März 2010

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More Pictures from the Circus Hostel

31. März 2010 in Circus Hostel, Circus News, Goldman's Bar by Paul | Comments closed

Day two, and the first night in Goldman’s Bar with a free keg tapped and the morning after breakfast rush in the Cafe  behind us. Here are a couple more pictures of the hostel for those of you around the world who are interested in having a look at the new-look hostel after the renovations.

[04]-ROOM-CMYK-web300dpi (above: Who is that good-looking boy wandering through the dorm rooms?)

[03]-APARTMENT-CMYK-web-300dpi (above: When you come to Berlin, the first person to spot the TV Tower wins the prize)

[14]-GOLDMANS-CMYK-web-300dpi(above: Beware of what dwells in the basement…)[22]-GOLDMANS-CMYK-web-300dpi (above: …why, it’s Mr Goldman and that good-looking boy again!)

We’re Back! First Glimpse of the New-Look Circus Hostel

30. März 2010 in Circus Hostel, Circus News, Design by Paul | 2 comments

As I am writing this it is 10.30 in the morning on Tuesday 30th March, and even before I arrived at 8.30 the first guests had already checked in. We had a nice evening yesterday showing some friends and neighbours around the hostel, but today come the people who really matter…for those of you not in Berlin but would like a glimpse of how the new-look Circus Hostel looks like, here’s some pics:

Reception(above: the new seating area in the reception)

Dorm(above: Bright colours in the dorm rooms)

Apartment(above: The top-floor apartments, ready for the first guests to arrive)

Toilets(above: For when you just have to go…)

29th March – What’s on in Berlin and at The Circus

30. März 2010 in Berlin, Circus Hostel, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Events, Fabisch, Goldman's Bar, Music by Paul

[17]-GOLDMANS-CMYK-web-300dpiWith the re -opening of the Hostel taking centre stage this week, the Circus has put together an entertainment program with some extra goodies to mark the occasion, with special daily historical tours, weekly underground Art’s tours, Yoga classes, juggling performances, Massages – just to name a few. In addition, Goldmans will once again become the place to party as the boys and girls behind the bar are ready to rock!

Over at Fabisch its business as usual, with live music performances, cocktail nights and our mid- week aperitif. Fabisch is also playing host to a special Easter Sunday evening – with fine food and Spring time music ( check the circus web-site for more details). I have also been reliably informed that the Easter bunny will be paying us a visit, with some little surprises come Sunday morning.

Highlights for the week include:

Goldmans Bar (see photo):

Tuesday Night: For the first official night of business, Goldmans will host “Club night” with our favourite Vj – Patrice Lambeau SUI (Indie/Pop/Rock)

Thursday Night: Live music with “Berlin Sling” – Fabisch regulars and first timers to Goldmans, are doing away with their jazz persona, and slipping into some experimental guitar driven Psychedelic rock.

Saturday night: See’s the return of the infamous – Karaoke Club!

Fabisch:

Monday Cocktail night starting 20:00  - Featuring contemporary and classic mixed drinks inspired by  - La Ville-Lumière – PARIS.

Wednesday night starting 19:00, We have our weekly “Afterwork” Aperitif night, combining Music, Finger food and of course Drinks!

Friday night (22.00):  live music performance by Soul/Jazz Duo ” Voice & Strings”

Easter Sunday (20:00)-  A very special Easter musical performance by “Lilttle chicken & the Bunny man” who will perform some spring time classics and experimental lounge.

Around Town:

Over at ” Huxley’s neue welt”  Monday night (21:00)  the legendary and iconic  thrash/punk band ” Suicidal tendencies”  are preparing to pull out their axes and unleash the madness.

Friday night at Schokoladen (21:00), music from a different generation will be celebrated with a special ” Beatles Party” – featuring live covers and Dj ‘s.

And lastly, whatever you think of the state of Berlin’s club scene, Saturday night (24:00) Tresor have managed to pull  a bone fide superstar and turntable extraordinaire, the legendary – Jeff Mills. Jeff Mills is credited with laying the foundations for the highly influential Detroit Techno collective, Underground Resistance. 

Renovation Diaries…A New Hostel Emerges

26. März 2010 in Circus Hostel, Circus News, Photography by Paul

After the harshest winter in Berlin that any of us can remember, the renovation of the outside of the hostel has been slightly delayed…but as the paint goes on and the scaffolding comes down, the new Circus Hostel emerges…

facade 1Getting there…

facade 2

Jim’s Berlin: Drink the Ring

25. März 2010 in Berlin, Jim's Berlin, Stuff We Like by Jim

S-Bahn2(Our hero, and lover of the weird and wonderful aspects of Berlin, takes up a challenge that was neither big, nor clever…)

Are you sick of senseless drinking? Need something more challenging? Forget the Monopoly pub-crawl in London. Berlin has “Drink the Ring Bahn”, and since 2002 Germanys best mobile drinking session is up and running again. For 40 odd years due to political differences between east and west, a great big wall and no money to repair the tracks it had to be stopped, leaving a generation of Berliners without the experience open to you now.

The Ring Bahn is 37 km ring of railway that runs though some of Berlin’s most glamorous neighbourhoods (Prenzlauer Berg, Charolottenburg) and some of Berlins not so glamorous neighbourhoods (Wedding, Neukölln).  There are 27 stops and the idea is to find the nearest pub to each stop and drink a beer (kebab shops don’t count). Now just a little simple mathematics tells us that drinking a big beer at each stop would be a very bad idea, as it works out at 13.5 litres (29 US pints and 24 British pints).

