Berlin's Beach Blanket Blitzkrieg (PHOTOS)

Kiki Blofeld created her popular Berlin beach bar as an act of penance for the evils perpetuated by her uncle, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who spent decades trying and failing to kill James Bond.

Even the fact that Kiki, Ernst and James are all fictitious, has not diminished the popularity of Kiki Blofeld with Berlin's stylish set.

This summer, as temperatures rose (along with concerns about the Euro) the cafes, bars and parks along Berlin's many canals were packed with young people trying to escape the heat and the ubiquitous bad news. Bars like Blofeld's and Bundespressestrand, blur the line between beer garden and summer camp, allowing their patrons to relax around a fire and distance themselves somewhat from the chaos of the city.

As Berlin becomes the disputed cultural core of Europe, the city's young citizens are taking time off from creating art installations and remixing house music at an increasingly eccentric group of canal-side watering holes.

Looks like fun.