Weekend in Berlin

Just got back from a weekend in Berlin, where my friends Nora and Arne have a beautiful new apartment in Prenzlauer Berg. They were still putting together shelves and such, as you can see. The other picture is of an apartment block in Ernst-Thälmann-Park, near their place. Clicking on these pictures opens up higher-quality versions, by the way. You'll find a few more pictures here, mainly of Nora and Arne putting together the same shelf, and of the VW factory in Wolfsburg, taken from a train.

Tragically, I don't have pictures of the coolest new place in town, the "Rodeo" bar and restaurant. When I was in Berlin last year, my friends took me to a little "illegal" restaurant called Rodeo in an abandoned apartment building. The operation was eventually kicked out of that location, and after moving to another spot the organizers somehow got their hands on the old post office, an incredible brick building with a huge domed room in the center. Unbelievable. People dine under the dome (now legally) and party in the side rooms. Comfortingly, the crowd was mostly early-30-ish.

I also went with my philosophy friend Chris to a little bar called CCCP where they were playing 78's from the '20s, and the staff was dressed to the nines in tuxedos and pearls. Good thing I'm not living in Berlin; I'd never get any work done.