Ishicilelwe: 30.06.2019
Don Curry is back on tour. After enjoying a few relaxing weeks on the Seychelles last year, both above and below the water's surface, this year he is focused on real research work. While Don Curry will stay in Europe, he will venture further east and further north than ever before.
During his journey through vast parts of India, Don Curry eventually got used to the constant tropical heat. However, today's weather in Germany far exceeded any temperatures Don Curry experienced in India. With a temperature of 35°C, Don Curry set off on the autobahn towards Berlin in his loyal golf car. Although he was not the only one using the highway, he only had to navigate through insignificant traffic jams three times. The destination was reached in the early evening.
A small problem arose towards the end of the journey when Don Curry encountered an extensive street festival in the vicinity of the pre-booked hotel, Transit. It took several detours for Don Curry to finally reach the street where the hotel is located. The hotel itself was an unusual representative of its kind: it resided on the 3rd and 4th floors of a typical Berlin backyard building that had originally served as a factory. The industrially sober ambience and the almost 5-meter high rooms still betrayed their origin. Lady Luck smiled upon Don Curry once again during the allocation of the rooms: he was given the only room with a balcony on the 3rd floor.
However, the enjoyment of the room had to wait for now. Don Curry's stomach had been rumbling for quite some time. Don Curry primarily chose the hotel because it was very close to the first Kreuzberg craft beer garden, the 'Dolden Mädel'. The goal was reached and a cozy table in the beer garden was found after just a few steps around the corner.
The thermometer now showed 37°C - a temperature at which even the coldest beer cannot stay cool for long. Don Curry soon found out when he ordered a 'Volles Brett': 5 x 0.1 liters of craft beer, randomly selected by the bartender. As quickly became apparent, they were 5 different craft beers from the Hamburg Ratsherrn Brewery; all delicious and refreshing, but already quite warm by the third beer. A mighty Kreuzberg burger with homemade potato chips served as the culinary foundation for 2 more beer tests, in which Don Curry deliberately limited himself to Berlin craft beers: a very fruity Wildberry Ale and an extremely sour Sage-Thyme Wheat, which tasted more like unsweetened lemon juice with some herbal extracts.
Instead, Don Curry unexpectedly discovered his athletic side. Almost at the end of the street festival, he suddenly encountered the actual Kreuzberg, which gave the entire neighborhood its name. At the top of the hill stood a monument of freedom designed by the famous architect Schinkel.