Beasts of Berlin

Miss Trouble and I spent the weekend taking in the glorious view of the 8th Wonder of the modern World; the indecently hot specimens of man that inhabit this city, hereafter known as BEASTS OF BERLIN (I am going to do my utmost to not succumb to the obvious but hideous abbreviation of BOBs)
Beasts of Berlins are everywhere. They are on the U-Bahn, they are smoking cigarettes outside skate shops, they are sporting coifs and reading newspapers, they are walking their ridiculously well groomed horse sized dogs. The thing with international boy spotting is that is allows you the freedom to spot without prejudice. It is as if the language barrier negates the other hurdles that stop you if you were in London. Beasts wearing wet weather drimacs when it is not raining? Still a beast! Construction beast with dirty boots and an actual hammer in his pocket? Still a beast! Beast making out with another beast at a cafe on Simon-Dach-Strasse? Two beasts for the price of one! Beast of Berlin spotting can be a full time activity. On Sunday Laura, our new best friend Andi (the cutest gay Austrian you’re ever likely to meet) and I spent the whole day beast spotting and drinking Dju Dju passionfruit beer. It was a day well spent.

Along with a pastime that I am sure will get me through many long days in Berlin, I have discovered my new favourite spot. And this spot might vie for my favourite spot anywhere; any city, any country. Bold, I hear you say. But hear me out. It’s a wine bar in Prenzlauer Berg that is decked out in the mismatched couches and mustard lamp shades of a DDR nursing home that were thrown out after reunification when East Berlin went corporate and got its very own IKEA. It’s great. You walk in and pay 2 Euros and for your 2 Euros you are given a wine glass and free reign of the 25 or so bottles of red wine, white wine, rose and prosecco on the bar. It’s a tasting bar, so they say, and they have some really really excellent wines. Some incredibly delicious German reds that I was blown away by and some good French wines too. The dude working behind the bar/free booze table was really knowledgeable about the wines (which I loved) and spoke impeccable English (which I loved even more) and corrected my pronunciation of my German S’s (which I did not love quite so much.) So after you taste a few glasses of wine you take up a seat somewhere and hang out and you are free to go up to the table and help yourself to whatever you like, as often as you like. And then, as you leave, you simply leave some money in a jar by the door. As much or as little as you like. Just something to show your ‘appreciation for the evening’ as my wine pouring friend called it. I am in love with that place. I see its olive green and burnt orange plaid sofas in my dreams. Oh, and furthermore, the clientele? BEASTS!