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Breakfast in Berlin -
April 2003
Berlin ist eine Reise wert …
Berlin is worth a
journey!
- The Adlon
Hotel receives The American Dream Travel Award of Five
*/*/*/*/*/ Stars & Stripes, one
of the world-best hotels
- The Vau
Restaurant receives The American Dream Travel Award of Five
*/*/*/*/*/ for its Michelin Award
winning cuisine.
We landed in
Berlin Tempelhof the war in Iraq was heating up and
security at the airport was high. Berlin took our breath away. |
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Reunification has caused a major geographic change the wall fell in
1989 and the expansion of the European Union has shifted Berlin's position
dramatically.
Instead of being the eastern edge of the West and the western
edge of the East, it is once again in the very center of Europe. Berlin’s
unique flair reminds us a lot of New York City; it is melting pot.
The
metropolitan beauty with its broad cultural programs has it all, the
Philharmonic, the operas, the museums, the theatres, and a huge number of
cafes, restaurants and bars for culinary enthusiasts. Its economic and
political importance, as well as the traditional architecture makes Berlin the
right place for any major event. |
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... At the
Adlon
As a sophisticated American Traveler, it is a must to reside
at the Adlon, Unter den Linden, overlooking the Brandenburg Gate.
The
view is breathtaking, the spirit of its legendary past lingering.
The
founder of the Adlon was Lorenz Adlon, the son of a shoemaker from the city of
Mainz; a truly inspiring German Dream story. |
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His professional
career, however, did not begin with the hotel trade. In 1872 he finished his
first apprenticeship as a carpenter; there is something to those carpenters, no
doubt.
However, during his apprenticeship as a carpenter, Lorenz Adlon
got acquainted and fell in love with the catering trade. He had his first
experience catering for a large crowd in 1876.
By 1888 his reputation
had grown to the point where he was put in charge of the catering for the
Worlds Fair of 1888 in Amsterdam. For the first time the name "Adlon" gained
international recognition. |
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Our accommodations
featured five star amenities; we were pleased, unpacked and relaxed.
The
Adlon Spa alone was worth the trip; a sense of heaven, the warm, serene pool
and the hot Jacuzzi erased the tension of the flight within minutes.
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The dimensions of
the relatively small, but authentic Finish rock sauna, surprised us; to our
astonishment male and female were not using the same facility; just like home.
The quiet- room with its heavenly sky was so calming that it wasn't
long before we had to wake our photographer.
Let me complement the spa
attendants whos presence was unobtrusive, attentive and pleasant. |
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| The Spa facilities are available from 6:30 am to 10:00 pm. A private
elevator, located on every floor, took us directly to the Spa, allowing the
hotel guests to access the pool area with only their thick, fluffy, embroidered
bathrobes and workout gear. |
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Perfect would be the
word if we were to choose just one to describe the Adlon.
Not only is
every detail in the Hotel thoroughly thought out, the service is definitively
award winning.
We especially want to thank a young man,
Christian
Scheerke, for outstanding service.
(CLICK
= PICTURE) |
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| Christian gave us the
Grand Tour
through the legendary Adlon. Let us take you to a very special
place: |
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We took a quick peak at
the Presidential suite, where President Clinton and Michael Jackson resided.
With a breathtaking view on the Brandenburg Gate, the two presidential
suites offer every thinkable luxuries, including a conference room, private
steam and sauna. |
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... At the VAU
We skipped the taxi and walked through
busy Berlin to midtown. We could not get rid off the feeling that Marlene
Dietrich, the blue Angel, would wait for us right around the very next
corner.
Next, dinner for two at VAU on Jaegerstrasse, where the elite
dines. We are in. |
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The VAU is a hot spot.
Reservations are highly recommended. The interior is elegantly modern (designed
by Peter Schmidt, with other clients like BOSS & Davidoff). It is located
in the heart of the historical center of Berlin, at the Gendarme Market, where
the intellectual elite has met for hundreds of years.
Mr. Kolja
Kleeberg, the GM, welcomed us with open arms, to a warm, friendly place, with
perfect service. |
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How can one describe this unforgettable dining experience? We tasted
a dozen different courses and have chosen to feature but a few.
