Alternative Berlin.

“Do you smell that urine smell? It will follow us all morning.”

My last day in Berlin I was up bright and early. My first stop was the East Side Gallery where the defunct Berlin Wall was put to good use. The East Side Gallery stretches 1.3 km, features the work of artists from all over the world, and serves as a memorial to freedom.

As you can imagine, an open air gallery poses some unique challenges. Because of graffiti, many sections of the wall have recently undergone restoration.

Next I joined a tour promising to show off the “alternative” side to Berlin. I’ve always thought the word “alternative” was a funny descriptor… but the tour was highly recommended by a friend, so I went for it. Our guide informed us that we’d be smelling a lot of urine on the tour… so I knew it was going to be good.

One focus of the tour was local street artists. As we walked around the city our guide pointed out various artists and challenged us to find their works throughout the city. Here are few that stood out to me. (Because the city doesn’t have a lot of money to clean it up, graffiti is especially rampant.)

The larger paintings were done with city approval. The astronaut is actually strategically placed to look as though it’s holding the shadow of a flag flying across the street (well, until the lighting was adjusted).

We also visited a squatters’ community, an illegal garden space, and a beach bar. It’s always enjoyable to see the side of a city that the postcard companies overlook.

After the tour I met up with Sandra again for lunch. She took me to a Singaporean restaurant which was a first for me.

Later in the evening I met up with Derick, a Canadian I met on the alternative tour. We ate dinner at a Lebanese restaurant (it had been awhile!) and took a walk through the city. We revisited the Brandenburg Gate and walked for ages towards the Victory Monument. Too bad it was under restoration!

All in all, a fabulous last night in Berlin.

xo, jill