Monday morning always carries the blues for us. Usually I wake up first, but today it was Axel and he was nearly ready to go before I was able to have a fast coffee on the terrace with him. The first thought always is how much nicer it would be if he could stay. And then he has to go and routine starts. Doing the laundry, watering flowers, cleaning cat litter, move away things, fill up drinks in the fridge, fill up dog food and water. Simply to get going, but it is different on Mondays with the farewell mood. It is only for 5 days but a piece of sadness anyway. Even the cats feel it, Smokie is sitting beside me at the computer and is consoling me. The weekend always ends so fast, especially if we had met friends or did something else. But Axel and I are glad that he has this job, he loves it a lot and I simply do not want to exchange our small paradise here in Friedrichshain for a smaller flat in Hamburg, especially as all our friends now again are here in Berlin and I would be rather lost in Hamburg.

So, up the head and keep going and… yes, I just read an English translation of Count Bernstorff’s memoirs from 1936, which Michael had sent us from London, and yesterday I got the biography of Susan Albright from our ice-bear Dagmar… so lots of stuff to pass the time. And a question to all technology freaks… my sister has sent me lots of pictures from Canada which I am not able to open and even Axel did not manage it. Anybody got an idea how to find out such a thing????

Our cats and especially Linus love our terrace and the many plants. Linus has at least three favourite spots among the plants for lying down. Unfortunately this is not always good for the plants and leads to twigs torn down and several deformations.

Listening to ”La Pulce D’Aqua”, by Angelo Branduardi (Play Count: 16)

Today since a long time we had a real weekend trip, this being a “Steamboat Trip” across ten lakes around Berlin. Starting from Wannsee the trip went via Potsdam, Caputh, Werder, passing the Potsdam-Havel and some quite channels back to Wannsee.

Since a long time of course no real steamboats are found on the lakes, but German people nevertheless call it “Dampferfahrt”, literally meaning “steamboat ride”. Even the boat seen on top, though originally a steamboat, passed us under diesel power. But Berlin people seem to love anything moving on water and there are enough waterways in and around Berlin usable for trips. Our friends “Icecream-Dagmar” and Hans-Peter the “one from Hamburg” (both had an ice cream parlour in Hamburg for a couple of years) had invited us to the trip organised by a woman originally from the Rhineland. 38 people got together in the group which led to quite a crowd upon entering the boat.The weather in Berlin usually is not ideal for boat trips, it is either too hot or too wet. Today it definitely was too hot so that it was hardly bearable to stay on the sun deck even using lots of sunblockers.

The route taken however was very beautiful with lots of buildings by the famous Berlin architect Schinkel, churches, castles and stately mansions. In addition you get a beautiful landscape, overcrowded camping grounds, typical GDR-type of weekend houses and boats upon boats. Hanna even saw the house of her dreams from the boat and spontaneously remarked that if she had a house at all it should be one like this.

But the main reason for undertaking such a trip is relaxing. In the end you are condemned to doing nothing for four and a half hours except looking left and right for sights and drinking one or two beers.

Listening to ”Black Market”, by Marlene Dietrich (Play Count: 3)

The oleander on our terrace is a real beauty. It looks as if it does not know how to carry the full weight of its blossoms.

I have not written anything here for quite some time, but something now on my current status. The summer influenza I had was hard, but together with a regular visit to the Elixia Studio I managed to get rid of 5 of 30 kg surplus weight already. The heat, which I really enjoy, at home on, on the terrace, a good book and much mineral water or juice at my side, but this heat is not contributing really to a joyful visit to the swimming pool. Walking along the Boxhagener for 20 minutes in 35 centigrade is no real fun, but who am I to complain!!

Yesterday I finished the book The Swarm by frank schätzing, which Axel had recommended, a book that I will pass on to my friend Dagmar on Sunday, it is that great that I found the 1000 pages nearly too short.

Another series of books to be recommended is The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by AlexanderMcCall Smith, the stories are set in Botswana and are written in such a wonderful rythm, that you feel at the edge of the Kalahari nearly, especially in this weather. If anybody has a special reading recommendation… please write it into the commentary. As I have no favourite game currently, it is time for reading.

What does the maker of these signs want to tell us? Men are not allowed to go at all, women and children only on the right hand side?

Sometimes it is hard to bear sitting in the office in this glaring heat. However, we do not need a siesta in Germany for quite some time as some politicians demand during the holiday period. The climate change really needs to have sustainable effects before this is necessary.

You are on a horse, galloping at a constant speed. On your right side is sharp drop off, and on your left side is an elephant traveling at the same speed as you. Directly in front of you is a galloping kangaroo and your horse is unable to overtake it. Behind you is a lion running at the same speed as you  and the Kangaroo.
 
What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation?

 
 
 Get your drunk ass off the merry-go-round!

(Fresh import from Canada)

When Elisabeth and Börje take the car from Stockholm to Berlin, they usually use the ferry between Rostock and Gedser. They wanted to it this Monday as well, but the first boat with free places was at 23:00 h only. The shipping company therefore advised them to take the boat from Puttgarden to Rödby.

To help them planning the route I called a Route Planner in the Internet to have to trip from Berlin to Puttgarden calculated. And which route did they come up with? “Drive to Rostock, take the ferry to Gedser, go to Rödby and from there take the boat to Puttgarden.” Very useful!

Elisabeth and Börje have left us again and Hanna is at least so much better that she is able to get up again. Therefore we decided to have a farewell “tapas” dinner in Méson Español in Wühlischstraße.

The restaurant has been open now for a couple of months and is offering a decent Spanish menu. One may choose from around 30 tapas, which all are rather good though they are partly decorated with salad leaves and cocktail sauces, which I do not find that typical. We had them with a home-made cool sangria which makes the dinner perfect in this weather.

And to round off the evening we had beer and cocktail in the garden of the Turnhalle.

Méson Español, Wühlischstr. 29, Friedrichshain. Tel.: 54 71 93 91.