A day in Berlin

Thursday was free of meetings, so I bundled up, and headed out for a walk across Berlin, taking pictures along the way. The good: This post is full of pictures! The bad: It may take a while to load.


Getting to the city required a walk past the lake::

And through the woods::

To the most deserted-looking train station ever::

So deserted that I wasn't all that surprised when a fox strolled through like he was making his daily rounds::


I would have thought that I was in the wrong place if it weren't for the fresh cigarette butts near the bench, a clear sign that someone recently waited for a train... at least I hoped that's what they were waiting for::


Once on the train, I love to get a sneak peak at the German allotment gardens {this picture doesn't show just as awesome and neatly maintained the allotments are, but the wikipedia link provides a few more shots}::

I hopped off the train near the Berlin zoo, and peaked in at the animals as I walked along its perimeter::





I soon left the zoo and took off through the Tiergarten, once hunting grounds where fox was prey::

I continued through the center of the Tiergarten::

And then found a nice bench for lunch::

I walked through the Brandenburg Gate::

And continued towards Mitte, the central borough of Berlin, passing by the Berlin Cathedral along the way::

Once in Mitte, it was time for a rest. After the long walk, I need both a bathroom and internet access...enter Starbucks, definitely not a truly German experience, but it was fun to order a "Lebkuchen Latte" and comfortably relax before heading back out for some shopping::

***the picture taking stopped for a few hours while I visited some of my favorite {and some new to me} shops for a few stocking stuffers****

By the time I filled my bags with goodies, the sun had set and it was time to make my way to the evening's hotel. I passed through the market at the Hackescher Markt Station::



I picked up some raspberries for an evening snack, and then headed into the train station for one more ride::

Hello from Germany!

I've been here since Sunday for work. We're staying in a hotel on a lake surrounded by forests. Best location ever, but between jet, lag, short daylight hours, and long meetings, I haven't had a chance to walk outside. Hopefully that'll change tomorrow, and ooh, maybe I'll even have some pictures to share.

During the meetings, I've had plenty of time to scroll the internet, and have a fun tidbit to share ~ google knows your location when you sign on to check our email, and they translate the languages on their pages accordingly:: It's confusing at first, but a fun method of language immersion.

Thursday's a day off, and I've mapped out a plan for the day:: I'm in Potsdam now {located to the south-west of Berlin}, I'm going to take the train into Berlin and hop off somewhere around the marking on the south west of that map ~ it's a hardware store that sells fun housewares. Then I'm going to walk through the Tiergarten, ending at the Brandenbrug Gate, and continuing across the Spree river to the cluster of shops that I've marked on the other side!

Happy Solstice!

These are pictures from a bike ride C and I took in Berlin. We set off from the city heading north. Riding along bike paths, over cobblestones, through fields, and past cows {furry cows}.

We came to this little cafe in the woods, stopped for lunch, and continued on to the lake. Where we found a nice spot with a splendid view. And then, you know, there was some idle chit chat, some small talk, and a marriage proposal! Around this time next year, C will be come Mr. WinterFoliage {hehe I haven't tried that nickname out on him yet, but I'm guessing it'll get a groan}. So if you don't mind, please indulge me as wedding-related crafts and ideas make an appearance in future posts. For starters, I'm already bummed that the Solstice doesn't fall on a weekend next year. Wouldn't it be a great date for a June wedding? We have friends who were engaged in Italy and have a painting from the town where he proposed. Us? We're going to have a photograph of a beetle and a furry cow. Happy Summer*

Berlin's details

C and I can't stop talking about how much we love Berlin in June. In today's post I'm sharing some of the small details that make the city beautiful. enjoy*




and happy Friday!