A Week in the Life: Berlin Edition
Anna Feest
The dream has always been Berlin, ever since I first came on a school trip to see remnants of the German Democratic Republic, triggering a fascination with the East German communist regime that is now the subject of my yet-to-be-written dissertation. I made it back briefly as an au pair during my gap year, but living far out in the rather Soviet East, and with a family who didn’t want to give me a day off. So when I recently found an internship in Berlin as a part of my Year Abroad, I was ecstatic: finally a chance to come back to this amazing city, on my own terms. It’s not been the easiest, as Germany hurtles into yet another lockdown (my fifth in total now) and making friends has been more than challenging, but I am still in love with this city.
Berliner Dom looking mighty - close up you can see the bullet holes from the war (All images credited to Anna Feest)
No Berlin-themed article would be complete without the Brandenburg Gate
Monday to Friday
I have a full working week, so Monday to Friday generally look pretty similar. An early start, some exercise and meditation set me up for a day of “doing homeoffice”, as the Germans would say. I have yet to get to the office, and it’s not looking too hopeful any time soon. It can get a bit lonely as my flatmates are usually out all day, but I also love what I do. I’m working for an NGO, so it feels incredibly worthwhile, and I get a lot of responsibility and independence as well as valuable experience.
‘Homeoffice’ setup
Coffee break with my flatmate
I usually aim to head out for a cycle around noon, depending on the weather and my mood. I’ve found cycling to be a lifesaver as it gets me out and I see parts of the city I wouldn’t have otherwise. Cycling is followed by a quick lunch and then more work, although sometimes homeoffice gets the better of me and it’s not too productive. I have a massive variety of work, from writing reports for donors and articles for fairly international publications to planning social media posts, designing graphics and editing videos, so it’s all very exciting and I can choose what most interests me - and what will keep me at my desk rather than having a nap.
Cycle routes go through some crazily historic places!
Germans use the term Feierabend, which literally means ‘celebration evening’, but it’s more of a concept: the end of the working day, when work really is finished, and you can take some time to properly decompress and relax. In this spirit, and now that the weather is nicer, I’ve been trying to make a rule of shutting down the tabs on my laptop and getting out straight after work. There’s a nice route along the river which takes me along the scar of the Berlin Wall and past the back of the Reichstag, or I’ll hop on my bike to visit somewhere further afield. Sometimes I might meet a friend for a coffee and a walk, or venture to someone’s flat for dinner. Socialising has definitely been hard during lockdown, as well as dealing with a working week and simply being short on time, so evenings are often quite quiet: a chat with a flatmate and German Netflix with dinner. Even so, by the end of the week I’m usually exhausted after a week of work and getting out as much as possible, and I’m ready for a bit of a lie-in at the weekend.
Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin’s most glamorous square
Cycling through the city at night is strangely calming
The weekend
The weekend is a fully work-free zone and a chance to explore. There are ups and downs to every year abroad. In the down moments I often don’t want to do anything, but in the up moments there’s so much to see and do in Berlin, even when a lot is shut. Often this means long bike rides further out of the city, exploring Spandau, Wannsee or along the path of the Berlin Wall – my aim is to complete the whole length – and a chance to get out into some nature, which I always find very calming.
Bikes and river = key features (and Sam)
Along Bernauer Straße are metal poles where the wall used to stand, memorials to its victims, and this famous photo of an East German border guard jumping over the wire
One weekend took me to Potsdam - this is from the Glienicker Brücke, the inspiration for Bridge of Spies, where West and East German spies and prisoners were exchanged
Walks (a lockdown classic) are also a staple of the weekend, whether with people, on the phone or by myself, through one of Berlin’s many parks or to a cute café. Saturday is a day to shop before everything shuts on Sunday, so I usually head to the market to get fruit and veg to make some curries, or sometimes cook brunch or dinner with friends. Sunday evening I tidy my room, get out my work stuff and set myself up for another few days at my desk.
Walks in the park…
… or along the river
Rainy day brunch
A very impressive Easter Sunday dinner
It’s not quite the year abroad I thought it would be, but I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than Berlin.