17 May 2018

The second "real" day of being in Berlin consisted of class and another scavenger hunt around Berlin, but focusing more on the culture of marketplaces around the city.

Today was another bright, sunny day in Berlin. Unlike yesterday, travel on the U-Bahn was much easier since we all pretty much knew what we were doing. Planning for the scavenger hunt also went smoother, since we had practiced planning our routes and marking locations on a map yesterday.

Screenshot of Google Maps showing all the marketplaces visited

Today's scavenger hunt required us to travel to different food markets and complete certain tasks at each market. To begin, we visited the Markthalle Neun, which included stands ranging from fresh fruits and vegetables to meats and cheeses. While we were there, my group met a friendly stand owner from New Zealand who was selling various items from New Zealand like their beer, wine, and meat pies. One of our tasks at this market was to try something new. We asked the shop owner what he thought we should try and recommended a beer stand where we could try quality German beer. He also told us about the history of the marketplace. To us it was a relief finally getting to talk to someone who could speak English.

The next place we visited is called the Prinzessinnengarten. The best way to describe this place is if you imagine hippies taking over a small courtyard and filling it with strange contraptions that had various potted plants scattered all over the place. It was not one of our favorite destinations. The task for this destination was to ask the locals what their definition of "Umwelt," the German word for environment, meant to them. To be honest, we were pretty creeped out by the whole scene, so we didn't bother to ask.

Germany is pretty proactive in the alternative farming market (i.e. aquaponic farms). There are stores where vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes are grown inside the building and can be hand-picked by the customer. My group wanted to visit Metro Friedrichshain, one of such places, but were restricted access because we didn't have a membership (think of this place as a German Sam's Club).

On a lighter note, our last destination led us to an interesting rooftop garden, located on the fifth story of a parking garage. The "Klunker Kranick" had some pretty strange things: plants potted in boots, a giant balloon animal, and a three-eyed cat statue.

Klunker Kranick sign

Giant balloon animal

-Alfred Freed