I love this city

Having completed two full weeks here I can already say I love Berlin. We've been exploring lots and every day brings something unexpected, like the tiny random cafe with wonderful fresh salad or an artists collective in what looks like an abandoned warehouse that we happen to pass, Berlin has not yet ceased to amaze me. Everyone who visits this city will no doubt have their own favourites but here are some things I've loved so far:

•  Seeing the inside of the Reichstag- So, so worth the faff of booking a timeslot. I can't believe it's free to go inside this beautiful dome, with an excellent audioguide to match. You have to book online in advance(no phone bookings) which then has to be "approved" but you get some gorgeous views and a look inside an incredible piece of history and architecture.
  
  
• The S-Bahn- I've really grown to appreciate the transport system in Berlin. I live on the S-Bahn, the equivalent of the Overground line in London I guess. I can always find a seat, its nice and toasty and the trains are always really quite fast. Add to that the fact the entire U-Bahn and S-Bahn network run 24hrs at the weekend(necessary, as no night out really kicks off until 2am or so) and you can see why I really like it.
  
  
• The East Side Gallery- A must see for any tourist in Berlin, the Gallery is a series of paintings done along pieces of the Berlin Wall. So beautiful and emotionally charged. Go on a day with good light. You can find out how to get there and other things from the link. 

• Food- Somewhat general, but I really love how much variety I can get in food here. I found the Arminius market hall not far from me, which looks like a normal market hall at home except it is complete with a brewery, several cafes, a wine merchant and lots of other things. Bakeries, are of course plentiful here. I also discovered a wonderful Turkish supermarket which has the most yummy looking deli counter and breads. Plus let's not forget the numerous good and inexpensive Vietnamese/Thai/Indian/Turkish/German/Italian/Chinese restaurants across the city(and bubble tea!).  The KaDeWe food hall blew my mind, especially the cakes! Walking in the Tiergarten one day(with the help of my very good Time Out Berlin) we visited Cafe am Neuen See for some of the most fun heisse Schokolade I've ever had, complete with milk warmer and scoop of chocolate.
  
  
• Vintage shops and cafes- Like any big city, Berlin has lots of cool vintage shops and an abundance of nice cafes. We went on a hunt for Colours, a huge and cheap vintage store in Mehringdamm and found it tucked away overlooking a pretty tiled courtyard and a hotdog stall. I spotted the very cool and unpretentious Fire bar very close to the Museumsinsel and I love the decor inside-very cool furniture! The cafe in the Ramones museum(!) across the street is nice too. Plus there are an endless amount of flea markets across the city.
  
  
  There are many more things that I love about Berlin, like seeing dogs on the S-bahn or the haunting Stolperstein across the city, but I didn't really want to make a long list of "stuff I like". My recommendations are just recommendations/highlights-this city truly has anything and everything and its definitely worth taking the time to explore and finding the bits which you love.
  
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