Anyway, the break was long overdue - I was becoming jaded. After all, you don't want me to just show up here every Monday and write any old rubbish, do you?? So, I did what everyone does when they head off on holidays. I ended up landing in a place which kind of reminded me of the place I had just departed from.
My "this kind of reminds me of Berlin" location was Melbourne, in good ol' Australia. On first inspection the similarities seem clear - both places have pretty dodgy weather, are a bit graffiti-ed and run down and everyone in both cities thinks they are in some way "a creative". And architecturally, there are links too. Take a look at the two pictures below for instance. Which one is Berlin do you think?
See? You can't even tell can you??
Anyway, whenever Germans go to Melbourne they always tell me how "European" it is. I think that's a load of twaddle. Some Berliners will also go as far as to say, it reminds them of their own city. But, just for fun, let's see how Melbourne stacks up against the German capital on the big issues.
Dog Poo Levels
Berlin is the clear winner on this one. Melbourne residents don't seem to own many dogs per capita. And when they do, they clean up after them. That is just plain wrong.
Joggers
Pleasing to see that just as many people stay in bed on a Sunday in Melbourne as they do in Berlin. None of that mindless jangling while waiting for the walk signal to turn green - let the Sydneysiders do that. Split points on this one.
Trams
Melbourne just ahead on this count. Berlin is only half-covered in trams (only the Communist former east seemed to get into it), while Melbourne's trams are pretty regular and there is also a circle line to entertain the tourists.
Dodgy looking rivers
The Yarra versus the Spree. This was always going to be close. I wouldn't touch either river with a barge pole, but I suspect Berlin comes out with the nastier water quality. Another tick for Germany.
Mega-stadia
Two way tie. Melbourne's MCG might be more mega, but the Berlin Olympic Stadium seems to ooze a little bit more history.
Angry residents
I'm not sure that Melbourne really wants to compete on this one. But if they did, they would lose comfortably. The locals in Melbourne are very chatty and even friendly. No Berlin train conductor has ever answered a request with "too easy".
Conclusion:
Berlin is more Berlin than Melbourne. Scoreline is 4-2 to Germany, Podolski with the hattrick. It was bound to happen.
3 comments:
What's Berlin's policy on Laneways? Are they simply bepuddled passages where the bins go, or are they bepuddled passages where the bins go AND where hipsters congregate to sip tiny coffees and see who can roll a cigarette with the most bored expression on their face?
I spent 4 December days in Berlin a couple of years ago, brrrr! I have lived in London for 4 months, spent a total of 3 weeks in Paris, a fortnight in Florence and a week in Barcelona plus numerous other European cities including Amsterdam. I love Berlin. It is my favourite of the cities I have visited in Europe and I would return there tomorrow. Leaving, it felt like I had only scratched the surface. I cannot imagine ever being bored there. The sense of history is powerful and amongst all of this, the Brandenburg Gate has to be one of the most fascinating historic sites anywhere in the world. Miette is just gorgeous to stroll around and its shopping district is brilliant. The galleries on Museum Island are awesome, jaw droppingly so. So too, the wonderful Kurfurstendamm district where I stayed with its magnificent bustling thoroughfare and lovely residential surrounds. Berlin was a great place to walk around and the public transport was excellent. I did not meet with unfriendliness once. I felt energised in Berlin. It is the kind of place where you feel it is a waste of time to sit in your hotel room, and I stayed in a really delightful one! As the mighty ICE train carried me away from Berlin, I knew I would return one day.
Melbourne, like Berlin, cannot be done justice to in a few sentences. It is a city in a remote corner of the world but shares a similar pace and vibrancy with Berlin. It too has a great sense of having a rich heritage albeit a less pivotal one than Berlin's. Away from its excellent CBD Melbourne is a collection of low rise, walkable neighborhoods all with their own character and identity: bustling commercial strips, parks and beautiful residential streets. Trams, bicyles, pubs, cafes and galleries abound. It is packed to the rafters with friendly people, is cultural diverse, inclusive and tolerant. It is a very gay city. Dr Samuel Johnson, I think it is who once famously said, "If you are tired of London you are tired of life." Melbourne always suprises and excites me. Melbournians love their city. It is a great place to live. I can't imagine a more liveable place on the face of the planet. I never tire of it.
@Vijay: good point, there are definitely differences on this front too. Although Berlin would probably quite like a bit of that alleyway action, after being refurbished a number of times (both pre and post war) to accommodate tanks, the number of laneways in the capital is pretty low.
@Stuart: thanks for the feedback sir! It's always great to hear of someone who has enjoyed their time in Berlin.
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