Berlin, Germany’s capital, is a melting
pot of cultures and activities.
The city can be hard to navigate if you don’t
know your way around.
Since I've called Berlin home for over 13
years, let me be your guide and show you how
to have a fun time here.
Hi Everyone and welcome to my perfect weekend
in Berlin!
Virtually every corner of the city holds volumes
of history.
"I'm driving over the former Wall."
I make my way to Check Point Charlie, a crossing
point between East and West Berlin during
the Cold War.
It's infamous for the stand-off between Soviet
and American tanks in October of 1961.
"Now Checkpoint Charlie is somewhat of a circus.
There are all sorts of commercial shops here.
So it is really hard to imagine what tensions
were like back then.
Back thanks to the artist and the architect
Yagegar Asisi, visitors can get idea of what
life was like in a divided Berlin."
I embark on a journey back in time to when
the wall once stood.
This exhibition has drawn in one and a half
million tourists since it opened in 2012.
The Berlin Wall fell 30 years ago and very
few traces of it exist today.
I'm lucky to have a special guide who gives
me some background.
"So here I am the long-time press spokesperson
of the artist and architect Yadegar Asisi:
Karsten Grebe.
You've worked a long time with him.
You know a lot behind his thinking.
So what was the overall goal here of this
project?
"Well, he lived both sides of the wall.
The communist and the capitalist.
Even in Berlin.
And when the wall had come down in 1985 he
thought it would be a good idea to show how
normal people lived their normal lives.
You know, many tragedies are well-known and
many things about death, but wanted to show
the normal life."
"It's important to point out that if we travel
back in time to... what year is this supposed
to be?"
"Well it's somewhere in the 80's."
"Somewhere in the 80s.
And we're on the west side.
We're not in the east.
We're standing in the west, looking over to
the east, right?
Is there any particular message that he wants
visitors to take away?"
"Well we now live in a free city and a free
world in Germany and in Berlin and it hasn't
always been like that, especially in the 20th
century.
And when you look at this panorama, you get
an imagination of how it was, of how it could
be, and the idea behind it is like, well,
we have to do something to fight for freedom
and for democracy.
You have to stand up for it."
"This is definitely my culture tip for a perfect
weekend in Berlin!"
Next, I drive to the longest remaining section
of the Berlin Wall.
It's located in former east Berlin.
Today, this area is a top tourist destination.
"Here we are at the East Side Gallery.
Now it's called this because this is the eastern
part of the wall.
Of course, 30 years ago none of this existed
as brightly and as beautifully as it is now,
but in 1990 over 100 artists were invited
here to display their works, and the most
famous painting is coming up."
The Socialist Fraternal Kiss.
It inspires me to embrace my soundman Kolja!
Berlin is a city that never sleeps.
This is where I usually go for live music:
the Atrane jazz club.
"Hey David.
How you doing?
Good to see you!
So, what are you going to play for us tonight?"
"Tonight is a tribute to Stevie Wonder.
"I just want to give you some background.
David has played with Prince and Chaka Khan...
extensively with Prince, right?
That's sort of your calling card.
"More recordings."
"In terms of audiences, how is the Berlin
audience compared to audiences in the US or
other parts of Europe that you've played in?
How do they respond to you?
"They love American music.
Like I said before, Berlin and, in general,
Germany as a country is very international,
so they love the music."
"Well we don't want to keep David any longer
because he's got an audience to please.
Thanks so much!"
Tonight David Haynes has put together a great
ensemble of profession musicians who know
how to get the crowd moving, including me!
"So Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight we have
a very special guest.
And she is here filming a TV show.
So, what I wanna do is I'm gonna call out
Meggin and my two lovely ladies to come back
on stage with me and they're going to join
me for the end of song.
So let's give a hand!
We're going to test Meggin's singing skills!"
"I'm not afraid, but I don't have the greatest
singing voice!"
"She should be afraid!
So, Meggin, let's start with this.
Let's do a 'ba.'
Ba ba ba ba ba ba..."
I might FEEL like Diana Ross, but my singing
skills leave much to be desired.
Still…
I had a good time at the Atrane!
