It's about time I write much more on my blog! To make up a bit for long silence I'll add two entries today...

Starting with my latest travel destination: Berlin. A city that was once one of the biggest and most important in the world, but then suffered from war and world politics more than any other city (well, maybe with exceptions like Bagdad and Jerusalem that might be even worse off). In the 1930s Berlin was suddenly the capital of a regime that was against everything the city stood for. So Berlin, very much against its will, became associated with nazis, antisemitism and a destructive war...that in the end destroyed Berlin itself most of all. After the war Berlin was cut in four pieces (Soviet-American-British-French), and some years later in two. Despite all the reconstruction work after the fall of the Wall, it's still easy to trace what disastrous effects that decades of division can have on a city. From the 1990s on, Berlin is trying to become one city again, which proved much harder than expected (or maybe we should say, naively believed). As if that's not enough of a challenge, Berlin wants to be back up on top among the world elite of cities. It is still very, very far from that goal.

So how to sell a city with a debt of at least 60 billion euros? The answer seems to be, in the words of mayor Wowereit: 'Berlin is poor but sexy!' The lack of the development pressure typical of successful world cities has its bright side: affordable space, even in some parts of the inner city. Lots of things that have become impossible in other cities are still possible in Berlin. This at least attracts lots of tourists, and adventurous people wanting to start something new. If Berlin ever will really be successful again? No idea, but until that day comes, the city seems to work like a magnet on me as well...So it was great to guide a group of Amsterdam students through the city and see many changes again, even only half a year after my last visit. Berlin is never boring, and in that sense, you would almost wish that the city will not become to succesful and 'normal'...