Thursday, August 30, 2007

Berlin

I have been hitch hiking for over a month now in Europe (both in the West as in the East). The first city that I visited however was Berlin. Actually, I flew in from Ulan Baator to Berlin and stayed there for about a week at a friend's place in Fridrichshain (thats in the Eastern part of the city). Thanks a lot for allowing me to stay at your place, Christian!


It was an interesting experience to be back in Germany's capital where I lived 4 years ago. Berlin has not changed much. I mean it has, but not as much as I feared. I was initially afraid that the city would had given up its role as the cultural capital of modern Europe. How positively surprised I was to see that things were different than I expected/ feared!

Berlin is perhaps not beautiful (and I don't think it even pretends to be), but instead a place to enjoy many freedoms and high levels of tolerance that other European cities are not be able to provide. Berlin has taken over the role that Paris and Prague played about a 100 years ago or so. A city that embraces and cherishes differences, differences that other cities try to weaken or fight off through assimilation. It is also a city of poetry and art. A bohemian emergency exit in a ever faster materialising world. Its habitants might not be rich, but instead are able to decide to live the life which they wish to live (without social pressure to perform on the basis of capitalist dogmas).

Yes, life can be beautiful in a city which reminds us of such a horrific history. Berlin is still real, alive and will be so for another few decades. Maybe its really true that angels are protecting the city....

Love,

Marijn

note: Next time Frankfurt an Main

Monday, August 27, 2007

Alive and well

It has been over a month since the post below. However, I am still alive and well (well, I believe so anyways). The last few weeks or so I have been... hitch hiking through Europe! I arrived in Berlin (Germany) from Ulan Bator (Mongolia) and from there have hitchhiked to Frankfurt/ Main, Paris, Barcelona, Paris (back from Barcelona), Villiers L'Hopital (a tiny village in Picardie, France) and I am currently writing you all in conservative (but beautiful) Vienna.

Of course, I am not selfish and promise to update you all on my journeys and adventures on- and off the road. The next post I will dedicate to Berlin, the city which was my first stop after a drunken flight (darn vodka!!) from Ulan Bator. I plan to post all cities and hitches some time after I successfully made my way to Sofia (which is my last and final stop before going back all the way to the Netherlands, yes hitchhiking!). For your information, only if you are interested (of course), my travels in Europe were as outlined on the map below (please enlarge :) ).

Love, freedom and write you soon!


Marijn