Alone in Berlin

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Germany | Sunday, October 17, 2010 | 4 photos

I have recently visited Berlin while on a trip to Europe. I had never been to Germany and was very curious to discover a city I had heard so much about with its mixture of edgy cool people and its unique historical legacy. What I noticed immediately was the ubiquitous graffiti that adorned (defaced?) the buildings and the abundance of weeds growing freely in the streets. It felt like the city had been handed over to its people who were free to make their mark on it. The result was surprising, took a bit of adjusting to and quickly grew on me. I also loved the extra wide pavements and tree-lined avenues. The city felt very functional and once I stepped away from the main arteries, I found that I immediately ended up in very quiet yet very wide and green back streets. I loved how the weeds turned into mini gardens in the residential areas, with people even growing corn in the middle of this metropolis. Other things that made Berlin a relaxed and friendly city in my view were the amazing number of cyclists around and finally I would say, the chilled out dogs happily roaming their neirbourhoods. I found Berliners cool, friendly and relaxed.
This trip though very short, was a great experience and opened my eyes to a city and country I had only heard of or read about. I also enjoyed discovering a new place by myself, which I have rarely done in the past. Being totally free to immerse in the experience of a new place is a fantastic feeling, one that I would love to repeat in a country that is entirely new to me. I love challenging the preconceptions that I inevitably have about a people, a place, a culture from looking at it through the eyes and words of other people and I would love to have the opportunity to do so in Bhutan.