Berlin

Berlin is as amazing as everyone ever told me it would be. The people were wonderfully nice, and the city itself is a general buffet of everything you could ever want. Your personal hobby, fetish, want or need will be represented there, I'm sure of it.

The trip was a surprise for my Mother's birthday and I must say that the gift went over better than I could have expected :)

In this blog I'll give you a few ideas of places to go, how to get there, what to eat (and to avoid in my humble opinion) and of course some images to go along with all of that :)

Hope you enjoy!

Preflight beer - a must when one is going to travel to EU!

One lucky girl - I got bumped up to first class :) Thank goodness too because it is the only way to sleep on a plane in my experience.

Termal 5 at Heathrow Airport. Connection to my flight to Berlin.

BA Baby!

My little puddle jumper to Berlin :)

One tired girl - this is my pre coffee look :)

Made it safe and sound...

Raining - just the way I like it :)

A very happy and a very surprised Mommy :)

Perfect! One of the first things we see when we get to Berlin - guys unloading beer for the day's shipment at Tegel! Love it!

Our new base of ops for our tour of Berlin. I found this great hostel called Eastern Comfort Hostelboat. It turned out to be a perfect little find right in front of the Berlin Wall. The people were super nice and the food was great and cheap. They even had a language party while we were there so we got to talk to lots of people from different countries and backgrounds. Couldn't have asked for more! Although I will caution the person who wants to book the same hotel - get one of the nice suites. If you are like me, staying on the bottom of the boat under the water line is just a little creepy. This was the Double Private suite. I would recommend it - and you have your own bathroom! A must for us girls :)

I think she likes it! :)

Ask for it by number - room 29 :) The best!

View from our room - and of course the west side of the wall.

Ok not my best photo - but had to include it cause we look so happy and it was the first "us" pic of the trip :)

Before you see the next pic you need to know that the last time I went to Germany I wasn't really in the "explore and try everything" mood. This trip was different! I was determined to get my hands - and mouth - on the freakiest food I could find. The first day Mom and I went out, explored and found a big market where I found this...

This is head cheese. The one I picked is made from Pig's tongue. I know it sounds horrid but it was wonderful!

See I liked it...

Ok back to the trip at large :)

View from the front of Eastern Comfort Hostelboat.

Lounge upstairs.

Breakfast bar at Eastern Comfort Hostelboat.

Our new friend Sebastian :)

Mom's Birthday breakfast - courtesy of Sebastian :)

Some more details from Eastern Comfort Hostel...

View from the boat.

Inside Eastern Comfort Hostel

Detail from the boat

Some very freaky artwork across the river. Mom here you go the photo I took for you of the guy eating his own eye ball :)

The Wall

Beautiful picture of Mom if I do say so myself :)

So a small break from the pics to give you what I hope will be some useful information if you are traveling to Berlin.

First of all some must do's:

A caviate here - I didn't actually get around to this, but it took me a long time to find online and I thought it would be worth mentioning again here.

There are lots of artist squats and or communities in Germany. True to German form they are clean and some I have heard actually have long waiting lists to join them. They do these great dinners and are super affordable as a place to eat and drink and have some local entertainment. Here are a few that I found online:

Supamolly - 41 Jessner Strasse

Sama Cafe - Cinema on Mondays and Wednesdays 10:30pm, Veg Voku (their word for people's dinner) Monday thru Friday 10pm. 32 Samariter Strasse.

Tacheles - Films, art events etc. 54-56 Oranienburger Strasse

Zielona Gora - brunch on Sundays midday Vegan Voku dinner on Sundays at 7pm. 73 Grunberger Strassee.

Rote Insel - Stone baked pizza on Fridays 9pm. 10 Manstain Strasse.

You can also check out this link for more info on squats and Voku.

Second on this list - and we did try this - Liquidrom.

It is simply a must if you are going to Berlin. Frankly I think it is a must if you are going anywhere near Germany :)

The place is magical and it is exactly what it says - an urban spa. The experience defies words you just have to go. The website has amazing pictures but the reality is better (if you can believe that).

Prepare to be naked in front of people - but bring a suit because they require it in all the tubs and pool (although some people seem to conveniently forget this rule).

