Reading · Patient. from Mary Elizabeth Williams

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Hello again from Glasgow, where I am back after a spending few days in the city I long dreamed of seeing. My beautiful late friend Jessica lived in Berlin for a time in the early nineties, and I thought of her often on this trip. Don’t you find it makes you feel close to someone you miss, when you go to they place they loved?

Berlin has a heavy history, which is probably why there is such an urgent joyfulness running through it. The lovely long summer days during my stay helped things along, but truly, everywhere I went, people were dancing, playing music, and being weird. I also didn’t feel the burden of overtourism I’ve experienced in other cities. (Though if you ever want to see influencers really not reading the room, this would be the town for it.)

For a few days, I ate traditional local dishes like doner kebab and currywurst, and had salted lemonade from a women-owned zero waste situation at the food hall. People shit on German food, but honey, I was born to eat meatballs with pickles while fending off bees. I watched people sunning themselves by the remnants of the wall. It was very hot out. I got lost. I saw stunning art and devastating memorials. I had a bartender tell me, “I want an espresso but I don’t want to drink it alone” and make me an espresso. We clinked tiny mugs. And then I walked back to my hotel while a woman sang “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” on a bridge. I know that nowhere is perfect, but oh my goodness Berlin, you were so worth the wait.

On to the city by the Spree…

*First stop, the iconic Berlin Mall, near Checkpoint Zara.*

*My favorite traffic light in the world remains Miffy, but this guy is awfully whimsical.*

*I cannot express my disappointment there were no performances while I was there.*

I sat by the river one evening, eating a doner kebab and just enjoying whatever the hell floated by. Note the white-clad ghost people on the other side.