Berlin

It's been a long time since I celebrated New Year's in Berlin even though we used to go almost every year when I was a child. It was always great fun to stay up late and just before Midnight climb the roof of our friends' 5-storey building (to the horror of my mother who clung on to the chimney while we children balanced along the edge of the not-so-shallow incline of the roof). From there you had the best view over the city and all the the fireworks. 

And, wow, I had forgotten about the fireworks! I think nobody who has never been in Berlin can imagine the amount of noise and chaos that ensues the two hours before and after Midnight on New Year's eve - except if you're coming from a war zone, that's probably the only matching comparison. I don't know why people choose to waste their money on firecrackers (or rather small bombs) and I always wonder why there are no restrictions on the worst combination ever: drunk people handling explosives. Was that ever a good idea? Well, at least it makes for a memorable party and it certainly left a lasting impression. By Midnight, the air was so full of smoke that we could hardly see the other side of the street and when people started shooting fireworks at each other we decided to make a move. 

But Berlin, you never disappoint with your run-down streets and Hipster cafés, cheap food and Ossi nostalgia. Both in summer and in winter, even though this year we can hardly call it a "winter" with the cherry trees in bloom. Next time I won't let as much time pass to visit again but maybe then without fireworks.