Party on pause: Lockdown darkens Berlin's bar scene

Bartender Katja sits in the bar 'Revolte', which is closed due to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in Berlin, Germany, December 8, 2020. Picture taken December 8, 2020. Katja: "Lockdown is unlived time and it is an obstacle for me.'' REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

BERLIN (Reuters) - Laughter and glasses chinking, bright lights and warm colours shining through steamed up windows are staples of winter life for Berliners, used to relying on the party city's many bars to get them through the long, cold evenings.

But not this year. With Germany in lockdown since November as it struggles to contain a second wave of the coronavirus, the city's distinctive scene of makeshift bars open all hours has gone dark for the first time in decades.