Glimpses #6

I appologize for the radio silence; I have moved into my apartment, but there's no internet (nor 3g service…), so I'm pretty much on my own, deserted island. Albeit a really beautiful one. It seems Germans are not the fastest in the internet department, so it looks like I will have to write my BA assignment at cafés around in the city. Huge bummer and an annoying stress factor. So here's a little of what I've been up to lately:

 Last week, I met Jessica of Best Wishes From Berlin fame. She took my picture for the interview, and we had coffee and a good talk at Silo. The temperatures were high (20 degrees!) so it was a strange mix of fall and summer, and we enjoyed it outside.

I met Jamin for a coffee at Bully's Bakery. The sun was shining, and we had 10 months to catch up on.

 And of course there's the apartment. It's very surreal to live there; I keep waiting for someone else to come home, but it's just me. I am enjoying unpacking; all my things have been tucked away in a storage room since August last year, so it's nice to rediscover things, books, and clothes. And I really enjoy making this place my own.

 This week, I met Shirin for coffee at Tischendorf. We talked about Canada, Berlin and old times while the sun disappeared outside.

I'm trawling the streets for good cafés to work at as I really have to do my assignment for school (damn internet companies in Berlin!). Yesterday was k-fetisch near my home, today is Silo in Friedrichshain with Swedes Hanna and Johanna. It's great to have company.

West II

I'm moving today, so it's only fitting that the second half of my 'goodbye West'-post is featured now. I only lived in the west for 26 days, but I kind of enjoyed myself. I liked exploring a new area and getting the idea of how it is living in this part of town. So decadent, so rich, so fancy. And then little me, always in black and always in worn-out dresses and strange hair. So now the new chapter is Neukölln, another area I haven't lived in before, but I know this place pretty well. I can't wait to settle down and explore.

 The Danish Christiania-bike has gotten a new Berlin fanbase, and it's kind of nice seeing this familiar thing driving around here as well.

 Peek-a-boo.

 This building! Notice the roof, the windows...

Of course.

Featured

I've been reading the blog Best Wishes From Berlin since the summer. The blog features Berlin creatives and their personal stories and relationships to Berlin. I love reading about passionate people who have created something, and especially when they live in my city. So when Jessica, who's the ingenious woman behind the blog, asked me to be featured, I didn't hesitate. Read my story here and learn about my two year mental amputation, and why I love Berlin.

West I

As this is my last week in the West, I have been taking long walks down the broad streets, looking up and taking it all in. I have taken so many photos I will share them in two posts. So here's the first round; let me take you down Kantstraße.

 'My' corner of Kurfürstendamm; ecke Uhlandstraße.

 Oh what a great place that top apartment must be. Such big (and small) windows, and a view down on Savignyplatz' railway station.

 Under S Savignyplatz there are lots of small designershops. This little one served up nice juices. (And UGGs, really?)

 The equivalent on Kantstraße was this little hole-in-the-wall shop. Neat.

 Oh, that font!

 The trees are losing their clothes...

 Again, the font.

Stay tuned for trips down the sidestreets.

Weekend

Weekend weekend weekend

On a grey Friday morning, I headed to Kreuzberg to sign the contract for my new apartment. I will move in on Saturday, and I. Can't. Wait. It's going to be very grown-up to have an entire apartment for myself, and I can't wait to decorate - and to see my own furniture again after a whole year.

 Friday night meant a spontaneous round of cocktails in Neukölln. I spent way too much money on drinks, but at least we had so much fun. First at Paloma (Skalitzer Straße 135, Kreuzberg), then next door at West Germany which is now called something else... Pictures are blurry...

 I do love a good Moscow Mule.

 The weekend weather was grey on grey, and the view from my window was slightly depressing. At least it was 19 degrees!

 On Saturday, I had an appropriate amount of hangover in my body, and as the sun began to go down, I went for a long walk in my neighborhood to clear the head. Since I'm moving out in a few days, I want to get it all in. For instance, I didn't know that Kantstraße is little China...!

 That font!

 I went to the Asian supermarket (Kantstraße 101, Charlottenburg) to pick up rice paper. I love places like these.

 On Sunday, I went brunching with Adam in Schillerkiez in Neukölln. We went to Engels (Herrfurther Straße 21, Neukölln) which was super hipster, but with a good brunch buffet (but the coffee wasn't all that, as you might tell from the photo...). We sat there for hours - I tried talking Adam out of moving back to London - and were so incredibly full afterwards.

Herrfurthplatz was wrapped in fall colours and foliage, and the 19 degrees seemed a little odd. But woah, Berlin, you make my heart beat faster when you're so beautiful.