The Chef
creates extraordinary food compositions. All the gourmet meals were an
adventure waiting to be discovered, always amazing, always different. This was
a holiday even for our spoiled, world-traveled palates as Kleeberg's Michelin
award winning cuisine was outstanding. Mr. Kleeberg, a young father of a
5-month-old baby boy, was invited to be a guest on the
American Dream
Show.
Thorsten had suggested that the Chef should have his own TV
Show; well, he should have paid more attention to the German food TV!
Kleeberg is already a steady on German TV and several times a week is seen
on a major station where he shares his remarkable, unique way of creating fine
cuisine. The entire VAU staff is a (American) Dream Team. Be prepared to be
challenged and surprised to experience perfectionism!
Our American Dream
Travel Tip: Insist that Maitre D' Matthias Martens chooses the matching wines
for your perfect meal compositions. Here is a sampling of our menu:
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First a glass of
Champagne Duval Leroy Cuvee Femme
Founded in 1859 in the heart of
the Cote des Blanc (the hillside of the whites), the House of Duval-Leroy is
amongst the 10 great champagne houses and will certainly be represented at the
LONDON INTERNATIONAL WINE TRADE FAIR May 20th, 2003.
The silkiness and
rare elegance of the "FEMME DE CHAMPAGNE" was represented to us |
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in fine
European crystal stemware which supported the golden color and tiny sparkling
bubbles of amazing finesse. We tasted the promise of spring flowering
Honeysuckle combined with dried fruits and another pleasant roasted aroma as
yet unidentified and quite elusive.
On our palates, it felt both, very
mature and wonderfully fresh, a dichotomy that fits perfectly with a Montauk
lobster. |
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Appetizer
- Amuse: Confit
of Dungeness crab meat and Kithara rice, completed with light avocado
reduction. A versatile delicacy indeed, the succulent very tender, flaky white
Dungeness crab meat with its distinctive, sweet flavor – the perfect
match.
Wine: Haidviertel Grüner Veltliner 2001
Dry
– reminded us of apples, on the palate ripe and spicy, almost peppery;
beautifully chosen as aperitif, completing the amuse.
- Vitello Tonnato
„Vau“ – A specialty of the house; we are going to leave this one
to be discovered.
Wine: 2001 Sauvignon Blanc by Manfred Tement
– Steiermark grown on limestone soils protected by the Grassnitz mountains
prospered this white Sauvignon; fruity, tantalizing, very little
acid.
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main
course
- Calamari stuffed
with wild-rabbit meat, supported by a watercress 'pesto'; who has ever heard of
such? Amazing! Tender calamari tubes are a necessity to create this meal, a
tasteful (in any sense) unforgettable creation.
Wine: Riesling
„Forster Ungeheuer“ Wegeler Pfalz (Rheingau region) It smelled and
tasted a little tart and sour, without much depth of flavor; but an excellent
choice to clean and free the palate for the next adventure.
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- Grilled dove
breast, touched by nothing else then a little salt and pepper; chocolate Au Jus
and thinly shaved fennel – what a creation.
Wine: 97 Lucente
Frescobaldi Toscana – producing wine since 700 years.
This wine is a
direst result of a joint venture with Robert Mondavi wines; we tasted plums and
black berries, silky body. Superb.
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- Honey glazed wild
pork filet with Perigord Truffles und Maroons The Perigord black truffle
(Tuber melanosporum) is a fungus that produces its fruiting bodies under
the surface of the soil. The fruiting bodies are black, roughly spherical and
covered with small diamond-shaped projections, which make them look a little
like deformed avocados. These are considered the finest of the edible fungi and
have a place in gastronomy alongside saffron, caviar, foe grass and the finest
of wines.
Wine: The 2000 Arachon T.FX.T, Horitschon, Burgenland
from Austria, nominated in 2003 for an award in the category of best "Red
Wines" turned out to be more silent almost sensual, it lit the fire for the
next course…
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Dessert
- Pineapple tumbler
toped with pomegranate sherbet – a sheer delight.
- Baked goat cheese
with fig- jam was truly an inspiring combination. The goat cheese reminded us
very much of the 'Mascares', a seasonal cheese from the "Provencal" Alps, with
its floral aroma, hint of thyme and the slight aftertaste of pepper.
- Pistachio –
hazel nut- caramelized- cinnamon apple sherbet. Another very special dessert by
the Master de Creation. Hot & cold, just heavenly.
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We are rewarding 5
*/*/*/*/*/ Stars & Stripes for
Vau’s American Dream Cuisine.
