Songs for the Road No. 17: The Blues and Contentment in Berlin

The cloud infused evening sunlight gives the city a golden glow and the gracefulness of dusk prophesizes the night’s mood. I walk across the Oberbaum Bridge from Friedrichshain to Kreuzberg where huge murals by Blu welcome me to the neighborhood.

This is my first time crossing into what used to be the former West Berlin. It has an appearance that is slightly more what I would have expected of a German city, except with more accents of grittiness. Architecture is important in this city. Even if you loose track of the Berlin Wall, the look of the buildings around you can often tell you where it once was.

I walk the streets of a lively part of the neighborhood in search of a place to have dinner. I see a small Vietnamese restaurant that looks promising. The waitress wants to know if I mind sitting indoors. All of the tables outside are taken as people are enjoying the lingering hours of summer sunshine after all that rain. Inside the restaurant, the windows are wide, candles are lit, and they are playing music by Nina Simone. I tell her I don’t mind sitting inside.

I enjoy the solitude and the promise of more compelling places to explore. I like the way the restaurant is illuminated by evening sun and candlelight. I have a delicious bowl of soup and a glass of wine. I have a good book to read. And I’m listening to Nina Simone sing the blues in her raw, masterful way that transforms bitter to sweet.

On this night, the little things have combined so perfectly and I’m indulging in it fully. Right now I exist only in this simple, perfect moment.

Tagged as: Berlin, Germany, Nina Simone