From Berlin

Currently sitting in Berlin after a week here and not nearly enough time to see this crazy town. I've been all over the place with Toby who left on Monday morning. I'm staying with Joseph (friend from Sydney) and Emmanuelle at their amazing house in Neuköln, which Joseph affectionately refers to as the Cabramatta of Berlin, still, like everywhere in this city, even this place is not without it's hidden charm. So many things to see and do in this place, day or night. Toby and I did a wonderful walking tour that showed us most of the main sights like the Brandenberg Gate, the last remenants of the Wall, Bebelplatz (site of the Nazi book burning and now one of the many incredible, understated, powerful memorials throughout Berlin, our wonderful guide Charlie described it as the presence of absence, Germans have a great awareness of this). We've also done our own touring and have seen Checkpoint Charlie, and it's rather useless musuem, Potsdamer Platz (formerly no man's land between the walls now swanky expensive shops and restaurants) and today I went to the Zoo and got to see the star attraction KNUT! The cute cuddly polar bear who is now kind of dirty and teenaged but still quite a sight, especially with hundreds of people trying to catch a glimpse.
Yesterday I went to the Jewish Musuem which was an amazing experience, the building itself is quite breathtaking and the musuem has a great history of the Jews in Germany. I also went to a record store in someone's apartment that is the best for reggae in all of Berlin. If this sounds strange consider that I have so far been to a five bar club in a run down shopping mall, a drum n bass party at what looked like housing estate but turned out to be several clubs and a cinema, and a bar on a deserted street that was totally open air. In Berlin nothing is easy to find but everything is worth looking for. Tomorrow Joseph and Emmanuelle return after being away for the last few days so I will have company again until I leave for Paris on Thursday night to reunite with Madeleine! Not sure how tomorrow will pan out, I had plans to see some more musuems or maybe just revisit some great places in this great city.
That's probably the best update I've given on anywhere so far and it's probably because I love this city.
Love to all and everyone,

ben

P.S. I need postal addresses please, I have more postcards than I know what to do with, start with MattClareLes, Sue, & Jack and we'll go from there.