6 Weeks in Berlin

Leaving Paris was heart breaking. I was unconvinced I would welcome Berlin into my heart the same way that I did Paris. But here I am six weeks later, having fallen in love with Berlin.

These are qualities I love about Berlin. 

The food. 

Berlin is a melting point of cuisines from around the world and whether from a restaurant, a street side vendor, or a market, it’s easy to find delicious and affordable food.

The tangible history. 

There are countless iconic monuments, war memorials, historic buildings, and museums. The city has undergone so much deep change and transformation in the last century and continues to reinvent itself.

The markets. 

The markts are a celebration of community, trade, locality and resourcefulness.  The flohmarkts, farmer’s markets, art markets, and food markets, can be found throughout the city on most days of the week.

The culture of creativity.

Berlin nurtures and encourages creativity and new ideas. The Berliners that I had the pleasure of meeting dabbled in a vast array of eclectic interests. Berlin is not a static city; it’s unpredictable, dynamic, and unpretentious. There is a combination of charm and grit that is unique to this German city.

The street art.

In my perspective this quote from England based street artist, Bansky encapsulates the essence of the city, “Imagine a city where graffiti wasn't illegal, a city where everybody could draw whatever they liked. Where every street was awash with a million colours and little phrases. Where standing at a bus stop was never boring. A city that felt like a party where everyone was invited, not just the estate agents and barons of big business. Imagine a city like that...” 

The beauty of the CIEE Program is that we have the opportunity to explore the distinctive personalites of multiple cities. The lessons we can learn from each place is endless.