in the valley of ass-whoopin’ (Wuppertal) on the way home after an Odyssean journey

The Schwebebahn in Wuppertal used to be on my bucket list…not anymore. An Odyssean journey through Berlin and Hamburg ended in paradise.

loud, dirty and grey…just the way we like it

“Die Berliner sind unfreundlich und rücksichtslos, ruppig und rechthaberisch, Berlin ist abstoßend, laut, dreckig und grau, Baustellen und verstopfte Straßen, wo man geht und steht – aber mir tun alle Menschen leid, die nicht hier leben können!” (“The Berliners are unfriendly and inconsiderate, gruff and self-opinionated, Berlin is repulsive, loud, dirty and grey, construction works and… Continue reading loud, dirty and grey…just the way we like it

Hanging out in my temporary Wohnzimmer

As Joni sings in my thoughts, ‘You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…’, I’ve spent this week in Berlin without wifi. It’s been more difficult than I imagined. Originally, I assumed I could make it work by just frequenting cafés that were wifi friendly. It hasn’t worked out that way exactly. Although there… Continue reading Hanging out in my temporary Wohnzimmer

Bound to be adventures in Berlin

  Going to Berlin tomorrow, and although there’s no wifi in the flat we’re staying in, the city is purportedly all wired up. You can connect anywhere there, or so I’ve been told. I’ve written about the capital of Germany on this blog before. What, you don’t believe me? Check out these links: Berlin, Berlin,… Continue reading Bound to be adventures in Berlin

has it really been eighty years?

There’s been a lot in the German media this week about the 80th anniversary of the Nazis taking power in Berlin. Actually, there was much more written about a ridiculous story involving a politician allegedly making sexist remarks to a relatively young journalist more than a year ago, but that’s gotten more than enough coverage.… Continue reading has it really been eighty years?

walking into history

This was an exciting day for me. My friend Nick was in Berlin when The Wall came down, and I’ve always been envious of that experience. I’ve been near historical events, but I’m not sure I want to be anywhere near the tanks or the stress that seem to be involved in real historical moments. However,… Continue reading walking into history

a broken church in Hamburg

Always travel somewhere in mid October, and this year it’s going to be Hamburg again. In case you don’t know this already, Hamburg is my favourite Germany city. I love my adopted home, and Berlin has a fantastic bustling energy that makes me feel more creative.   But Hamburg? It’s is a dream. An unfulfilled… Continue reading a broken church in Hamburg

A whole Party of Pirates? Aye, matey.

I’ll quickly deal with the Pirate Party. Easy answer: they’re sort of nuts, but not totally nuts. They are very much into net neutrality and free wifi for everyone. They’re in the regional government in Berlin and the traditional politicians are very irritated and not amused with them. That should be a good thing, right?… Continue reading A whole Party of Pirates? Aye, matey.

irgendwo

You’ve probably noticed that I’ve been moving around quite a lot lately. Here and there. Every Tuesday in Poing, and last week some massive oversharing while I took this show on the road. While in Berlin, I scattered plenty of photos, visited tea shops/tearooms and generally tried to entertain the lot of you with things… Continue reading irgendwo

We’re going to the zoo

Do you remember Knut? This was not simply a German phenomenon. He became news around the world. Born in late 2006, Knut brought record numbers of visitors flocking to an already popular zoo. The story was compelling, because he was rejected by his mother and raised primarily by his handler Thomas Dörflein, who sadly died… Continue reading We’re going to the zoo