Day two of my perfect weekend begins with
a victory tour of sorts!
Most commercial stores are closed on Sundays
in Germany.
But I have a good solution for shoppers like
me!
Berlin's oldest flea market.
But beware, the vendors here drive a hard
bargain!
"Billig Billig, that means cheap..."
I find some things I like but Khaled, the
seller, doesn't seem to like my offers.
His stuff isn't so cheap after all!
Five
That's 10 euros.
Five, I'll give you five
No, only 10 euros!
Two, I'll give you two.
No, that's too cheap.
Thank you!
Finally I get my vase for 5 euros!
There is something for everyone here.
"Oh I have to buy this... it's for my cats!"
I 
give in for 10 euros.
"And this is my shopping tip for a perfect
weekend in Berlin: a couple of souvenirs from
one of the flea markets.
Another special thing about Berlin are its
lakes, located within city limits.
In just 20 minutes, I'm on an island paradise.
"So another fun pasttime for Berliners on
the weekend is heading out to one of the many
lakes.
And we are here on the Wannsee, heading to
the so-called "Peacock Island."
Why is it called Peacock Island?
Well, you're about to find out!
Because peacocks live here.
I find out the backstory from the island's
former garden director Michael Seiler.
"The island was called Rabbit Island because
the Great Elector raised rabbits here for
the cooks.
When the king who was known for his love affairs
took over the island, it couldn’t be called
Rabbit Island.
So the peacocks were brought here and one
year later, in 1794, it was called Peacock
Island.
"
Seiler has lived here for 40 years.
This castle, he tells me, was built by King
Frederick William the second for his mistress.
"Frederick William the second sat here?
And his lover sat here as well?"
"Yes, yes... well, I don't know if she sat
here but when his majesty came, pillows were
laid out here."
When royalty came to sit here they laid some
pillows out for them of course.
Mr. Seiler also shows me the Candelabra Fountain
from 1825 made entirely of iron.
During our walk, we're caught in a downpour,
just as I ask him about some of the challenges
of living here!
"My predecessors had to travel by horse and
carriage to and from Berlin.
But today with a car, it's easy to get into
town, when the ferry isn't broken down.
That can happen!
But normally, it runs round the clock.
That means, I can also come home at one in
the morning.
The big different nowadays is that the ferry
drivers always know when I'm out and when
I'm home.
In former times, for the young unmarried girls
who wanted to be employed at the castle, it
was tricky.
If the ferry driver was asked if they came
home last night and he said no up to four
times, that meant then they weren't fit to
work the king.
But of course, that doesn't apply to me!"
Luckily the sun has come back out just in
time for my final destination: the iconic
Berlin TV tower.
It stands 368 meters tall and has a revolving
restaurant, offering great views of the city.
Dietmar Jeserich knows the tv tower well and
explains some of the features here.
Including a culinary superlative!
Berlin Currywurst but this time served with
Champagne!
"Curry wurst is different from a hot dog.
It's very special.
It's a German sausage with curry ketchup."
"After the war, there was no mustard.
Then one woman who had a small imbiss here
in Berlin began to experiment to find out
what goes best with a spicy sausage.
And that's how she ended up with this combination.
And then, with time, the side dishes that
now go with curry wurst were created."
"OK, drinking Champagne is something very
special that goes with curry wurst.
I'm not so sure many French people would say
that this is actually allowed.
I think in France you could actually go to
jail for this!
But in Germany it's definitely allowed.
You can either drink beer, beer goes great
with curry wurst, but I must say I've never
had Champagne with curry wurst.
Why this combination?
Who came up with that?"
"It's a very special taste.
The slight spiciness of the curry together
with the fruitiness of the champagne... you
just simply have to experience that."
"Well you heard it from Dietmar.
I have to try this.
You have to try it.
So, without further adieu we raise our glasses
to curry wurst and a view of Berlin!"
And he's right... you have to taste it to
believe it!
"Wow...that was really fun!
And that wraps up my perfect weekend in Berlin.
Join me again as I explore more exciting European
destinations.
And until then, it's happy travels!"