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... Back at the Adlon
During the
Grand Tour of
the Adlon, Mr. Scheerke had recommended the "Felix", a nightspot, which belongs
to the Adlon but has a separate entrance. We decided that we have to give this
hot-spot a try. If you like the TAO, the Hudson bar or the Blue Water Grill in
NYC - you really need to know this place, too. |
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After our 4-½
hour gourmet dinner at the VAU, Felix is fine place for a nightcap.
We
enjoyed Felix very much so, life is wonderful, after all… we are just
human beings and 24 hours on our feet ... |
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| Back at the Adlon we were dreaming in fine Italian
linens and wake up at seven a.m., refreshed and fit to work out at the Spa. A
breakfast fit for a Kaiser was waiting for us. |
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If you say breakfast in
the Adlon, be prepared for sipping hot international coffee brands from around
the globe, sitting right next to the Brandengurger Gate, so close you can
almost touch it. The ambience is stylish, warm and excellent.
We highly
suggest starting your adventure with "Breakfast at Adlon". Don't be surprised,
since time flies with a nice smile from the well trained and friendly wait
staff. Our tip; enjoy a glass of champagne, and don't miss the
prosciutto.
Discerning connoisseurs have sought after luscious
prosciutto for two thousand years, so do we? |
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American Dream Travel Tip
- Through April 30, Hotel
Adlon in Berlin is offering four nights for the price of three.
Accommodations for 2 >>> starting at $1,021 to $1,240 (at .95 euro
to the dollar), depending on the room, with daily buffet breakfast. 01149-30-
2261-1111 or on the Web at http://www.Hotel-Adlon.de.
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The Berlin Wall
One has to search in order to find remains of the “antifascist
barrier” that was torn down November 9th, 1989. Almost every corner the
city has recaptured the former “no-man’s-land”.
In 1998
the Memorial of the Berlin Wall was opened in the Bernauer Strasse. A
70-meter part of the formerly prohibited area was renovated. Next to it are
another 100 m of un-renovated wall. |
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The longest section of the Berlin Wall still standing
is the East Side Gallery in Friedrichs hain with a length of 1.3 km.
Artists have painted some wall slabs after the Wende. Unfortunately some
of the pictures are damaged and should be renovated, but obviously money is
lacking. A watchtower has been integrated in the northern end of the Treptower
Park and hosts the Museum of Forbidden Art.
The famous border
crossing Checkpoint Charlie in the Friedrich strasse is supposed to be
reconstructed partially. The exhibition in the House at Checkpoint
Charlie will be revised. Close to the Berlin House of Representatives in
the Niederkirchner strasse further remains of the Wall were saved. They are to
be integrated in the exhibition Topography of Terror.
The future
of the remains of the Wall at the Potsdamer Platz is unclear. The
Commemorative Crosses for the Victims of the Wall is supposedly to be
found at a place in the governmental district. For the moment they are found at
the corner Scheidemann & Ebertstrasse between Brandenburger Tor and
Reichstag. The Parliament of Trees, an ensemble of trees and remains of
the Wall created by the artist Ben Wargin, has been kept as well and is
situated in the governmental area face to face to the
Reichstagsufer. |
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Brandenburg
Gate
The new heart of Berlin is a source of endless fascination.
Nowhere else is the city's transformation so readily apparent or the contrast
between old and new more striking than in the Berlin Mitte district. Start your
sightseeing tour at the Brandenburg Gate.
Make your way to the
InfoBox at Potsdamer Platz to find out what Berlin will look like
in the 21st century. Stroll up and down Friedrichstrasse and inhale the
unique French atmosphere in the Galeries LaFayette, marvel at the
fashion displays of top designers in the Quartier 206, and treat
yourself to the culinary delights offered in one of the many excellent
restaurants near Gendarmenmarkt square. |
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| Not the same level, but equally intriguing, are
Kollwitzplatz and the Hackesche Hoefe with their characteristic
mixture of galleries and showrooms for home décor and fashion created by
young designers, restaurants offering a wide variety of different national
dishes, and entertainment facilities, such as the Chameleon Variety Theatre. A
must for visitors to Berlin is the Wall Museum near the former
Checkpoint Charlie and the Martin Gropius Building with its
exhibitions of contemporary art in the district of Kreuzberg. |
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God Bless the
World.
Simone,
Thorsten & Arno |
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