Berlin has not let me down. The organic “biostore” around the corner from our apartment is filled with delicious fresh foods, and the best bread I have ever eaten. Every corner is filled with history, and every person has a story. These past few days have been filled with landscapes, architecture, and landscape architecture.
A cute dog chilling by the barber shop next to our apartment.
Here’s a recap of some of the places I’ve been this week:
Karl Marx Allee
This large strip of land features buildings with pre war and post war architecture with some bauhaus apartments as well. I really like bauhaus architecture, and I am excited to see more of it in Germany and in Tel Aviv (when I get to Israel!).
Tempelhofer Feld
A former air space, with no trees, serves as public recreation space and a wildlife refuge and ecological area. We walked around, biked, eventually finishing the day with burgers (vegan!) and rainstorms with hail. The rain was a refreshing break from the 90 degree heat!
Nature Park Schöneberger Südgelände
A former industrial space used for freight train transportation that nature reclaimed, this park has been designed with pathways for Berliners to experience the diversity of plant life in their green city. I LOVED this exhibit, not just because I like walking in nature, but because it shows how truly resilient and powerful nature can be if left to survive on its own. Competition of plant species leads to interesting combinations and ecologies.
I have been using my phone data to help me identify plants!
Walking in the Preserve
Graffiti area of the park where artists are allowed to paint freely
Klima Berlin at Grunewald
In the Grunewald forest of Berlin, an 11 part exhibit educates Berliners (and visitors) about the benefits of the forest, and the purposes forests play in the lives of people. We visualized how many trees are required to take CO2 out of the atmosphere per one person.
Today, June 7th, 10:05 PM, I write this blog for you.
We had lovely cool weather in the city today. The sun shone and trees provided shade. When we were inside, we viewed the city model of Berlin, a model that is actually used to help the city planners make decisions. Then we visited the remains of the Berlin Wall where I read about the different elements of the Nazi takeover in Berlin, and the millions of people affected by it. On our way home we passed Checkpoint Charlie and the Jewish Museum designed by Daniel Libeskind. It has been a busy day, and I am glad to be back at the apartment relaxing before tomorrow’s exciting adventure.
Less than one week ago, I was worried about packing and preparing for my trip. Now that I am here, my worries are gone, and excitement is in the air.
Until next time, Auf Wiedersehen!
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