Drinking a small beer at each stop also works out at 8 litres of beer (17 US pints and 14 British pints) and having drunk a few beers in our time we know this hurts too. I would also like to add at this point that binge drinking is not big and it is certainly not clever…. But in the name of glory and prestige amongst fellow man “The Usual Suspects” so JD, Seanie, Toga, Jörn, yours truly Jimbo went for it.

Starting at Schönhauser Allee we went anti clockwise and it turned into most nonsense way that you can pass your time. The first casualty was Jörn at stop 16 who was picked up girlfriend to stop him from being so stupid. Casualty number 2 was me who had a funny turn at Treptower Park and have only heard what happened… the others are not sure what happened afterwards but one of them vaguely remembers being at Ostkreuz. Along the way we had tears, arguments, lost bags, dramatic taxi rides, tears, a very expensive mobile telephone invoice and one broken relationship. Just another Saturday really….. You just need to buy a day ticket for the public transport and you can hop on and off all day.  Have fun….

Walled In – How Germany was Divided

24. März 2010 in Berlin, Film, History by Digel | Comments closed

This video, which shows through animation the border that seperated East and West Germany, as well as East and West Berlin, was made by Deutsche Welle. With so little of the Berlin Wall remaining, it is sometimes difficult to imagine what was involved and the extent of the construction necessary, and this video provides an excellent illustration. If you are coming to Berlin, it is well worth going up to the Berlin Wall Documentation Centre on Bernauer Strasse, which has an interesting exhibit as well as a short stretch of the fortifications maintained to give you a sense of what the Berlin Wall actually looked like.

Jared’s Bar Experience #3: Saphire Bar, Berlin

23. März 2010 in Bars, Berlin by Jared | Comments closed

saphirebar(For the next stop on Jared’s tour of Berlin’s bar scene, he heads north from the Circus into Prenzlauer Berg)

The neighbourhood in which this bar is located is more famous for its €1,50 kebabs and €1 mini pizzas, but ring a doorbell at the Saphire Lounge and you will find on the other side of the door one of Berlin’s nicest bars. This time on my trip I had some friends with me, which gave us a chance to sample a number of drinks that were made by the owner of the bar himself.

Paul ordered a Hemingway Sour, which is an extremely famous and popular drink that I have tasted many times, and yet this was easily one of the best. The secret was the Saphire’s own sweet and sour mix, made to a special recipe that of course the bartender would not divulge and which was used in many drinks.

Mark ordered the Tanz der Glaktischen Alien, which included another homemade special – the chilli vodka – as well as vanilla vodka, fresh passion fruit, blackberry liqueur, fresh strawberry puree, lemon juice and triple sec. It came in a martini glass and had a deep purple colour and a thick texture. The first sip was sweet, followed by the flavours of the chilli vodka…a unique taste sensation.

I was fascinated by the chilli vodka, and so made a choice that also included this house specialty. I ordered the Traume hinter Reispapier, which included both the Saphire chilli and vanilla vodkas as well as mandarin napoleon, sparkling wine (sekt) and ginger beer. It came with an astonishing garnish of pineapple, apple slices, cherry and finely sliced cucumber. It was both refreshing and tingly with the chilli and the bubbles of sekt.

Both the music and the decor of the Saphire is classy without being too formal, but it  is the drinks that are the star here, with the level of attention and care – including the homemade ingredients – that makes for both an interesting and pleasant experience. Go and check it out.

saphiremapSaphire Bar
Bötzowstrasse 31
10407 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg

Open daily from 8pm
Saphire Bar Website
(click on the map for a closer look of how to get there)

22nd March: Things to do in Berlin and at the Circus

22. März 2010 in Berlin, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Events, Fabisch, Music by Paul | Comments closed

sarsaparillaThe sun is shining, the weather is sweet…makes you wanna move your dancing feet…oh yes, spring has finally sprung in the Hauptstadt, and if the good weather puts you in the mood for some good drinks, good music, and general evening merriness, then our good friend Andrew has the stuff you need to know:

At Fabisch

Monday Night Starting 20:00 is our MILANO Cocktail night – head bar honch Mr Goldman will pay homage to this wonderful city by creating classic & contemporary mixed drinks inspired by or originating from the city of Milano.

Wednesday night Starting 19:00, DJ Frau Brex will entertain us at our weekly “Afterwork” Aperitif night. Combining music, free finger food and drinks!

Friday Night (22:00)  live music we see the return of SARSAPARILLA (Folk/Other – see pic) – Originally from Philadelphia/USA – Sarsaparilla combine earthy accoustic tones with electronic bleeps.

Sunday night (21:00) Circus Friends and monthly regulars “Berlin Sling” have put together an experimental Jazz/Pop set to help us wind down the week.

In Berlin:

Maerzmusik – Festival of Contempory Music 2010 continues with a super performance by Thomas Kessler’s orchestral/ computer work – Utopia ( Philharmonie, March 24, 20:00)

Thursday night over at WMF – The one and only king of French Techno -  Laurent Garnier will be spinning some tunes as part of the “French sessions”.

And lastly, if its rock opera that your after, over at HUA1 from 25th-27th March -  “Electro/punk princess”  Peaches is about to tackle “Jesus Christ Superstar” with the help of regular collaborator and piano superstar Gonzales.

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