Flowers, changing plans and rock concerts in Berlin

It is Saturday morning in Berlin. Well, it feels like Saturday morning... In reality it is Saturday afternoon and I am just thinking about what I am going to do today. So, a few pics...
These are the flowers on my windowsill, which continue to bloom, despite me being put in charge of their care for a month (the little mums didn't do so well).
I have no idea how I took this pic, was fooling with my camera's settings... I really should learn how to use this camera properly one day, who knows what I could be capable of? Don't hold your breath though... I was a good month and a half into my trip before I figured out what a digital zoom was...

My friend Kelly in the entrance to our building. Yes, those gorgeous gods greet me every time I come or go from this place.

This is the courtyard to at the back of our building . Hmmm.... as Kelly was here for such a nice long visit (10 days) I tend to think of this place as "ours" not "mine". Our place is through the doorway to the left....

... and waaaay up 86 stairs to the very top!! You see those 3 windows on the top level? That's home.

A street view of the building in the Kreuzberg neighborhood (info here and here). Yes, that's a little bar that is right downstairs (which, alas, I had not visited earlier in my trip, and ultimately won't, as I am now motivated to stay out of smoky places the last week or so...) ... ;-)

Today it is sunny and clear, but cold, with highs of 8C and lows of 0C. Brrrr.... A good excuse to laze around a bit, that, and the fact that I should have been running off to an airport this morning. Yet, here I am. So, with it so cold out, why is it that have I not travelled onto Greece today as I'd originally planned?

Well, a bit of a chance of a lifetime presented itself to me.... I'd been as bit disappointed that I was leaving just days before the 20th anniversary of when the Berlin Wall fell on November 6th. Then it was announced that U2 was going to do a free concert the night of November 5th (the Berlin Wall fell in the wee hours of that night) outside at Brandenburg Gate! Details here. 3 cheers for Bono!

That did it. I quickly checked that I could keep this flat for awhile longer -- lucky for me that I could -- and rearranged my cheap flights, and I will now be here until November 9th (I figure there could be some interesting things going on that weekend so no sense rushing).... I will still have the rest of November in Rhodes, which is relatively small, so I'll have plenty of time to rest up and restore my tan there.

How excited am I about my free U2 ticket you ask? Well, heh, they "sold" out in 3 hours when I didn't even know they had been released yet. S.H.I.T.... ;-) .... Let's just say the search is on for 1 kind soul with a spare ticket in Berlin. My fingers and toes are crossed, and maybe eventually my eyes too!!! Lol. Send good vibes my way... If all else fails, it's outside, so I'll find myself a little spot a block away or something and bop away anyways.

I absolutely KNOW that I will be able to hear it from a little ways away, as the Genesis concert of 1987 demonstrated when Phil Collins and the band turned some of the speakers from their outdoor concert in the west towards the east. Almost created an international incident! Read the full story here.

Maybe it is fitting somehow that I not get in, and that I stand somewhere in the old East Berlin to enjoy the music from afar.... Maybe this was the universe's plan, in which case, it will be most cool. And, just maybe, I'll do some more blog updating....

UPDATE & CLARIFICATION: In the end, I did manage to get a ticket to U2 on Nov 5th- it was awesome (click here for my pics & videos), but left on Nov 9th (thus missing the actual anniversary). I know, clear as mud....

Sunday in Berlin: Flohmarkt am Boxhagener Platz

Today I was up early (for me, especially for a Sunday!) as I accompanied my friend Kelly to the airport (a little sad to see her go, but many happy memories of hanging out together for 10 days in Berlin). so I decided to hit a fleamarket. I'd planned ahead for this adventure, so after seeing her off, I headed to the Flohmarkt am Boxhagener Platz. Once I got off the S-Bahn, I was unsure where to go, so a kiosk seller pointed me in the right direction. As I got closer, I needed more directions, and ended up walking with a young German man and woman who were headed the same way. He'd tried to explain, then said I could walk with them. He has been in Berlin for a year, having come from a small village in southern Germany. His next travel plans? Canada! I thought that was an interesting coincidence! His friend, the girl, was just visiting for the weekend and were meeting another friend who hadn't put in an appearance yet... ah, Sunday mornings....
I spent a total 13.50E and here's what I got for my money.... This item was my top find, it was 2 sets of Bavarian playing cards. Totally cool (click the pic to see an enlarged view). What you see here is the ace of each suit plus one other card. They are for a special German card game, hence the special decoration. I totally scored with this cool purchase for 2E. One of my top treasures on my trip!

I needed a scarf, having lost the pashmina I'd picked up in Venice (for a whole 5E), so was on the hunt, saw lots, but nothing grabbed me as special. Until I saw the teensiest little booth with knitted gloves, arm warmers, leg warmers, hats and scarves. I asked the very neat older German woman if she'd knitted them herself, and after a translation consultation with the adjacent vendor it was confirmed, yes she did. This is the one I picked out. Much heavier than I'd planned, but lovingly made, sweet imperfections and made of the warmest wool. I happily paid her 5E asking price. When I went to wrap it around my neck, she smiled and shook her head, and proceeded to wrap it properly around my neck. Interestingly, it was twice as warm the way she wrapped it. It does get cold in Germany so she knew her stuff. Another score that I will treasure.

