Hello to Berlin!

I'm going to be blunt. When I interviewed in Berlin a little over two years ago I didn't like the city. It was gray and cold and covered in graffiti.

I was wrong about this place.

Melanie and I arrived in Berlin on the 16th of September and we already love our new home! So what's different? Well, we've made two additional trips here, and enjoyed it more each time. Beyond that, we love our apartment and the area where we live! And the cherry on top is that we've had some really beautiful weather!

On my first day of work I got up early, nervous with excitement and anticipation. I got dressed, had a cup of coffee, kissed Melanie goodbye and headed out the door. Despite the brilliant sun rising over the buildings on the horizon, the air was crisp and clear. The first ten minutes of my journey were along the river Spree, which flows through the middle of Berlin. It was all so beautiful I couldn't wipe the smile off my face!

This was my view as I walked to work on my first day at Wooga

And this was my view walking home...

The front desk at Wooga

Puzzle Studio VP Matt Roberts welcomes me to the company (he waved when he saw me snapping a picture)

This is what I found when I got to my desk...

We've always loved the food here in Berlin, it's filling, hearty, and delicious. We visited our favorite beer garden the day we arrived, and then tried out a new place close to our apartment called: Brauhaus Georgbraeu.

This place sells a METER of beer (12 glasses) for 19 euros!

The food was good, too. This is a picture of my schnitzel.

On Friday night, as my first week came to a close, we walked a few blocks and stopped at a restaurant along the Spree called "Marinehaus". We sat outside, and as the sun set we sipped ice cold beer and I told Melanie about my week. In the distance we could see an elevated train taking people in and out of Berlin and we imagined them rushing home to their loved ones after a long day. It was cathartic and relaxing and the perfect end to my first week.

This has quickly became our favorite place to eat in Berlin

We love the warm wooden interior, with candles on every table

The interior feels like the inside of an old ship

The food arrived and it was, hands down, the best German food we've ever had. We both ordered something called Berliner Haxenpfanne. Translated, that is: Berlin-style pan roasted pork knuckle, black beer sauce, sauerkraut and roasted wild garlic dumplings, served from the oven. It's probably the best pork dish I've ever had.

Berliner Haxenpfanne, or roast pig knuckle. It was super delicious! (Not my picture.)

Curious about Marinehaus I looked up the history. The "Marine House" - popularly known as the "Admiralty" - was the seat of the old shipping authority around 1900. In 1918/19, the building, for a short time, housed the staff of the People's Navy Division, whose armed formations of revolutionary workers and soldiers fought alongside the Berlin proletariat from January to March 1918.

It was beautiful on Saturday so Melanie and I walked over to the river to watch the boats. It was peaceful, warm, we could hear wind rustling the trees (a rarity in Paris) and Melanie suddenly announced, "I really like Berlin!" I said, "Me too!"

I reached over to grab a snack and almost instantly 5 or 6 small birds landed at our feet and hopped up on the bench with us. Made me laugh. We're talking about how much we love Berlin and the city suddenly turns into a Disney cartoon for us!