60 Days in Europe…#47 Berlin…

Normally beggars don’t get to me too much,as a smoker I get my fair share of people asking for a tab & money.Sometimes I give,sometimes not,depending on my mood and also sometimes on the mood of those asking.It’s arbitrary as I can’t give to everyone but everyone knows the score…having a beer outside the Italian restaurant yesterday I was’nt taking much notice of things and suddenly there was a kid of about 7 years old standing at my table,hand out and clearly fake crying.I have to admit I gave out a loud “ what the fuck is this bullshit” to nobody in particular (the table next door were amused but also incredulous) I looked around and sure enough mom was about 30 feet away,another kid was working the other tables and she was directing…I didn’t want to be rude to the nipper but when her mom looked over I gave her two fingers which,on reflection,probably didn’t translate…but man using your kids is fucking cynical.At least when someone is bumming a smoke it’s fucking honest…

Anyway enough of that.Although I like to think I know my way around Berlin (I do a little) I still took one of those maps from reception as a failsafe even though I never look at them they do also have a decent U-Bahn map attached which is always handy.It’s a bit like someone going to London a couple of times thinking they‘re a pearly king taxi driver with the knowledge when really they’re Dick Van Dyke trying to get it on with Mary Poppins…cor lummee.

So I’m currently strolling down the Spree,not actually on it of course as that would be showing off and bringing attention to myself…having a drink next to the East Side Gallery by the Oberbaumbrüke.I stayed on the boat moored up beside it last year and it’s a cool area especially up the road around Warschauer Straße.The later it gets the livelier in that area…not really for us old types.Although it was this area where I got my first introduction to Berlin at the Punk and Disorderly festival at the sprightly age of 58 with a few Wolves mates…

Right I am officially pissed off.My three favourite bars are next to each other on Wienerstrasse Kreuzberg.The Wild at Heart,Bar 11 and Madonna but unfortunately Madonna has closed down for business ( no sniggering at the back) what a shame…had some good sessions in there,the last of which was last summer with the Forest Gate crew.The bar is just shuttered up at the moment so I live in hope( more than expectation)

Well like supporting Wolves my ire was short lived about the Madonna bar.The barman at Bar 11 thought I meant closed at the moment whereas I meant closed for good…so it is an ongoing concern just opens at 5pm now…neither of us look like Bill Murray or Scarlett Johansson but you know “Lost in Translation “ etc My chuff is fully chuffed.Gives me more of an excuse to come to this part of Kreuzberg…

Was chatting to a fella about football,he’s HSV from Hamburg.He smoked a shit load of skunk whilst I have been here,offered me a few tokes but I declined as the stuff now makes me ill very quickly…anyway they seem a good crowd.There was also a couple of Cologne fans there too,a heavy storm came so obviously I stayed for another beer ( at €3 for a bottle of Czech Bud I’d be a fool not to) so in conversation it turns out the bus I kept seeing stop outside the bars goes to within one street of my hotel and they are in service all night…could be a blessing & a curse.

In a while crocodile…