That was super cool, unfortunately Felix was sick. Jasmine was very kind and drove us on a tour.

The main stop was Teufelsberg. It was once the site of an unfinished nazi technical college which the allies could not destroy, so it was buried in a pile of East Berlin rubble to make a hill. While the wall was up the NSA constructed a listening station to eavesdrop on the Soviet East German military communications. Now the station has become derelict but the structure remains and has become a site for street art.

On the way back from Teufelsberg I remembered that my German relative had once lived in a house nearby (only 5 minutes out of our way!). So we stopped off there. It’s in a quite rich neighbourhood with many mansions, I wonder if it was like that when they were there?

Back in Berlin we went to a photography exhibition at C / O Berlin by Ren Hang which was funny, beautiful, weird (also pretty explicit).

Some of the chaos of New Year’s Eve fireworks

For New Year’s Eve we have raclette at Felix and Jasmine’s place. Once the Australians stop along questions about how to do it (having been conditioned by the many Danish rules at Christmas) the meal gets more fun.

We eat and drink to the sound of fireworks being set off in the streets. The sites and sounds are more intense when we cab to another apartment to see in the new year.

This was a very fun night

We met up at a café in Friedrichshain, called Mugrabi. Middle eastern breakfast realness.

Then to the east side gallery, which was cool but super packed with people, so we didn’t hang around long.

Some vintage shopping after that back across the river. From there we walk slowly towards the Brandenburg Tor trying to walk by water is interesting building on our way.

The Tor is closed off because they are preparing for the New Year’s Eve celebrations. So we walk around to the memorial to Murdered Jews. As we round the corner we see the mist amazing sunset! It really is unbelievable.