My exploration into the city on Sunday proved to be well worth the
effort, for while the shops are closed (as they are also in Berlin) the
Alt-Stadt was full of liveliness and events.
Initially I had planned to walk directly to the Rhein and walk along the
river bank, however in doing so I passed through the gardens where the
modern art gallery K21 is situated.
K21 - Kunstsammlung (c) MJT
Housing the city's post 1980s art collections, the building was
originally the Ständehaus or provincial parliament (1880), and was
redesigned and opened in its current form in 2002.
Kris Martin 2011 "Untitled" at K21 (c) MJT
Juan Munoz 1996 "Piazza" (c) MJT
Fortuitous my timing was, as it was a free jazz event, which meant that
the gallery was open for free (normally 12€) and I was truly inspired by
the installation by Tomás Saraceno - but I need to devote an entire
post to this particular activity.
Tomás Saraceno installation at K21 (c) MJT
Original staircase in K21 (c) MJT
The coffee at the gallery's cafe smelled particularly good, though I
didn't have a chance to sample it. But i may have to go back to check!
Underpass African market (c) MJT
Underpass African market (c) MJT
Continuing in the direction of the Rhein I was attracted to some
rhythmic drumming and soon found myself underneath the freeway heading
over the bridge, where an African market was in full swing. Wares, food,
clothing and music from numerous African countries make up this market,
and a drumming performance (by a local African drumming class) was the
highlight of the market and clearly connecting with the audience and
participants.
African drumming performance (c) MJT
Nico's Drum Family (c) MJT
African market entertainment (c) MJT
A sample of a tuna pasty (Thunfisch Teigtaschen) was quite delicious,
and much of the other food on offer was equally appetizing.
Traditional African cuisine (c) MJT
African Tuna Pasty (c) MJT
Afrikanisches Thunfisch Teigtaschen (c) MJT
Heading upstream and away from the old city I finally had a close view
of the Rheinturm though I didn't go up it, and further into the Neuer
Zollhof where some very interesting architecture has been fostered.
Walking upstream along the Rhein (c) MJT
Rheinturm (c) MJT
Of particular interest is the Frank Gehry designed, 1999 arts and media
centre. Using the same angled windows in all the odd shaped buildings,
these unique shapes are as interesting from afar as they are up close -
many visitors taking photos near the reflective metal clad centre
building.
Frank Gehry design (c) MJT
Reflective metal surface (c) MJT
Neuer Zollhof (c) MJT
The entire harbour side appears to have been rejuvenated through
interesting architecture, such as the people scaling the facade and the
Lego building. While there were many people walking around, I suspect it
is an area ideal for business lunches or high-end restaurants, as not
much seemed open on a Sunday afternoon.
Neuer Zollhof (c) MJT
Neuer Zollhof (c) MJT
Neuer Zollhof (c) MJT
Walking back towards the old town, passing the African market still in
swing, I came across the longest outdoor book market I think I have ever
witnessed. And the local beer "alt" flowing at numerous pubs along the
way home.
Sunday book market (c) MJT
Inner harbour (c) MJT
Book market along the Rhein (c) MJT
So in conclusion I was surprised by just how busy Sundays can be in Düsseldorf given most of the shops are closed and that the city is very business orientated during the week. And I'm sure I only just scratched the surface.
Located on Auguststrasse 29C, Shisho Burger is an Asian Fusion burger restaurant that has become one of our regular lunch places. Directions here:
Photo by Anne S. / Care of yelp.de
According to the wikipedia, Shiso is the leaf of a Japanese mint plant and here they do combine many asian herbs with the traditional burger. The lemon-chili burger takes the asian fusion one step further by adding a fully flavoured chili sauce to the mix.
Chili-lemon burger at Shiso (c) MJT
If you are after a full palette of tastes and a satisfying lunch or dinner without over-eating, then I definitely recommend a trip to Shiso Burger. The Angus Beef that is used for the boulette/patties is obviously very high quality, as it is succulent without dripping of fat. Since it is not always easy or cheap to find good quality beef in Berlin, this is a very satisfying yet reasonably priced solution. What is great about this place however, is that vegetarians are equally catered for, and there are multiple burger options, including the "Toad Burger" - Portabello mushroom (essentially a mushroom steak!), "Shiso Burger" - made like a Tuna patty, a "Salmon" and a "Veggie" Burger.
"Toad Burger" / Portabello Mushroom at Shiso (c) MJT
Shiso Burger have a Mittagsmenu Monday through to Saturday, which for 3€ on top of the normal price of the burger, gives you a drink and house fries. Unfortunately if you want any other variation of the fries it will cost an extra 1,50€ - so in the end the Mittagsmenu "deal" is pretty slack actually. So we often simply share one serving of the sweet potato fries, which have more flavour than the regular house fries.
Sweet potato fries at Shiso Burger (c) MJT
A unique touch to the already asian fusion burger, is the fact that everything is individually served in bamboo steamers. While aesthetically interesting, we have also noticed how efficient this is at clearing the tables afterwards.
Meal at Shiso Burger (c) MJT
While there is still a fresh and new vibe about this eatery, they already celebrated their first year anniversary and it seems more and more people are aware of how delicious the burgers are, as it is always busy. Conveniently it does not take long to enjoy your meal (a great pit stop or lunch on the go), though the service can fluctuate between being attentive and completely ignored or forgotten about entirely. (Sometimes having to beg to pay...) Oh, and make sure you have cash to pay with (NO CARDS)
Menu Shiso Burger
A little more information can be found at their website: www.shisoburger.de
Quite by chance I find myself at present in the Rheinland in the West of Germany (about 4 to 5 hours West and slightly south of Berlin) in the capital of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is in the heart of the Rhein-Ruhr-Gebiet, an area encompassing multiple cities such as Dortmund, Duisburg, Köln, Bonn, Essen, Bochum and more, with a combined population of 11 million.
