Flying to Berlin on Turkish airways meant that one long held dream was just ever so slightly fulfilled. …... managed to visit Istanboul!! ( though only the airport this time). From the air , it looked European – orderly red roofs in orderly enclaves enclosed with orderly rows of trees. I suppose the Asian mayhem is visible only at street level.
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Berlin airport was nondescript, the ride from it to the hotel was'nt. The taxi driver was an an elegant Afghan, previously an international relations specialist, who had spent some time in Delhi as a part of the Najibullah government's embassy in Delhi. He was happy to practice his Hindi / Urdu , learnt from Hindi films, that he was so fond of. We were happy to hear his fascinating story, and to learn that the knowledge of a secure future for his children was what gave him more peace than the thought of not being the diplomat that he was trained to be.
The training course that I was here to attend was conducted with meticulous attention to detail. The delight that Europeans take in the teaching and learning of science, of science itself, is what sets them apart from the Americans and us Indians, intent as we are on projection. The effort and the distraction of the process of informing the world about our knowledge takes from away the process of gleaning and acquiring that knowledge with scientific rigour and vigour!
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Berlin requires more than five evenings, which is what I had, to discover and savour. However, I did make the most of the time that was at hand. The hotel was wonderfully situated, Arcotel John F, just off the magnificent Unter Den Linden. The linden trees were bare but must sure be a sight in spring and summer, lining the very wide central verge...... wide enough for many small cafes.
December was an interesting time to visit Germany. There were many Christmas markets – two within walking distance from the hotel. These markets are made up of many small decorated stalls, and sell Christmas goodies, butterscotch coated nuts, mulled wine, grilled sausages, pizzas, woolies from Bolivia, tea from India and such like, with musical shows thrown in. The larger of the two markets was in the Gendarmenmarkt square, a stunningly beautiful square with cathedrals and a concert hall within the central square. Mellow yellow lights, shadows, the colour red, happy couples and families and good cheer all around..... came away feeling at peace with the world – amazed that a city so devastated ,a country with a gory history, reinvented itself so successfully.
Thursdays are museum nights in Berlin, which means that state museums are open till 10pm. Had very little time after the training class, but did manage to visit the Altes Museum, which houses Greek, Roman and Etruscan art. The museum had a very large, fascinating collection of sculptures, both in marble and bronze and of clay pots with decoration. The most fascinating - a collection of all the Greek gods in the central dome of the building and a bust of Cleopatra. The building of the Museum itself was had dramatic Greek columns on the facade and a beautiful domed atrium.
The Brandenburg gate was a short walk away, grand but very much in the city, with people walking in and around the gate. A large number of tourists were there at nine am itself, but the expanse of the Unter den Linden makes sure that one dose'nt find that interfering with the ambiance. It was bitingly cold and windy, but the mandatory photograph was accomplished of course. It was interesting to know that due to the Berlin wall, the then West Berliners could only see the gate, but not stand under it.
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Berlin has so many museums that it was difficult to choose one to visit. The outdoor display at Checkpoint Charlie was living history, one that not too many cities can match, and so I picked this for the one free morning that I had. It was just 2 km away, on the sunlit Friedrichstrafe. Display panels with black and white photographs document the area as it was before the wall was erected, during and then at the time of the dramatic demise of the wall on 9th Nov 1989, and then of East Germany itself. A remnant of the wall is preserved - how far the world has traveled since then, though large parts of the world still grapple with authoritarian regimes. Not to say that democracy protects all the citizens' rights, as Greece, Madoff, Lehman Brothers and Swiss bank accounts of Indian politicians prove !!
The hop on hop off bus tour is a boon for visitors with constraints on time and spending power: I took one in Berlin,with a commentary in German and English. Took in the grand , glass domed Reichstag, the attractive, accessible looking, presidential palace, the modern buildings constructed after the capital of Germany shifted back to Berlin from Bonn and the Charlottenburg gate, once a different town, but now incorporated in Berlin itself.. The bus tour also drove past the haunting memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. A tree less square with concrete blocks laid out in an undulating surface. It was disturbing and unsettling to look at yet one could not look away.
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The sacred duty of all Indians traveling abroad , shopping, was to be performed. Our group walked to the bustling Alexander platz and the found a shopping mall – could have been anywhere in the world, including Delhi – the same plan, many of the same brands. Only the food court indicated that we were in Germany.. One thing of note was that all drug containers carry details in Braille too. A comment on thoughtfulness and of belief in self reliance; in India we have miles to go in this regard. I eventually bought German styled porridge and salad from a food store......
Food was interesting, to say the least – a variety of cheeses, sausages, salads and meat preparations, the latter accompanied by a lot of vegetables. The vegetarians in the group struggled, however, surviving on salads and fruits; even bread was suspect because of the possibility of lard as one of the ingredients. The Arcohotel John F had a good restaurant, appropriately called Foreign Affairs . JFK was obviously much loved for his Berlin trip and speech.
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The absence of persons of colour on the streets of Berlin was striking; one did encounter the occasional immigrant though. A young Bengali lady worked the breakfast shift of the restaurant, the house keeper looked Vietnamese. Persons of Turkish origin are visible, as were places selling Middle eastern food.
As an armchair whatever ( is that what bloggers are??) one came away wondering what proportion of the affluence came from the help of the Allies in rebuilding Germany, from migrations to the Americas and from the industriousness and single-mindedness of the German people, the latter apparent more dramatic ways in the earlier part of the last century.
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