Expert expat's tips: Cam Hassard, Berlin
Updated ,first published
Stepping out from his stomping grounds in between Melbourne's leafy east and hipster inner north, Cam has spent seven years in Berlin, wielding a pen and tenor sax in his roles as a journalist and musician, IG: @camhassard
SEE
I live right by Tempelhofer Feld, Berlin's de-commissioned airfield turned open-for-all recreation park. The pop-up cinema hidden inside the old departures hall is a peak Berlin experience. In a city flush with galleries, clubs and historical hotspots, Sammlung Boros ticks all the boxes: former military bunker during WWII, club hub post-Wall years, and these days, an archetypal Berlin art institution. See sammlung-boros.de
DO
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Kreuzberg's Viktoria Park has a waterfall and panoramic view of the otherwise fairly flat Berlin sprawl. I spend balmy summer eves here necking wegbier with pals, or by the dinghy-laden Landwehr canal around Admiralbrücke, a bridge where buskers and locals meet for golden-hour drinks and revelry (fun fact: Berlin has more bridges than Venice).
EAT
For a great local buzz, Markthalle Neun is a historical market showcasing celebrated in-house artisans like Kumpel & Keule, Alte Milch and Café 9. My infallibly loyal third-wave caffeine dealer is Chapter One. See markthalleneun.de, chapter-one-coffee.com
DRINK
My preferred Wim Winders-style smoky dive saloon is Ratzeputz in Neukölln, a joint I perform in occasionally with surf-western sleaze duo 'Ron Huss and The Weasel'. Order a smoky 'Husserac' and tell 'em Ron sent you (otherwise a shot of the eponymous 58 per cent herbal liquor will have you seeing quadruple). See ratzeputzberlin.com
AVOID
Staying in. A nightlife wonderland year-round, Berlin is an endlessly moveable culinary and gastronomic feast. The city explodes in summers, rife with grill parties, open airs, live gigs, clubs, rooftop sessions, and spati (late-night licenced convenience stores) crawls.
THRIVE
In winter I like to nude up and thaw out with young and old in the co-ed Balinese-inspired sauna retreat, Vabali (an unbeatable €40/$A63 for a full day's pampering). See vabali.de
From the Caucasus to Cairo, Melbourne-based journalist, broadcaster Belinda Jackson is drawn to curious alleyways, street-eat carts and pulling at the strands of culture and tradition. Having called Ireland, Egypt and the UK home, she has a soft spot for the wilds of the Middle East and Central Asia, scarves and carpets. And while luxury is lovely, some of the best stories of her 25 years on the road were found in a $20 guesthouse. Follow her on instagram @global_salsa