Diariespart5

                               May 2001

In a few weeks we should be introduced to the Summer of 2001, would be lovely since we hardly see any Spring in Holland. Temperature is risen and fallen like a stock exchange market. We have been punished for one day of 22 degrees in February by snow in April. But like the Dutch say, April goes as it wants. Life has been subjected to changes but the most weekends have been
very ajoyable.

Renewed my knowlodge concerning Cologne, Berlin and Munich. I love Berlin,
morely thanks to Thomas who showed me very much around. Berlin is wonderfull and lively.The living areas are spacey and interesting. I left Holland mid of March and took an evening train to Berlin. Find out a quite cheap bargin to get from Holland to Berlin from only 85 DM single way. Take an evening ticket at 79 DM from Duisburg and you are in Berlin. Reservations you do not need, there is always a single place somewhere on the train.
Arrived in Berlin at Berlin ZOO. My host was still in Paris, so I spend one night at the Crowne Plaza Berlin, beautifull located in the heart of Berlin. Didn't leave my room, as it was nice warm and a real television with a lot of channels, and most of all it was in full-colour. Me and black-in-white telly at home are not really accustomed to have so much colours in one screen.

Anyway Thomas joined me from Paris early in the morning where we left around mid-day to go his place in Prenzlauer area. Thomas is a very good expert on
knowing a city within no time. Berlin is very interested more over through his history and his divided way of   architecture. We spend most afternoons walking through   the different parts of Berlin, discussing today and tommorrow and enjoying the divers pubs and bars spread over the city. Personally I was really suprised to see so much old-Berlin buildings. Much is divided in to two parts. On Museum-island you still find the bullets-holes which were shot at the second world-war. Renovating the old part will take a least more than one perhaps two decades. Near Berlin-Mitte you find two churches on the same square, one of the German and the other of
the French church. Amazing how both parties have been kept so nicely and well renovated. A little French Glory in the city is the store La Fayette which is modern from the inside and luxus from the outside. They build an Atrium which is in the form of a vulcano.

Big glass windows and sort of balcony making the shop look beautifull and stylish. Around the corner of the French Chruch you have a little shop full of old-pictures and drawing maps. Take a look at the nice boy working behind the counter, love it if he would show me old Berlin next time especially the dark parts of the city......
We visited off course the east part of the city with the former forbidden area. Awfull blocks of buildings and only with walking distance of "Unter den Linden". Brandenburger Tor is renovated but already surrounded by commercials banks. Worse thing is the building of the Bundes kanzler which is an enourmous glas-white building which could locate a thousand people easily. Funny thing it is standing in the middle of nowwhere with in view of the Parliament "Reichstag". You know, behind the Reichstag you'll find a normal canal with one side old houses and on the other side "new" buildings of the DDR times. That's Berlin!

Just outside Berlin we visited Potsdam. It is real shame this has been in DDR otherwise you would most likely have one the most beautifull rest places in Europe. Sanssouci is quiet little, I thought it would be much bigger.
The gardens are hugh and different parts of the world are gathered in this park as the formal Pruisians Kings and Queens were very fond of collecting.I hear that in the old days there were more than 10 wind mills. The big Potsdam Palace is surrounded by roads as big as motorways. A part of the buildings have to renovated and the surroundings have to be restored in their old way. Aaargh, this park will be so romantic one day again.
But we did more than sightseeing, we discovered nice bars, clubs and restaurants. Near to the Strandbad, around the corner there is a very good Spanish restaurant, the wine is very good and the kitchen I would recommend..
Off course we soughted out the gay-night life, Stiefelmacher is a big one near Wittenberger platz, lots of gay men but it is more look and to be looked at. In the Kreuzberg we wanted to find a movie which suited us but we found a nice cafe, the name I can't remember but they had tapas and the name started with a B and it was at a corner (Reichenberger strasse), right accross of a famous gay-bar once a week. (Saturdays) Right across the former Check-point Charlie there is a cafe/bar which left its interior like it was in the DDR-times. In the Ebenwalderstrasse you have very trendy bar right accross from the Pension New Amsterdam.
If you are interested in my love life, well we can very short, there is none. My critical approachs and skills to which a future lover should be able to handle are very high. One of them is that I am not interested in any one-night-roasters unless he is oke and magnificient but most don't have that level. I am too critical which is not that bad since it's pay off in the long end (I hope). I have though some very nice people, have been going to a real birthday party for the first time in years.