Random Berlin

 

This weekend marked the first nice weekend since the fall.  While it may be too early to say that Spring is officially here, I can say that we took full advantage of the sunny, warm days and not too cold nights.  We started our Saturday outside at Knofi, a cafe on Bergmannstrasse, eating breakfast and people watching. After dropping our coats and getting some sunblock, we went to Admiralsbrücke and met a friend.  We walked up and down the canal.  It seemed like all of Berlin was out.  We stopped for ice cream and a while later drinks.  The outdoor seating at all the cafes and bars were of course mostly full.  We also found this bar pictured here which I think has the best name.  We were on our way home at this point, but we will go back.

Later in the evening we headed out to dinner near Warschauer Strasse.  At the U-bahn station you come out onto a street that is raised.  On the sidewalk of the street below a DJ had set up a turntable, getting power from his car.  Few people were dancing yet, but the night was young.

After dinner we went back to Warschauer Strasse and crossed the bridge there to go to another friend's house.  While walking over the bridge fireworks started from the bank a little bit up the river.  We thought it would just be one or two, but it turned into a whole show.  The craziest thing was that a guy who was among the others who had also stopped to watch started playing the Star Spangled Banner.  I took a bit of video.  Listen and you will hear the end of the song.  (I was in too much shock to start near the beginning.)  It was a very odd Berlin moment on a St Patrick's Day night.   

You never know what may happen in a city.  And when the weather is nice and people are out it becomes even more random.