Before I left for my trip, a friend of mine asked me, “What’s the one thing that stands out for you when you travel? Is there one thing that you enjoy the most?”
I had to give this some thought. There are so many things that make travel meaningful for me, that it would be hard to pick just one thing. But, as I review my experiences, there is a common thread that bubbles up to the top. “It’s the food.” Some of my fondest memories of trips revolve around eating….or not, the locations of places that I have eaten, the experiences I have had while eating, the people I have met at restaurants, the food itself, and sometimes all of these things together. I like to “connect” with people and places and fully immerse myself in the culture of the areas that I visit. Food is such a big part of the local culture that it acts as a “connector” in many ways. It helps one understand the lifestyles of the local people and their history and, many times, reflects the forward progress of the local area through the variety of restaurants and foods that area available. Food can tell you a lot about an area…..and is just plain fun!
On the first days of the trip here in Berlin, I have already made some connections through food. Berlin, as it turns out, has a wide variety of restaurants available. In the last years since the wall was taken down, Berlin has evolved as a real culinary center. Every type of ethnic food that you can imagine is available and there are several Michelin rated restaurants now. In fact, Mike thinks there are more Michelin rated restaurants here than in any other city. I’m not sure if that’s true or not, but it’s quite an impressive collection. Berlin is making positive forward progress in food while managing to keep its traditional roots in place as well. Kudos!
Last night, we went to a typical German restaurant, a pub really, for our first dinner of the trip. I had forgotten how hearty the German food is…..and the beer. We both had a mound of spectacular “comfort” food, each of which was enough to feed a family of 4 and still have leftovers. I had one of those dark beers that the Germans are famous for. Tasty stuff! This was some of the best German food I have had, and I have had a lot……and cooked some as well. YUM!!
Here’s the part about “connecting”. Yesterday, Berlin hosted the Berlin Marathon. Runners and bikers from all over the world converged here to participate in this race. The numbers were impressive. While I was waiting for Mike to arrive and for my hotel room to be ready, I walked to the Unter Den Linden, the main drag here in Berlin, to get a lay of the land and view some of the race. I did more than view the race. I became part of the community of people who were cheering on the runners. I found myself clapping and cheering as the fatigued participants passed by. There were some interesting people in the race. Most people were running, but there were some people on bycycles as well. I saw two men with no legs on specially made bycycles pedaling to the finish with their hands and arms. It was easy to get swept up in the excitement! I was standing near the end of the race. There was music playing, a group of cheerleaders with pompons calling words of encouragement, someone from a local radio station with a microphone calling out words of encouragement, and lots of clapping as participants moved forward. It was very moving.
When we went to dinner last night, some of the runners were in the restaurant having dinner. They continued to carry on the enthusiasm of the day….singing and laughing. Every now and then one of the men would break into a loud chant. The others would follow suit and laugh. I found myself cheering them on, congratulating them and encouraging them to celebrate their success. The people next to us, who were close enough to touch, were also engaged. The German pub atmosphere promotes this kind of raucous celebration that pulls people in. That’s what I mean about food and connecting. I felt like I was a part of the celebration. Fun times!
Today, we spent some time walking the city of Berlin. We visited checkpoint Charlie, the checkpoint of movement between east and west Berlin. We viewed many monuments to the people who were persecuted by the Nazis and read stories of people who were killed trying to escape from communist East Berlin. We walked past pieces of the Berlin wall that were still standing. There were also pieces of the wall on view that had been given to artists around the world to use as a canvas to share their thoughts about the past and the future of Berlin and the world. We walked past the Reichstag. All very moving. We will learn more about the history of Berlin as we tour this week, and I have a feeling that we will be moved in ways we can’t even imagine right now. But, it’s more than the memorials and buildings. There is a feeling here of a place that has taken a tumultuous past and is using it to move forward in a positive direction. This also pulls you in, but in a different way.
So, in answer to my friend’s question about what stands out for me…..I still like the food answer. But, maybe it’s something else, too. And, maybe it’s different in each place. I’ll be thinking about this as we travel on. I’ll let you know if I change my mind.
Travel With Betsy 
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