mdevoytravels-blog

[mdevoytravels-blog]

Cider, roses and golden saints

So it’s been a little while since my last update. Lots of preparation before starting work so it’s been a little chaotisch! But we have managed to see some interesting stuff in the days I had off before starting work, and again on the weekend.

The weather has been a bit crazy here and the heat has only just let up. Prior to that I’ve been a gross, sweaty, sleepy baby.

But the coolness came back on the last day of my holidays, so we left the house on a pilgrimage to see David Bowie’s old neighbourhood in Schöneberg. It was here that he wrote the “Berliner Trilogie” which consisted of 3 albums: Low, Heroes and Lodger. Each album reached the UK top 5, are critically acclaimed and referred to by Bowie himself as his “DNA”. Bowie’s Berlin period arguably resulted in some of his best work and he even helped co-write Iggy Pop’s solo debut “The Idiot” during this time. Bowie lived with Iggy Pop on Hauptstraße from 1976 to 1978. Now, outside his apartment at number 155 you can find a neat little plaque with an image of Ziggy Stardust. The front door is covered in graffiti including “RIP Bowie” and there are remains of flowers and candles left in vigil. 

Neues Ufer Bar was apparently frequented by the pair and still serves as a gay landmark in the area (notice the Black Star in the window in ode to Bowie?).

Nearby Tiergarten was where we took our lunch after our little Bowie adventure, and admittedly the park was not the most welcoming of places ... although we did see a canal lock operating (which was honestly very cool) and these pieces of street art that I RAN TO in excitement. 

VICTORY COLUMN (SIEGESSAULE)

This weekend passed was pretty special to me. I saw something I’ve taken a personal interest in for a long time, and that’s the Bauhaus Museum. What I didn’t know was that the actual museum, designed by Walter Gropius, is under renovations for the rest of 2019 and so all that is on display to the public are photographs in a showroom - but I was still not disappointed! They had a timeline of events from the opening of the Staatliches Bauhaus art school and a special dedication to the women of the Bauhaus. They also had objects both originally designed by members of the Bauhaus, and everyday objects inspired or re-designed from Bauhaus concepts. I couldn’t help myself and nabbed a bunch of Oskar Schlemmer postcards to send to friends and family (he is my favourite Bauhaus artist) and some posters to adorn our apartment.

Nearby, was the Siegessaule. The Victory Column in English, is a monument designed to celebrate the Prussian victory in the Danish-Prussian war in 1864. It’s an eyecatching monument, standing 67 metres tall with a beautiful bronze status of Victoria (the Goddess of Victory) atop. It sits in the centre of an extremely busy roundabout and can only be accessed safely by underground tunnel. 

MAUERPARK AND HUMBOLDTHAIN 

Sundays in Berlin are quiet. There is nothing open, and I mean nothing! The original trading hour regulations set all the way back in 1919 stipulated that businesses had to close on Sunday not only to honour God, and rest on the Sabbath, but also to take in to consideration the needs of German workers. And honestly, after the first Sunday or two it becomes quite nice. There are, of course, some things open, such as Spätis (convenience stores) and markets. One of the most popular markets open on Sunday, are the Mauerpark flea markets. The markets were JAM PACKED with independent artists, food trucks, musicians, florists etc and opened out on to a large outdoor recreational space where you can find remnants of the Berlin Wall (Mauer). What used to be no-man’s land has since been transformed in to a stunning recreational space after the reunification of Berlin in 1991. Now you can sit with a beer and some currywurst on the hillside and listen to musicians play while soaking in the Sunday afternoon sunshine. Which is exactly what we did!

We had some time to kill in the afternoon so Tyson suggested we go to nearby Humboldthain to visit the Flakturm III towers. Now, in WWII, eight complexes were built by the Nazis in various locations Berlin to defend territory. They contained anti-aircraft gun blockhouse towers that were used by the Luftwaffe to defend against Allied forces air raids from 1940 onwards. Additionally, they also acted as air raid shelters that could hold tens of thousands of citizens. The 2 towers in Humboldthain Park are largely destroyed but parts are still in-tact. On our way through the park, and what was in stark contrast to the Flarkturm, is a gorgeous English rose garden.

No photos of the Flarkturm I’m afraid, but an overwhelming desire to visit this quaint little rose garden again. Next time with some biscuits and a book.

But until then it’s more nighttime exploring, ciders and wearing jackets and boots. Sending my love from across the globe. Signing out, Mel x

[mdevoytravels-blog]

Tempelhof and beautiful bumblebees

Hallo!

Yesterday we sweltered through 36 degrees due to an unseasonal heatwave that is covering most of Europe, but today was much milder, so we decided to venture out. 

