Construction does not interfere

We start from the station on Friedrichstrasse. The border between East and West. Berlin is not at all a single metropolis, it is rather a dozen of isolated towns that have grown together. The one who lives in Berlin-Grunevald may not be in Berlin-Pankov for many years, this area for them is like someone else’s city. The division of Western and Eastern Berlin remains. The West is calmer and more comfortable for life, the East is distinguished by constant motion. We are now in East Berlin. See, everything is built here, old buildings are demolished, new cafes, restaurants, shops arise in their place. Such a European Shanghai. But the citizens eternal construction is not annoying. Berliners are generally distinguished by big tolerance.

Lunch in Gorilla

I go to Friedrichstrasse every day to dine, because I work nearby, at Unter-Den Linden. Cafe Gorilla you can eat cheaply, delicious and without compromising health. Something like fast food, but only from natural products, without pesticides and chemical additives. Gorilla is a whole network, it appeared recently and became very fashionable, because everyone is prevented on a healthy lifestyle. This, however, does not prevent us from flying currillers (sausage under Curry sauce) – I have not met anything more fatty and calories. Just in the transition from the station at Friedrichstrasse make the best curryvist, I often buy.

Squat

With Friedrichstrasse, we fold on Oranienburgerstrass, to the former Jewish quarter. Interesting place – "House of Art" "TAHELES" (Oranienburger Str. 54-56A) . At the beginning of the last century there was a department store, which quickly broke. The building moved from hand to hand, belonged to the banks, then large companies, and during the war there was a SS headquarters. It is strange that the house has surrendered to the war, and it became later to collapse when it began to reconstruct. Then he was decided to demolish, but after the unification of Berlin, they somehow forgot. The house is empty. Artists settled here, sculptors – naturally, no rent with them did not require. Some years ago "TAHELES" bought a large investor, but decided not to throw artists to the street, and leave everything as it is. Now this house is loved by tourists: numerous workshops, ateliers, art galleries are collected here. But still "TAHELES" Not the same: if artists support financially, the spirit of resistance goes. The quarter himself was called before the barn, there were many barns here. Today it is one of the most expensive and chic areas of Berlin, where fashionable designers and media signs live. But in general, Berlin is a fairly cheap city, not the fact that Moscow, and the rent we have a low.

Hakesha Höf and Museum Island

Oranienburgerstraße brings us to the quarter Hakesha Höf, where the market works on Thursdays, but the charm of this place in another. Recently, local yards have become the center of young Berlin. Hippie and others "Neformala" Sit here in the evenings in a cafe, make purchases. Here are variety, cinemas, restaurants. We turn on Burgshtraße and get to the very center of East Berlin, to the Berlin Cathedral. Very elegant temple, once it was our Protestant answer Catholic Rome: Say, not only you know how to build lush baroque churches.

Admire Berlin as Venice, best with water. You can sit in one of the numerous ships on the waterfront, and ride along the spree. The whole city is like a palm.

From Lustigan Square only a few steps to my beloved place, Museum Island. I think there is no other city, where such a number of museums would be focused on such a small space. Exposures can not be visited: the beautiful island is wonderful to walk in any weather.

No asbestos

Opposite the Berlin Cathedral, you can see what remains of the most luxurious GDR building once, – Palace of the Republic. It began to destroy it in 2006: a planned demolition that will end at the end of this year. In the past century, the royal castle of Hohenzollers was located here, but the GDR government built its own, socialist palace at this place. Two years ago he decided to demolish it to restore the historic building. By the way, the demolished was also motivated by the fact that the palace of the republic seems to be built using an asbestos harmful to people and the environment. But, it seems to me that it is impossible to destroy this building, even though it is ugly: it is also part of German history. Even from the Berlin Wall almost nothing left today. I think, part of it would have to be preserved at an initial form, with clock booths and barbed wire, so that people knew how once the border of Berlin looked.

Berlin’s taste

Salad in a frying pan

No worse than in Gorilla
At the heart of PFANNENSALAT – Vermicells of coarse grinding flour with bran. Vermichel is boiled until readiness and put on a frying pan. Clearly chopped vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers) are added here. A few minutes all together fried on the random fire. The finished dish is placed on a plate, watered with olive or sunflower oil and add fresh lettuce leaves. Are eating "Salad in a frying pan" not hot, but a little warm.