Jim’s Berlin: A Russian Supermarket

3. September 2010 in Berlin, Food, Hidden Places, Jim's Berlin by Jim

russian supermarketUp on Landsberger Allee is a little of Russia still life and kicking in the form of a Russian supermarket.  Here you buy all the products that your average Russian misses from the homeland. Outside the supermarket is an on going BBQ selling the most delicious Schaschlik you will find this side of the River Don. For those of you not acquainted with Schashlik, it is pork on a stick with a vinegar dressing. And for those of you that think that out door grilling is only for the summer think again, it is all year and there is a little tent to keep the elements away.

There is no better way to spend an afternoon or cheaper for that matter than to buy some Russian beer and sit outside the supermarket stuffing your self with meat and watching the Russian Diaspora living there lives. The only draw back is you have to be some what creative when it come to going to the toilet… there is none… well not an official one… but bears also wee in the woods…

Google Maps

Jimbo’s Cheap Man’s Bus Tour – Have a listen…

2. September 2010 in Circus News by Paul | 20 comments

A few months back, Jim created a very special podcast bus tour that can be downloaded onto your iPod (other portable audio listening devices are available) and then taken with you on bus 100 or 200 as they make their way through the heart of Berlin. For the price of a public transport ticket, Jim provides his very own commentary on the sights of the city, and he also sings.

The technical mastermind behind this audio extravaganza is Konny, who has now uploaded the bus tour onto soundcloud, which means that you can use the little widget below to have a listen before you decide to download.

Jimbo’s Cheap Man’s Bus Tour by The Circus

If you want to download the full bus tour, you can do it here. And don’t forget to pop into the reception of the hostel or the hotel for your special bus tour map which will show you where you are going and some of the things to look out for.

Both the bus 100 and 200 leave from Alexanderplatz.

Oh, and by the way, the music between the stations is provided by Minimal artist Pheek. He is a friend of Andreas Digel, the Circus Electro music guru. The music is taken from the Album Consortium, which was released on the thinner netlabel. You can download the full album here.

The Different Faces of Berlin – Then and Now

1. September 2010 in Berlin, History, Photography by Paul

Potsdamer Platz 1989…

1989

Potsdamer Platz 2009…

2009

As you might remember, the media last year was absolutely full of the twenty year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and there were many articles, films, discussions…you name it, about the changes that have taken place in Germany over the past twenty years. The photos above come from a cool interactive graphic on the Spiegel website, which comes from that time, but I think it is still fascinating to take another look at how the face of Berlin has changed in those years since the wall came down and Germany was reunited.

The photographs are from the Senatsverwaltung für Stadtentwicklung/Geoinformation/Karten.

Thanks to Digel for finding it.

If you want some curry, you’ll have to hurry…

31. August 2010 in Circus Hostel, Events, Food, Nepal Project by Paul | 1 comment

Curry August 1Yesterday was once again Jimbo’s Curry Night at the Circus. After a long day slaving over a hot stove, the curry was ready for the hungry hoardes waiting in the Circus cafe. Although the curry did not go quite as fast as last time…20 minutes rather than 7…the lesson once again is that for Jimbo’s Curry Night is you’d better come early, or go hungry!

Next month there will be something a little different for curry night. As you might know, we have been raising money at the Circus for a small charity based in the south of Germany that collects funds for different children’r projects in Nepal. Our next curry night will be a fundraising event, with some music, drinks offers, photos from Nepal and handicrafts, and all money raised will go to the projects.

There will be more details in the next couple of weeks on the blog, but if you want to come down and enjoy some good grub for a good cause, put the date of Saturday 25th September in your diary. See you then, curry-fans!

Curry August 2

Coming Soon… International Literature Festival Berlin

30. August 2010 in Berlin, Books, Events, Festivals by Paul | No comments

litfestHello bookworms and all you lovers of literature out there, it is nearly time once again for the annual Internationales Literaturfestival Berlin. 2010 is the 10th edition of this celebration of the written word, and due to renovation works at the normal location, it will be held at the funky Haus der Kulturen der Welt from the 15th until the 25th September.

As you might have guessed from the name, the literature festival is an international affair, with readings and appearances from writers all around the world. The focus for the 2010 festival is on “Osteuropa” (Eastern Europe), with a number of different authors and speakers from the region.

