My days fell into a wonderful exploration of the city. I enjoyed the shops in the center of (West) Berlin.
KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens) was one of my favorite department stores. I could get lost in there for hours! I also went to The Europa Center where I could get delicious Leberknödel Soupe and a beer for lunch. Even now when I go back to Berlin, I enjoy going there.
Our first flat in the city was on the KuDamm. It was a small walk up right on the street. We didn’t stay there too long. The Kudamm is the street that never sleeps in Berlin and so needless to say, neither did we.
Hubby ran into a friend who was leaving Berlin for a week or so and he would lend us his flat in Zehlendorf until we could find something else. So we moved over there, and life was good. We slept like babies, and I got to explore a new part of the city. Zehlendorf was the home of the US Military at that time. We had privileges to use the base for laundry, and to go and get a Big Mac. Although I must tell you, I loved German food and didn’t get a Big Mac at all.
In fact the food in Berlin was and is fantastic. You can find just about any food from anywhere in the world and it is made well. Particularly Greek and Yugoslavian.
I enjoyed a trip to Steinstucken, which was a small enclave that was technically in West Berlin and only connected by a short roadway. It was there I felt I could have reached out and touched East Berlin. If you look hard you can see the Guard in the Tower.
One of the most embarrassing incidents occurred at the flat in Zehlendorf. It was very hot and I decided to lie on the balcony and sun myself, TOPLESS. The balcony was protected from the foot path by wonderful shrubs. I felt very safe.
Well, as I lay there soaking up the sun I suddenly heard water running on cement. I opened my eyes, and there was a neighbor man watering his plants and staring at well, my naked breasts! I grabbed my towel and ran inside. More scandalized and horrified than the man was, I’m sure.
I also spent time at the Wansee, which is a big lake where the Berliners sun and swim. It’s a lovely spot to go and walk as well as get a beer. Back in 1989 drinking beer was like drinking water for me. After my first real German beer, I realized that I’d never had a beer before. American beer is so not beer.
Soon Hubby came home and told me he had sublet a flat in downtown Berlin on Lietzenburger Strasse. It was up on the fifteenth floor, with beautiful views of the city.
So we left Zelhendorf and moved to 1 Lietzenburger Strasse, overlooking the Europa Center.
Hi Mom,
Happy Friday! Hope you and Jack have a great weekend, and hope you enjoyed his birthday together yesterday. Did you do anything to celebrate?
Love you,
Mandy
PS: What ended up happening on CSI last night? I fell asleep 1/2 way through. Was it the girl, or the blond guy, or were they a team?
Reading through your German Odyssey makes me miss Germany. I was only there a month but I fell in love with it. I went to Checkpoint Charlie and LOVE KaDeWe!!! I could have spent a whole week in there and not gotten bored. I remember that we went on a tour somewhere (yeah, I know, very helpful) and while we were looking around the building got struck by lightning! Thankfully it didn’t hurt any of us, but that sure was scary!
what is Leberknödel Soupe?
And I’m pretty sure that man wasn’t in the least scandalized OR horrified; more like shocked by his sheer dumb luck 😉
I am enjoying reading your German Odyssey! Sounds wonderful.
I also enjoyed reading about Germany. We have a very large German community here. We have a German festival every spring here in a small town called Muenster. In fact, it was just last weekend. It’s a lot of fun.