V Day (or Poly Day) 2010

I came home to a house full of happy house mates and guests. What a wonderful end to a long week of work! Here are some images from the fabulous V day party at our home in Brooklyn. Hope everyone likes them :)

Yearly Firsts For 2010

Ok so I decided that using this blog was a very easy way to keep adding to this list over the next year. I actually don't count from the first of the year incidentally - I count from birthday to birthday.

So here goes for my 27th year...

Spent New Years on the Champs-Elysees.

Spent Christmas in Paris.

Went to an indoor carnival - in The Grande Palais in Paris.

Went on my first French thrill ride - HATED it with a passion (not just cause I'm getting older, it really was horrible).

Got to hang out with some of my best friends in Paris for New Years and Christmas.

Drove a car in France.

Impromptu photo shoot with friend in exhibit at the Louis Vuitton Cultural Center.

Visited:
Palaiseau France (just south of Orly airport - beautiful town!)

Heard the most beautiful opera being sung by an unhoused person on the streets of Paris - heavenly.

Went Cuban Salsa dancing :)

Ate fois gras, macaroons a baguette and drank champagne in bed on Christmas with Lennon while watching odd videos on German MTV :)

Went to Batofar (disco on a boat in Paris).

Took a piss in public in NYC (had to the train was an hour late and it was 4am - sorry NYC!)

Went to the Gypsy Olympics Dance Party in Brooklyn :)

Helped decorate for a masquerade ball at Mehanata in LES.
Got to drop balloons from the balcony onto all the dancers :)

Got a new Camera body!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! New Canon 7D you are mine baby!!!!!


Went to a friend's book release party at Babeland (a great sex shop in the city). The book is called Moregasm and Sarah Small did the photography for the book which is amazing! Sarah also put together a mini Tableau Vivant for the evening which I took a small video of.
Have I mentioned that I love NY?!
Here are some images and a video from the night:






Went to see the show Fuerza Bruta. I don't think I have words to describe how cool and amazing the show is. Every sense was used to watch it and I would see it over and over again. Loved it! (thank you Christie for helping make that goal for the year come true :)

Tried to push the giant cube at Astor Place in NYC (my friend got it to turn, I didn't have enough juice on my own :)

Went to the court date of a friend :( They are ok but the whole experience was rather intense.

Did my own street sale on the streets of Brooklyn. Made it 20 minutes before giving up and leaving all the stuff there for people to take :)

Went to a reading at the lounge Happy Ending for The Nervous Breakdown group - great writers and lots of fun :)


New Cuisine:
The most delicious mini burgers in the whole world (also the only mini burgers I've ever tried)
Strawberry and Champagne cocktail
Parisian version of Glu Wein (Vin Chaud)
So good it should be illegal Sicilian pizza at Pizza Chic in Paris.
Deep fried Oreo (also good cold for breakfast)
Best pizza I've had in NY - Artichoke pizza on 2nd and 14th - GO!

Damaged Goods

"Damaged Goods." This is how someone described themselves to me today.

I must say I find that hard to believe - or just perhaps that a bit damaged comes with experience and age but doesn't mean one is broken.

I for instance I guess could use that label on myself - but I wouldn't want to. I haven't "won" at love in the conventional sense, but I've won in that I've experienced it, given it, enjoyed it. And with all the ups and downs I wouldn't trade it for the world.

I'm still determined to find that special someone. I still tear up at chic flicks full of only possible in scripted scenes confessions of love. I'm still hopeful.

And most importantly I am happy with me - just me. A partner is a lovely thing to have and share with, and it is something I hope I get to participate in again. But/And I truly believe that one is not truly damaged goods if one can learn from love and life and know that one is a better person for the experience.

I won't give up on love or label myself as someone who might be unlucky in that department - not out of some wide eyed optimism, but out of selfishness...

Because to give up that hope would be to deny a lot of my experience, thus not having truly learned from it and thus not being the person I want to and have worked so hard to be.

So here's to love, life and experiences - all of it - the dark and the light, the good and the bad, the despair and delirium and most importantly - the sweet peaceful calm that comes when we know we have found something truly precious.