quiet days

It has been quiet in the past few weeks in here! The reason is that my life has not been quiet - but now I finished my job! From now on I will enjoy cold Berlin covered in Christmas and get ready to move back to Denmark.

the bread station

Lige nede på Maybachufer - nummer 16 for at være helt præcis - har Magnus, en dansk brødentusiast åbnet et økobageri. Det er crowdfunded og melet bliver malet i biksen. Brødet er super lækkert (der har været smagsprøver alle de dage, jeg

Just on the other side of the canal on MAybachufer - number 16 to be precise - has Magnus, a Danish bread enthusiast, opened a bio-bakery. It is crowdfunded and the flour is grinded in the bakery. The bread is super delicious (overtime I have been there it has been possible to taste) and they also have croissants and cinnamon rolls. And there is more to come, so I have heard! Last time there was the Danish cake 'hindbærsnitte'. Berlin lacks in good bakeries (and hindbærsnitter) so I see myself becoming a regular costumer... I advice you to do the same!

nordische botschaften: arctic future

Today I went to the Danish embassy to use my vote to the referendum in Denmark to keep or quit the opt out on laws form the EU - happening on December 3rd. Aside from sending my vote in a screaming red envelope (looking very much like a howler from Harry Potter......) I walked through the current exhibition Our Arctic Future at the Nordische Botshaften - the common house that is a gate way to all the embassies. It is a fine little exhibition with beautiful photos. Also in relation to this exhibition there will be a screening of the documentary "Sumé - Mumisitsinerup Nipaa - The Sound of a Revolution" on December 2nd.

markeineke markthalle

There is a fine market hall on Marheinekeplatz where Mittenwalderstr and Schleiermacherstr meets Bergmannstr in Kreuzberg. I escaped from the masses of snow (......) coming down yesterday and got a pizza alimentari from Alimentari e Vini Bistro to regain the heat. Marheineke Markthalle is number eleven out of the fourteen old market halls which are spread out over Berlin. I will get back to number 9 in an other post! They are not all still being used, but these days it seems like they are having a revival. In number eleven you find fruit and vegetable stalls, good bakeries, wineshops, tee and coffee shops, cheese specialists and bar cafés with great coffee. And of course the pizza!

tempelhofer feld

Back in my early Berlindays, when I did not have a job and decided to create this blog so I would continue to get out there and explore the city, I always, in my mind, planned to write a post about the old airport Tempelhofer Feld. I didn't do it during the hot summerdays when people were barbecuing, running (more) and laying in the sun, I didn't to it in the warm autumn days, when kite skaters flew around, dogs got their daily workout and urban gardeners would harvest their last vegetables. Nope, I finally got around to bring my camera with me to the great public area that is Tempelhofer Feld in a snowy, ice-cold November day where the number of people could be counted on a few hands. It is one of my absolute favourite spots (it is also a quite big spot) in Berlin. Sometimes I take a detour on my ride home from work and bikes all the way down the runway. It is such a good feeling!

Today I went there with my newly borrowed skate board to get the feeling of it on a flat, long stretch of concrete. The skate board is part of me being proactive about my last time (this time around) in Berlin, as I am moving back to Denmark in January to do something, I am looking forward to a great deal (!), and also to get through the last few weeks at me energy draining work.... A part of being proactive is also to update this baby a lot more often than I have been the past few weeks. 

raum der stille

As a reaction to what happened in Paris, where I just spend a week (hence the silence on the blog) yesterday (and in Beirut, in Japan, my ever returning memories fro Nepal and and...) I went to the non-denominational Raum der Stille - a room inside the Brandenburger Tor where all people - every kind; with every religion, colour, sexuality, nationality, political view and so on, can sit together in the same room, brought together by silence. It is a peace project which started as an idea in 1988 and was opened in 1994. 

Every time I've been there, it has been full. And complete silent. It is a beautiful place. And there is a mesmerising wall art which I can stare at forever. Also; it is a nice break from the hectic atmosphere around Brandenburger Tor.

martin gropius bau

The art museum Martin Gropius Bau has a, for the time being, three different exhibitions. One is 'Piet Mondrian. The Line'. An exhibition that takes you from his early works and how his style evolves from reality like landscape painting to those famous ones, which Yves Saint Laurent used for a collection of dresses back in the days, with squares and few colours. And there is a short documentary as well! Very recommendable exhibition! Runs for about a month more!

And pictures are from my super duper high tech iPhone4.....since you are actually not allowed to take any pictures....

friedhof lilienthalstraße

To walk around in Friedhof Lilienthalstraße these days is like stepping into some autumn wall paper you can find on google. The ground is covered with, everything has some shade of orange and leaves are flying around in the air. It is really beautiful. In went in there the other day and strolled around a bit before I sat down (in leaves) and listed to music while knitting myself a pair of mittens. 

A friend of mine once told me that whoever catches the first leave of autumn is the queen of autumn, so even though a thousand leaves already fell down I was the only one running around trying to catch a leaf. I did catch one using two hands and my face (I am really bad at catching things) - so now I am, if not the queen, then at least a happy person of autumn!

café cinema

This café I found on the first real full-day rain autumn day after I spend to much time at the Bürgeramt only to get an appointment the 3rd of December. I went in, ordered a coffee and read in my book. I it not that the coffee is particularly good or that they have amazing looking cakes but the vibe in there is just great. It does not matter what time during the day it is; it is always a candlelit darkness in there. And they play Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. People sit and read, write or talk to their friends. It is in the middle of the Hackesher Markt-area, just next to Starbucks - and Café Cinema is a clear winner of those two!

landwehrkanal

I bike along the Landwehrkanal every morning when I go to work, I do my grocery shopping at the market on the Southern 'ufer', I go there to sit and feel the sun on my face, my favourite running route  goes along it and yeah well, I live just next to it. It is a big part of my Berlin life! And every time I go along it I see something new; beautiful balconies, quirky people, nice chill out-spots and witches rowing. Here are a few snaps from my latest walk.

Austrial singer PHIA

betahaus café

Betahaus is a cool co-working space, drop in-office, café, eventspace and networking space just next to Moritzplatz in Kreuzberg where you have the possibility of meeting new businesspartners, exchanging knowhow and sharing experiences. There is 'betabreakfast' every Thursday where start ups and small business present themselves, there are workshops - recently there was a barista course - and the café has a good wifi connection and coffee. If you just moved to Berlin it is a great place to meet people!
        Go check out their website!

nepal haus

I found Nepal in Berlin! My friend, who I travelled with in Nepal this spring, was visiting me in Berlin this week and we found a small Nepalese restaurant. We did not put out expectations too high, but we easily could! The milk tea (masala tea) we had as a 'welcome drink' was just like the ones we got in Nepal. The naan was super tasty and the daal baat tharkari, which was our main course, was absolutely perfect. If you have been to Nepal, this restaurant is a must! If you want a taste of Nepal, a small insight, go there as well.

             It is on Gneisenaustr between Mehringdamm and Nostitzstr. on the South side!