The Hackeschen Hoefe

This is one of eight inner courtyards called the Hackeschen Hoefe, built between 1905 and 1907 and restored during the 1990s. Mosaic tiles decorate the walls, in an art deco style. Inner courtyards like this one, combining living quarters and workshops and the 'backyards' of stores facing the street, were common in Berlin at one time, though very few as beautiful as these. Today one of the hot spots in the city, with cafes, galleries, shops and a few small theaters.

Harvest Festival at the Johannesstift in Spandau

Last Sunday was great weather for this harvest festival at a church near Spandau, the Johannesstift. Fun stuff for kids to do, and an old threshing machine cranked up for action, but mostly people come here for the food and to listen to the music. Lots of different kinds of cake (32 at one place, according to their sign) and wurst, of course, so you can imagine how good it all smelled. I brought home some Zwiebelkuchen for our supper. It's an 'onion cake', savory rather than sweet , and traditional for this time of year in Germany. It's good.

The Chancellor's Headquarters

Tagging along with Richard's students, and after a security check that resembled the airport, I had a chance to get inside the Bundeskanzleramt a few days ago. The photo to the left gives you an idea of the size of the place. Angela Merkel, Germany's current chancellor, presides here now but the building was the pet project of Helmut Kohl, chancellor when Germany was reunited 19 years ago. A large building for a large man, so goes the story. Lots of glass, used very intentionally to suggest transparency and openness, in contrast to the heavy, fortress-like Reichstag that you can see across the way (top photo). This view of it is from one of the balconies of the Bundeskanzleramt.

A Hike in Alt Luebars

At the risk of repeating myself, did I mention that Berlin is BIG ? Both a city and a state, it even has rural areas. One of them is Alt Luebars, a village that's been swallowed up by the expanding city. It's a great place for a hike, with paths that take you right through the fields. People on horseback or bikes come along occasionally, but most are just walking, often with their dog along. It's a quiet place. You can hear the birds.

Dahlia Festival at Britzer Gardens

If you're lucky enough to be in Berlin on a sunny day in the fall, you can go to the Dahlia Festival in a lovely big park way to the south of the city center. Dahlias came to Germany about 200 years ago, when Alexander von Humbolt brought some back from Central America. Lots of different varieties with very descriptive names (pompoms, sea anemones, cactus-dahlia, etc.). Come in the spring and find tulips in these same beds.

A Birthday Present

Do you like my birthday present from R ? Her designer named her 'Tochter Lucy' (daughter Lucy), so I think Richard couldn't resist when he saw her in a shop window. She's standing on our kitchen windowsill here.

Inside St. Annen Dorfkirche

Third time lucky, I finally found the door open and had a look inside. The oldest stones in the walls date from the 1200s, but the church was burned down during the 30 Years War, rebuilt in 1670s, badly damaged at the end of WWII, rebuilt again in the 1950s. The wooden altarpiece with this carved figure is a reproduction of the original from ca. 1500. The traces of wall frescoes (near the windows) were probably painted by migrant artists from Bohemia in the late 1300s. They were painted over during the Reformation period and by chance rediscovered in 1893. So, visit one small village church and trace Germany's turbulent history through 8 centuries !