On the way home from school on Friday, Theo fell off of a wall. (No, not that wall.) Luckily, even though he ended up with some scratches and bruises, he’s fine.
Berlin Street Art
I was originally going to include “capital of street art” in the title of this post, but it seems many, many cities claim that title. Regardless, I will say that street art in Berlin is ubiquitous… and makes wandering through the city even more fascinating.
Dresden via Fountain
We spent a day Dresden with an awesome colleague of Brian. The agenda was very four-year-old friendly; we spent the first part of the day touring Dresden largely via fountain, followed by lunch, ice cream, a train ride, and dinner that was delivered via rollercoaster.
Mauerpark
Mauer park (literally, “wall park”) is located in part of the former death strip of the Berlin Wall that divided the East and West. Now, it’s a lovely open space, home to a famous flea market and weekly karaoke.
I have to say, that this policy from the park website seems very in-line with what I know of Berlin:
The wall near the swings is part of the former Hinterlandmauer of the Berlin Wall that separated Berlin. It is an official monument.
Creative engagement with our history, however, fits well with the spirit of Mauerpark: therefore, graffiti from the side of the park is permitted.
Please remember: Spray cans belong with the hazardous waste! So spray first, then clean up!
I paraphrase: History is important, but it’s also something we are grappling with – and making – today. But seriously. Don’t put the spray cans in the wrong bin.
Fahrrad
A Weekend of Food
Since arriving in Berlin, we haven’t consumed so much in the way of what might be considered traditional German food. However, to celebrate the fact that Berlin is a diverse, international city, we’ve been sampling tasty, interesting food from all around the world.
This weekend was full of tasty, interesting food.
On Saturday, I was one of several cooks at Über den Tellerrand‘s 50 Shades of Salad, one of the organization’s many events to promote cultural exchange. I made pasta salad with caramelized fennel/onions, sun-dried tomatoes, chickpeas, and parsley, a salad-ish combination that seemed reasonably “American.” Other cooks made salads from from Iran, Italy, Syria, and Japan.
U-Bahn
Parks and Playgrounds in Berlin
On the weekends, we’ve been enjoying the amazing parks and playgrounds in Berlin.
Some parks, like Jungfernheide, are huge and forest-y, with lakes where people can swim and splash. (Some people wear bathing suits, some don’t. Nudity seems much less taboo in Germany than anywhere else we’ve visited. At the DDR museum, there was a part of the exhibit dedicated to nude beaches in the DDR/GDR, complete with photos and videos. )
Books I Read About Germany While In Germany
Book of Clouds is a somewhat surreal novel set in modern-day Berlin, from the perspective of a Mexican woman who has been living there for several years. It dips into Nazi and Stasi history, and explores how the past reflects into the present. I definitely recommend this book.
Goodbye to Berlin is a classic collection of interwoven short stories set in Berlin during the 1930s, as the Nazis were just beginning to come to power. This book was the inspiration for Cabaret, the musical turned movie.
Stasiland is a narrative documenting stories of former East Germany citizens and Stasi officials during the GDR. It’s written by an Australian author, and intermixed with the stories are her own reactions and experiences during her research. It’s well-written and a fascinating.
Leaving Berlin is a spy thriller set in Berlin in the first years of its time as a divided city, during the Berlin Airlift.
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The American Section of a Berlin Grocery Store
(Also, Theo.)
