Dawn appeared shortly before our arrival in Frankfurt.
An
easy layover, and we were on our way to Berlin. We
arrived at Tegel Airport in the northern part of Berlin in the early
afternoon. Tempelhof Airport
in the former American Sector, famed for its role in the Berlin
Airlift of the Cold War, had
ceased operations a while
ago, and its future role is still a matter of local debate. Tegel
was new to us, so it took a
bit of inquiry once we
arrived. We were happy
to learn that there was direct
bus service to within a half
block of our hotel, and at a very reasonable price since it was just part of Berlin’s widespread and fully integrated transit system and not something special. We just had to
listen and watch closely
to be sure we got off the
bus at the right stop. We
did.
Sue
Anne had discovered our
hotel online, and we have been very happy with it. It’s located in
an amazingly quiet neighborhood, just barely north of the Ku-Damm. It
is dedicated to the artwork of the surrealist Belgian painter René Magritte,
and adorned throughout and on its façade with marvelous Trompe
l’Oeil paintings in his
style. And the price is
reasonable. It’s very
close to the hotel where we spent the summer of 1972, though quite a
few things have changed in
the neighborhood.
Views of the classic entry way
A
bit of wandering around the neighborhood to get our bearings, and
then some exploration of Savignyplatz, a
small park nearby. We had
been there briefly on a previous visit, remembering the bookstore
built in to the arches of the elevated railroad. Now there seemed to
be even more booksellers, together with Italian restaurants and shoe
stores on the surrounding
streets. We opted for a
classic German meal on our first night in town, though we do expect
to sample the diverse
ethnic
offerings as our trip progresses. We already have our eyes on the
pizza at a Turkish restaurant nearby.
So
after 360 degree
reconnaissance of the
environs of Savigny Platz,
we chose to
have the first meal of
our return to Berlin on the
sidewalk at a very classic,
very crowded (inside) establishment known as the Dicke Wirtin. Which
translates to Fat Landlady, lovingly
dedicated to its original operator
who was a great friend of artists,
authors, actors, and students at the nearby art academy, decades
ago. Many student-led plots
against the Wall were said to have originated there. Over
Bier, we assume.
Dicke
Wirtin, Carmer Straße 9, Berlin https://dicke-wirtin.de/en
We were overwhelmed by the size of Sue Anne’s Schnitzel. By normal standards we would call it a Triple. Despite assistance from Bruce, we did not qualify for the Clean Plate Club at this meal.
Yes, we know. This isn’t Facebook. We won’t regale you with
pictures of every one of our meals. Just a few. Honest.
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