Berlin may be a dream for 'teenie tourists' and twenty-somethings but how does it rate in the eyes of the older generation of tourists? Until my parents arrived last week, it hadn't occurred to me that those on the latter side of 50 and more accustomed to chic hotels, crisp wines and leisurely strolls through cobbled historical centres might not find sprawling, graffiti-adorned, beer-soaked Berlin as endearing as I do. Mum and Dad arrived wide-eyed and enthusiastic and departed one week later still good humoured but exhausted, with (I think it's fair to say) recollections of 'adventures' rather than a refined, relaxing European experience.
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| Graffiti adorns the city's monuments |
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In planning the week's activities, I found myself stumped on more than one occasion. The charming, dimly-lit French cafe with the best coffee in Kreuzberg? Hard wooden seats, an uneven staircase, aloof waiter and limited menu hardly render it attractive for the over 50 set. The impressively green expanse of old Tempelhof airport grounds, a glorious oasis in the centre of Berlin? No longer so stunning when you have to walk 20 minutes to get there with a bad knee. An impromptu picnic by the river at the dusk? Not so charming if you happen to be disturbed by open canoodling or the odd whiff of marijuana wafting across from fellow picnickers. You get the idea.
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| Dad contemplates a Berliner Weisse |
Never before had I been so acutely aware of Berlin's attractions and its defects, and how easily the two are inverted, depending on your perspective. Graffiti embellishing walls is artistic and lively or an affront to the eye, the maze of trams and trains servicing the city are simultaneously very convenient and extremely confusing, the lack of a real summer and persistent rainfall is frustrating for some but an advantage for those who dislike the heat. Before mum and dad arrived, everyone assured me that everyone in Berlin speaks English - it's not true. Which is completely fair enough, just a little surprising. It turns out being able to speak the language here is a bigger bonus than I realised, and probably makes for more smiles and better service from shop assistants and restaurant staff than I'd appreciated.
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| Good hearty German cuisine |
Enjoyable family experiences included a river cruise, a wander around Gendarmenplatz with some beautiful historic buildings, a visit to the Gedaechtniskirche (Memorial Church) and some hearty meals at assorted restaurants and cafes across Berlin. Things that weren't such a raging success included having to walk up and down about a million stairs at train stations every day, a riverside picnic which was a little hard on the knees, and watching an awkward movie ('Bad Teacher') at Sony Centre, Potsdamer Platz - one of two movies being shown in English and crass to the point of cringeworthy (read: do not ever watch with your parents).
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| Bell tower in Scezcin. Mum and Dad stayed on the ground. |
We also ventured outside of Berlin, both to Sczecin (Poland - just over the German border) and also Leipzig (Germany), with varying degrees of success. Sczecin was a little hard to navigate and we had to resort to sign language to communicate but at least it had nice castle and taxis were cheap. Leipzig was the all-round winner - a compact city of 500 000 an hour out of Berlin, mum and dad loved everything from the air-conditioned train ride to the well-preserved, historic city centre. Much more manageable than bustling Berlin, Leipzig was the holiday that we all needed and restored my parents' faith in a welcoming, picturesque, hearty Germany.
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| Mum and Dad at Gendarmenplatz |
After swapping stories with a couple of German friends, it transpires that I'm not the only one at a loss when it comes to entertaining parents in Berlin. Electro clubs and low-budget hipster cafes don't tend to be major attractions for the older generation. Just a little reminder that this rather bohemian student lifestyle has a use-by date.