Care of www.reading-dusseldorf.org.uk
As the regional name indicates, it is situated on the River Rhein downstream from Köln und Bonn. And if Wagner's Rheinmaidens were looking for somewhere to spend their recovered Rheingold, I'm sure they would find all the necessary luxury shops here in Düsseldorf.
Looking Upstream Rhein (c) MJT
Looking Downstream Rhein (c) MJT
Just for fun, here is the entire production of Wagner's Rheingold from 2007 in Bayreuth, in case you have a spare 2.5 hours.
While I wouldn't have expected to visit Düsseldorf specifically from Berlin, since arriving I have found it to be a very pleasant city - much calmer, friendly and civilized than Berlin - and very diverse in cultures and architecture. For example I quite like the newly opened Daniel Libeskind designed building at Jan-Wellen Platz.
Libeskind Architecture (c) MJT
The Alt-Stadt (old city) which is build upon the bank of the Rhein is well worth exploring, as there are numerous culinary options (at some points a different nationality per shop), including Ethiopian, Spanish, Turkish, Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese, alongside various fish markets and bakeries. Plus a central market area and cafes/beer gardens stretching along the bank of the river.
Along the riverbank (c) MJT
And so over the next few blogs I hope to explore the city further and share my experiences and recommendations for this Berlin getaway to the Rheinland.
Only two years ago the ground floor of a brand new building between Rosenthalerplatz and Weinbergsweg opened its doors as a Japanese
restaurant, named Hashi. Directions here:
(C) MJT
We had frequented this new restaurant off-and-on during its beginnings - bento box lunch deals, tapas-like dinners and sushi.
(C) MJT
Glad to say, Hashi is still here and they have managed to adjust and
cater very well to their clientele, and it is now a place that we go if
we want to make it a special dinner out.
Rosenthaler Strasse (C) MJT
The effort that has gone into the design and decor must be mentioned, as the ceiling is an extremely admirable piece of art. Thousands of chopsticks have been sewn together so as to appear floating in mid-air, creating a forest effect.
Hand stained chopsticks (C) MJT
Wave of chopsticks (C) MJT
According to the details mentioned in the menu, the installation was designed by Bjørn Hoffmann and Sofia Borges of Affect Studio. The chopstick forest (Hashi Mori) is created out of 15,454 hand stained and threaded chopsticks, 57,400 knots and over 20 kilometres of nylon to suspend it all together.
Chopstick forest (C) MJT
As for the food itself, most of the sushi and tapas plates are served on
slate, which adds to the freshness of the food. The menu is quite extensive but it is worth ordering a couple of dishes, as it is quite like a japanese tapas.
View towards Alexanderplatz (C) MJT
My favourite dishes worth recommending include the Ebimayo Popcorn (deep fried shrimps) for 4,90€ and the Avocado Salad with Pacific Shrimps, which has a generous
serving of prawns and it very good value for 6,90€. The sushi dishes are extremely reliable and the cooked fish dishes are worth trying.
Front entrance Hashi (C) MJT
Overall it is worth a visit if only to appreciate the ceiling, however I
would recommend it for a date night or special occasion. Take your time
and try many various dishes. Service and meals are usually extremely efficient.
Price: €€-€€€
Service: ★★★★
Food: ★★★★☆
Recommended dish: Avocado Salad with Pacific Shrimps 6,90€.
I don't often write about my work or personal life on this blog, but rather recommendations of where to visit and enjoy Berlin. However I wish to make an exception, because of the unexpected nature and uplifting experience of my work today.
As a musician we become very accustomed to and comfortable in the concert hall, theatre or practice room - but my relationship with Lieder, in this case Schubert's Winterreise, today led me to an unusual situation - a workshop inside a prison for youths.
Care of winterreise.gefaengnistheater.de
The initiative "Gefängnistheater (Prison Theatre) has been working on this winterREISE project for three years, and has taken the Schubert Song Cycle and used the texts, music and expression, to involve the detainees in an art experiment.
I was there with an outstanding colleague, dramatic mezzo soprano, Christin-Marie Hill, to perform a selection of songs from the original cycle of 24 in their original classical form. An example of "Gute Nacht" (good night) is performed below by two of Berlin's most famous artistic residents, Baritone Thomas Quasthoff and pianist Daniel Barenboim.
The majority of the afternoon was spent evolving the original texts into rap responses, performed by the detainees, and myself improvising at the piano, while Christin-Marie added sung refrains and an eclectic mix of jazz, soul, operatic and pop to the ordered rap.
What struck me the most was not the setting (I had to keep reminding myself that I was actually in a prison), but the genuine response and enthusiasm that these young men (16-23) had to both the classical version of these Lieder (songs) and their own interpretation and response via rap that could relate to their own experiences and lives.
care of winterreise.gefaengnistheater.de
I would love to post some of the rap verses, which were not only quite poetic in structure, but gave an interesting insight into their lives and past experiences. However there is a performance planned in Autumn (beginning of October), where their interpretations will be presented. Unfortunately I don't know whether it is an open performance, but regardless I feel like the experience and purpose of what is being achieved here is of great importance for rehabilitation and cultural appreciation.
care of www.berlin.de
That in a prison setting these Lieder can have such a powerful effect, continue to evolve and be relevant, was quite an uplifting and genuinely enjoyable experience for me. I believe the inmates were also extremely grateful and respectful for the day that we shared.
For further information on this programme, which is supported by the EU Union and multiple government initiatives, visit their website in german at: http://winterreise.gefaengnistheater.de/
And to finish with, a clip of my all time favourite Lieder interpreter, the late Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau performing "Letzte Hoffnung" (last hope) from "Winterreise".