We decided to go and see Tempelhof, an “abandoned” air field which now serves as a large recreational area. Originally designated as an airport in 1923, Flughafen Berlin-Tempelhof was one of the largest airports in the world. Surviving World War II it was used commercially until 1975 when most operations were moved to Tegel (one of the main airports now). During the Cold War, Tempelhof was used as the main access point to West Berlin for American military aircraft. Commercial use has withered since most operations moved to either Tegel or Schönefield airports, and so in a referendum in 2008 it was decided that the airport should be closed for good. 

Now you can find people riding bikes, flying kites, windsurfing, rollerblading and just generally chilling out. It’s also where I saw my very first bumblebee! It truly was a peaceful place and we enjoyed it a lot. 

Next time we visit we endeavour to hire some bikes so we can truly explore the whole field. And with a visitor centre planned for completion in 2019 hopefully we can return and find out even more about this incredible place.

[mdevoytravels-blog]

Trams, sunsets and broken German

Not much to update you all on today except the fact my boyfriend is devilishly handsome on Berlin trams:

And we are very much loving our new neighbourhood in Weißensee:

We also caught up with an old workmate of mine and her partner for a good old fashioned pub crawl last night. Had a blast and drank many a cider. I also managed to hold my first conversation in (broken) German! Next goal: asking for the gluten-free menu. ;)

Looking forward to finally unpacking my suitcases tomorrow, having breakfast with friends in a cafe and buying a vegetable peeler (it’s life’s little pleasures, really).

Until then, tschüss!

[mdevoytravels-blog]

We’re finally here!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my dedicated travelogue. This is where I will be comprehensively updating on my travels and how I am settling in to living abroad. 

Tyson and I arrived in Berlin a few days ago (and are still a bit jet lagged, to be quite honest). We collected our bags and head off from Tegel to Weißensee where we were to meet an agent from our relocation agency, who would show us our new apartment. We arrived and got our first glimpse of our new home - it is a 4-storey walk-up, situated beside a model train shop across the road from a church (how European!). We were delighted to see how airy it was and how green the courtyard is, with trees reaching right up to our bedroom window on the top floor loft. We could tell instantly that we were going to love it here.

What we weren’t expecting however, was how hot it was going to be! The day we landed was a top of 31 degrees and we were sweltering. So we took a walk around our neighbourhood in search of the Weißer See. What we found was incredible. A beautiful big lake with a fountain in the middle, people in rowboats, swans and a swimming club/recreation area to one side. 

My favourite place in Brisbane to swim has always been Enoggera Dam so I was pleased to find a place I can swim here in Berlin that is just as picturesque.

Day 2 rolled around quickly and we decided to go and see the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral). The history behind it is incredible. The Protestant Cathedral is one of the city’s biggest and most recognisable landmarks. Its construction was complete in 1905 under the last German Kaiser, Wilhelm II. Sadly, it was vastly damaged during World War II and only finished re-construction in the 90′s after being closed to the public for many years. Inside the cathedral is a mass of marble, gilded bronze and stone, unlike anything I’d ever seen before.

The “Great Sauer Organ” is the largest preserved organ in its original state, dating back to the Late Romantic period. We were lucky enough to hear it, and the sheer range it could achieve was ethereal. 

We stayed for midday service before ascending the 270 steps to the top of the Cathedral dome for a view over Berlin. 

Afterward, we milled around the city and paid a visit to Hackesche Markt which is easily one of my favourite places, ever. And thus concluded our second day.

Yesterday, we tripped out to East Berlin to see something every Berlin tourist needs to see - Berliner Mauer, the Berlin Wall. As someone who is fascinated with 80′s Berlin and the historical effects of the Cold War, I was very excited to see the wall remnants and to take in what a cultural phenomenon it is. We were not disappointed.

One side of the wall was all artist dedicated murals. It seemed as though it was marking the 20th anniversary of the wall’s collapse (though I still don’t know for certain). Here is my favourite piece.

After a quick lunch of currywurst, fries and iced tea (lunch of champions, if you ask me), we caught an Uber out to the Brandenburg Tor (Brandenburg Gate) and der Reichstag (parliament building). What was really interesting about the Reichstag, in my opinion, was the fact you could still see bullet holes even after extensive refurbishment in the years since WWII. It’s astonishing to think the state of which Berlin was in after WWII and how much work has been dedicated to restoring many of the historical monuments of the city. 

And that about brings us up to today! I’ve scoffed some gluten-free toast with plum jam and about to head out on another day of adventures. Hope everything is sehr sehr wunderbar in your world. 

Much love, M x