I've only been a member of the orchestra since September, seeing as I just started college this year, but it really is the best society out of all those that I've joined. There's something about orchestra people that makes them easier to bond with than others, and this is partially why I had such an amazing time on our three-day tour.
We stayed in East Berlin, not too far from the Berlin wall, and fitted a surprising amount of sightseeing into two days! However, I'm not writing this post to waffle on and on about Berlin's tourism industry. Instead, I want to blog about a place I visited which was somewhat off the beaten track of your clichéd tourist destinations;
I don't want to blow on too long about it because obviously you can read everything you need to know on Wikipedia, but I would definitely recommend a visit to the Arthouse should you find yourself in Berlin with a few hours to kill. The house began as a Jewish department store, became a Nazi prison, and now is the most wonderful home to so many budding artists and musicians alike. The whole place was like a different world, with an abundance of niches to explore, including a junk yard style collection of exhibitions, and a large house with floor after floor of beautiful and unique art. Also, on the last night, we all went to a club called Cafe Zapata which was located in Tacheles, and was part of the old Berlin underground scene- brilliant.
Unfortunately, I've left the cable for my digital camera in Cork, therefore I can't post any of the photos I took in Berlin just yet (I got a couple of good shots of Tacheles.) Watch this space!