There is way too much stuff going on to list here, but something that caught my eye and that might be of interest to you English-speaking readers out there is the launch of the second edition of SAND, Berlin’s English language literary journal, which is taking place on the 22nd September at the Collegium Hungaricum. Check out their website for more details of the journal and the event.

The Urban Wanderer: DIY Walking Tours from the Circus

27. August 2010 in Circus News by Paul | 7 comments

Berlin has an excellent public transport system, but sometimes the best means of transport for exploring the city is simply to put your best foot forward and walk. We have put together four DIY walking tours that start and end at Rosenthaler Platz. You can download the tours below as pdfs, and each set of tours comes with a map and a description of some of the things you will see along the way.

paul walking tours scheunenviertel + ddr mapTOURS 1 & 2

Tour 1: Scheunenviertel – The shortest tour takes you around our immediate neighbourhood, and the area known as the Scheunenviertel. Historically this was the centre of Jewish life in the city, and since the fall of the Berlin Wall has become home to many art galleries, nice little bars, and some cool shops.

Tour2: Back the DDR – this tour takes you from the Circus and around some of the sights relating to the socialist era, when East Berlin was capital of the German Democratic Republic, including the Berlin Wall, the Soviet Embassy, Alexanderplatz, and some examples of the socialist-era architecture that shaped the east of the city.

Download Tours 1 & 2 (PDF file, 3.2mb)

paul walking tours prenzlberg + grand tour mapTOURS 3 & 4

Tour 3: Prenzlauer Berg – Our neighbours to the north. Prenzlauer Berg was traditionally a working class district north of the city centre, that was badly damaged during WWII. During East German times it was home to many artists, writers and dissidents against the regime. In the years since the wall came down, it has become a very popular neighbourhood full of interesting bars and cafes, fleamarkets and independent shops and leafy streets that are great for a wander.

Tour 4: The Grand Tour – An epic wander through the heart of Berlin, past all of those sights that your guidebook told you about, including the Reischstag, Tiergarten, Brandenburg Gate, the Museum’s Island, Alexanderplatz and much more.

Download Tours 3 & 4 (PDF file, 4.3mb)

Of course, the one problem with a DIY tour is that your downloadable guide will not be able to answer any questions you might have along the way. If you would like to see Berlin with expert guides who will give you a wealth of information, we can heartily recommend Brewers Berlin Tours, which pick up daily from the reception of the Circus Hostel and Hotel.

Happy exploring!

Jim’s Berlin: Lübars

26. August 2010 in Berlin, Hidden Places, Jim's Berlin by Jim

Jim_LübarsLübars is the oldest village in Berlin and was first mentioned in 1247. Pre 1989 it was a place of real affection for the West Berliners who were completely surrounded by the Berlin wall as it was the only place that felt like a village. Their next opportunity would be several hundred kilometers away in West Germany.

Josefine and I can certainly confirm that that it feels like a village, complete with a little church, school, village hall, fresh air and is surrounded by fields with walking paths. There also seems to be a rather high concentration of horse riding schools here which makes a mockery out the old German saying “Das Leben ist kein Pony Hof”.

To get there (and we promise you that you are the only foreigner there) you take the U8 to Wittenau, then the S-Bahn to Wiadmannslust followed by Bus 222 to Alt-Lübers.

Let there be light…

25. August 2010 in Circus Hotel, Design, Stuff We Like by Paul | No comments

Luc1Here at the Circus we like to always find ways to save a bit of energy and do as much as we can to be as sustainable as possible. Like with many hotels, the hallway lights are on timers, but we also thought that it can be somewhat unnerving to leave a nice bright elevator into a darkened hallway. So we were looking for a way to bring some illumination to the corridors of the Circus Hotel without using lots of unnecessary resources…

The designer of the Circus Sandra Ernst was in contact with another designer called Luc Massin. Luc is originally from Belgium, lives in Berlin, and as done work in the fields of art, design and photography around the world, including India, Cuba, the USA, Japan, Spain and Belgium. Luc created for us some lightboxes for the hallways, that utilises an LED technique to produce different light patterns and shapes. The LED technique is not only energy-efficient, but brings some colour and shapes to our hallways, as well as helping you find your way to the rooms. Illuminating…

Luc2 (2)

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