Dahlem Dorfkirche St. Annen, a village church

Not much from the Middle Ages to be found in Berlin, but this village church in the Dahlem district counts, begun in 1220, with later additions in the 1400s and 1600s. In the 1800s it served as a telegraph relay station for the Prussians who wanted to keep in touch with their new territories to the west. More recently, in 1980, a crowd of 6000 came to pay their respects to Rudi Dutschke, buried just behind the church. A 'radical' (Marxist) leader of the student movement in the 1960s, his is a revered name here now.

So many ways to spend your money

Wander around the Kartoffelfest (Potato Festival) in Dahlem and you can buy potatoes of many varieties, of course, but also all kinds of special cheeses, sausages, herbs, wine, and handmade crafts like these baskets. Lots of free tasting going on, and of course you could buy your lunch. Half the people walking around were eating a wurst of some kind. The wine that seemed to be a hot item was something called Federweisse from the Rhein Hessen area. It's an early harvest wine that packs a punch, apparently. Higher in alcohol content than most, and you have to drink it soon after it goes into the bottle. We decided to spend our coins on some 'Schafskaese mit Basilikum' (sheep's cheese with basil, for Lucy) and Honig Wein (a kind of mead, for Richard).

Lara posing for the Scherenschnitt man

Meet Lara, sitting as still as she can as the Scherenschnitt man cuts out her silhouette. Her mom didn't have a camera along, so she asked me to send her a copy of this photo by email. Isn't the Internet great ?

Looking for potatoes in Dahlem

It doesn't take much to make some kids happy, we noticed right away at the Kartoffelfest (Potato Festival) in Dahlem yesterday. These kids are potato hunting, after someone on a tractor turned over a row of potato plants for them. Just a short subway ride from our place, it was good to see so many families out for the day and having a good time. And you get to take home a bag of potatoes, if you want, or you can try roasting them on the spot. Just don't let that smoke get to you . . . .

A free public toilet !

Rudesheimer Platz, just up the street from our apartment, still lays claim to this old public toilet and it's free. After a while, you begin to make a mental list of all the free toilets along the way (museums, libraries, the student cafeteria at the Uni). The counterpart to this one is a newer model that has vaguely the same shape but requires a 50 pfenning coin before its large door will open. Once you're inside and the door closes behind you, you have the whole place to yourself, for 20 minutes max, but for some reason I worry about getting stuck inside . . . .

Friedrichstrasse Passagen

Shopping arcades and passages and courtyards are all the rage in Berlin, and this one is probably the most elegant. I stopped by to warm up and to escape the crowds on the sidewalks. You can take a break here without spending a dime, just claim one of the leather chairs, which will be black, of course. Black is the color of choice here, easily winning, esp when it comes to clothes. Wear a bright color and you're just asking for it. You'll be spotted as a foreigner or just considered clueless.

Ampelmann lets us know when to walk

This cheerful, chubby little green man, called the Ampelmann, has become one of Berlin's symbols. He's one of the 'good' things left over from the days of East Berlin. His counterpart is a slender, upright, hatless guy, not nearly so beloved. Whichever one shows up, people pay attention-- it's very rare to see anyone jump the light and start walking while it's red. Ordnung is alive and well.

Pfaueninsel: Peacock Island

This is a special place, esp if you go there on a warm Sept day in the middle of the week and have it almost to yourself. Part of the walk around the island takes you through wooded areas, then open fields, and often with a view of the Wannsee, Berlin's cleanest and most scenic lake. Peacocks have been here for centuries, and if you walk our route, you find them in a garden at the end of your circuit around the island. Layers of history here: a stone marking the spot where a 17th c. alchemist had his lab for making Rubinglass, an old farmstead, a funny sort of castle ruin built by Friedrich Wilhelm II for his mistress in the late 18th c., and then the locale chosen by Goebbels in 1936 to celebrate the end of the Olympics. He hosted a party for +1000, an Italian Evening, complete with fireworks.

Freie Universitat Philologische Bibliothek

This library is the architectural gem of the Free University in Berlin. Designed by Lord Norman Foster and built in 2006, it has roof panels that can be adjusted with the sun. Because of its rounded shape and curvy interior, it's been nicknamed 'The Berlin Brain'. Wish we had some of these adjustable shades at the Catonsville Library. Maybe next time around.

Prenzlauer Berg excursion

Feeling sorely in need of something good to read in English, we journeyed north to the Prenzlauer Berg district, to find a place called St. Georges, where you can buy new and used books 'auf Englisch'. I came away with a copy of Fontane's 'Delusions, Confusions', turning out to be a good choice, since it gives a glimpse of Berlin and Wilmersdorf (our neighborhood) during the 1870s.
Prenzlauer Berg has some grand old houses, such as this. Most are five stories, many built in the late 1800s and restored recently. Formerly part of East Berlin, now one of the city's trendiest areas. Ethnic restaurants abound and a pair of popular Sunday flea markets draw crowds.

Fresh air in Berlin

We seem to be the only ones who feel the cold in Berlin. These are hearty souls, who prefer to sit outside to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, at one of the thousands of sidewalk cafes, or to spend an afternoon working in their 'Kleingarten', a small garden --often with a little house -- that's part of a large area divided into many small gardens, sometimes called a 'garden colony'. Fences separate and surround them but there are public paths running through, so you can cut through and have a look at everybody's projects. Lots of flowers and veggies, and sometimes fruit trees. This is one I walk by everyday on my way to Ruedesheimer Platz.

the monumental Mitte

Getting to know Berlin's historic center (Mitte) : wear your walking shoes and eat a good breakfast. Don't assume that the U-Bahn will get you to point A without a surprise 'test' along the way. We set out on Sunday morning thinking that we had plenty of time to find Dirk, our tour leader for the day, but almost missed him because of a surprise required detour. We passed the test and found him ! The wonderful public transport system is huge and complicated and not without its flaws, a challenge for those of us who aren't city dwellers back home. Here we're near Bebelplatz and St. Hedwig's cathedral, in the district called 'die Mitte'.