Eastern European Adventure - Around Berlin

In October we embarked on an adventure of grand proportions with two travel mates of ours. A few years before, we all realized how we wanted to travel together but weren't sure where to go because of the vast number of places to which we wanted to travel and experience. So, we each put a slip of paper with our choice in a hat (India, Japan, South America, Eastern Europe) and had a complete stranger pick out one destination. And that's how we ended up at such a wonderful destination with some wonderful people.

We flew from New York and arrived in Berlin. It was amazing to be in a city that was such an  integral part in the twentieth century. Between the scars left from World War II and the remnants of communism, there is a constant sense of history and its own past. With that history, is a hip, modern city that thrives on the energy of its citizens.

Berlin has stark contrasts between modern art and classical buildings.

The famous Checkpoint Charlie. 

Quick! Learn German!

Part of the Berlin Wall still intact.

The Holocaust Memorial in the middle of the city. Each block is a different, sometimes slightly irregular shape. 

The maze within is meant to confuse and disorientate. 

In front of the Reichstag, home of the German Parliament. 

The Brandenburg Gate.

The holes in many buildings are actually
bullet holes from World War II.

Part of the Berlin Wall turned into a graffiti park.

There are two identical cathedrals facing one another in this square - the Französischer Dom and Deutscher Dom. The oldest of the two is this one - the Französischer Dom (French Cathedral). It was built between 1701 and 1705.

Berliner Dom Cathedral.

Grand Central Terminal Videos

A truly amazing place in New York City is the world famous Grand Central Terminal. The renowned transit hub is home to a multitude of rail lines connecting the East cost as well as buses, taxis, and the New York City Subway System. More likely than not, while we're out and about in the City, our path will go through Grand Central Terminal. It's right in the heart of the city! While we're passing through Midtown Manhattan, we often pop our heads out of the underground and marvel at the grandiose ceiling and main concourse. The main terminal is busy day and night with travelers, commuters, and tourists. It's perfect for fans of awe-striking architectural and entertaining people watching!

I found the best way to capture the essence of Grand Central Terminal is with these videos. 

This first video shows a static shot of the vast, bustling concourse.

Maybe the best way to capture the scale of Grand Central Terminal is to take a walk from one side to the other.

East River Trail

As an avid runner, I am thankful to live a few blocks away from the beautiful East River Trail. The trail is a long biking, running, and walking path that runs along the East side of Manhattan from the Southern tip to Northern Harlem. My personal 6-7 mile loop runs up from 115th street down to 59th street.  After a long run, there's a nice park underneath the 59th street bridge. It's an amazing view and another hidden gem in this city.

A neighborhood dog park that you walk past.

The 59th St. Bridge

There is a cable car that takes people to nearby Roosevelt Island. The island is only accessible by cable car or water taxi.

The park underneath the bridge.

An interesting sculpture at the park.

Another dog park. This time under the 59th St bridge.

As Seen in Central Park

In the still, dead of late winter, I wandered a nearly empty Central Park. This was early in our relocation to New York and I was struck with the beautiful contrast of vast sprawls of woody thicket in the middle of a kingdom of skyscrapers.

Chilifest 2012

For Marah's birthday earlier this year, I got tickets to Chilifest 2012. This is a city-wide competition where dozens of restaurants set up cooking booths in the beautiful Chelsea Market in hopes of being crowned this years victor. The crowd meandered the halls, stopped at booths, talked to chefs, and tasted each offering of chili. Needless to say, there were many amazing, unique, and flavorful varieties of chili. It truly was a delicious evening!

This chili had diced cucumbers that added an interesting flavor and texture.

White bean, chorizo, and cotija cheese!