April 11, 2018 by Audrey Scott

Istanbul is like Kreuzberg, but less Turkish.

— A Berlin cabbie puts the city's Turkish neighborhood in perspective.

Take a walk down any street in Kreuzberg, Berlin and you'll find scads of döner shops offering shaved, spiced meat (usually lamb) served inside rolled flatbread or in a bread pocket. At a distance, all döner shops look similar – meat sears away on a giant spindle, colorful salads await, and a few guys of Turkish origin zip around putting it all together.

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Berlin on a Bicycle: The World in an Afternoon Interlude

Last Updated on June 21, 2020 by Audrey Scott

Berlin, cut clouds moving quickly. Crisp autumn air. Wide streets. Unfathomable history.

We set out on borrowed bicycles. They give me pause: Audrey’s back tire has a leak and my handlebars wobble like something out of the Wizard of Oz.

I begin to move. My apprehension fades, those handlebars steadier than I imagined.

It's like riding a bicycle,” I laugh to myself.

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The Berlin Street Artist: A Parable of Passion and Practice

berlin street artist

Last Updated on June 24, 2020 by Audrey Scott

Andy has been a street performer for over fifteen years. He’s originally from Britain, but he’s called Berlin his home for the last four of those years. We watched his show at a festival in Berlin’s Westend neighborhood this past weekend. In his performance, Andy combined juggling, balance and slapstick – all suffused with his dry British humor.

His finale: fire juggling on a tightrope held by members of the crowd.

While I enjoyed the wit, the feats, and the crowd reaction, it was a post-performance chat with Andy that really left an impression.

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