I also needed a new small backpack. Flying on the discount airlines in Europe, you need to keep your checked luggage weight down, so I was using a little daypack I'd brought with me as my carry-on, but it was a a bit too small. So I'd decided to shop for one. And who needs new? I was eyeing a few bags throughout the market, but saw nothing, until I came on this one. What is the price I asked? 4E. As I was inspecting it, one of the 2 young lads offered me the one off his back for 7E, much better quality he said, and proceeded to empty it. Spent some time checking them both out, but this was a bit larger and I liked the Levi Strauss kitchiness of it. They seemed a touch disappointed so I gave them their full amount. Turns out the two of them - probably 10 years old - bring a few wares to the market most weekends. We chatted for a bit and I told them they had very good English, which was true. Such nice young gentleman, they asked how I liked Berlin and seemed very happy when I told them it was a very cool city.

I have been dying to do a jigsaw puzzle for awhile, so I picked up this one for 1.50E. After I'm done with it, it will be donated to the apartment where I am staying. Wouldn't have been my first choice for a puzzle, but in retrospect it is kind of cute, and I'm sure will give me much amusement in my final weeks here....

Bought this cute little tin for 1E as a gift for my sister (just killed the surprise factor, didn't I?), lol....

Sooo, those were my treasures. Here are a few other interesting pics I took while I was there. This wasn't for sale, but I thought it was nifty: a little girl carrying her wooden bicycle:

Isn't he cute? This dog was keeping himself warm lying on a blanket-covered dolly, and cuddling with his teddy bear (you might have to click to see the enlarged version to spot it). When I said hello, he stood up and wagged his tail, so I had a nice little visit, he got some pets, then he went back to his bear buddy. Had a fun conversation with the friend of the owner's who was watching him. Really, everyone is so friendly here!

Another dog, but I didn't get to meet him. There were lots of accordians on sale, as well as violins, electrical gear (much of it seemingly ancient), books, clothing, dishes, fishing gear, pictures, furniture, you name it...

This was really cool. I asked the vendor about it, and he said it was from the 20's. He called it a doll, but it looks like a mannequin to me. I did not ask the price, and he laughed when I said I was a tourist; so obvious that I couldn't take it with me! But he was kind enough to let me take a decent picture of it.

Oh, speaking of mannequins, it is so cold here, that even the mannequins wear hats!!

When I was done my full circuit of the market, which surrounded a park the size of full city block, I headed for coffee at one of the half-dozen cute little spots across the street.

Too bad I wasn't hungry, they were serving an awesome breakfast buffet here. But my latte hit the spot and didn't break the bank for 2.50E. Yum.

Oops, a couple more pics.... (it is hard to get blog pics in the order I want, and I am too lazy to go back and fix it up!). Thought this was interesting, a bin of old coins and bills that aren't in circulation anymore. I tried to ask what the currency of the bills was, but they couldn't understand what I was asking. I was tempted to get a bit anyways, but knowing what you buy makes it more interesting, and I wasn't up to trying to figure it out online. Maybe I'll see more at another market next Sunday....

There was a girl selling some clever jewellry made out of old computer and typewriter keyboard keys. Especially fun were the ones that said "Esc" or "Del" ;-)

And, finally, there was tons of vinyl LPs amongst all the CDs and tapes. I can't remember when I last saw a 45!

So, that was my day... There are numerous flohmarkets (fleamarkets) in Berlin. Most operate both Saturday and Sunday. I have previously visited the Museum Island market - where I saw gas masks and other varied army gear - but it has more new than old and is geared towards tourists. I was attracted to Flohmarkt am Boxhagener Platz because it is off the beaten track, is geared to a student's wallet and has more Eastern Bloc kitch ("ostalgie") and small vendors, including people who cleared out their closets the night before. Both markets I have visited so far had food stands where you could get an awesome sausage in a bun for cheap, and make a visit to the local cafe afterwards. It's a cool way to spend a few hours here.

Best Bar Moments in Venice

Yes, I was in Harry's bar! Had a bellini, of course. Very good. At 15E a pop they'd better be good! :-) So, what did I do next? Had another, of course! LOL, most expensive drinks of my life, but so worth it. I did take another picture inside the bar, but then I got in trouble - no pictures of the patrons (oops! was only trying to take a pic of the waiters...), eek! But I didn't kicked out ;-)I did a little Harry's Bar doodle which my bow-tied waiter took a photocopy of! He wouldn't accept the original, so this is my first doodle left behind in Europe of which I still have the original. One day, it might be worth millions, LOL. Anyways, another total spluge, but so worth it. Not familiar with the story of Harry's Bar? It opened in 1931 and has a really fascinating history and is often referred to as one of the best bars in the world. And it's where the Bellini was invented... It's worth dropping by the Harry's Bar website for the full story, including how the bar became to be named Harry's and the founder's adventures with Ernest Hemingway. Also, read The Perfect Bellini for more bellini inside secrets.

The bar has the coolest doors... as a person goes in, there is a little curve in the etched innner glass and you cannot see the others inside the bar. My doodle above includes the reverse side of this door.

Now a bit about the bar I found at the end of my first day in Venice, which was veeerry special... Just look at this:

After my gondola ride, I wandered aimlessly for awhile, until I saw a vaporetti stop then got on, meaning to go to Rialto. But along the way I saw the most charming little canalside bar adjacent to another vaporetti stop, so I jumped off (well, I waited until the vaparetto stopped first) and I went for a glass of wine. There were only half a dozen tables up against the front of a charming hotel and all that was in front was the canal. There wasn't even any pedestrian traffic, as the corner table was on a small canal intersection (although a few people tried!). There was only one other table occupied. My first glass of wine was so quiet and relaxing. A totally peaceful spot, just the sound of the waves and the passing boats. And the occassional singing gondalier, or the sounds of an accordian if someone brought a musician along on their gondalier ride to serenade them. (here is a pic of the bar from the Grand Canal taken the next day).

My second glass of wine was as enjoyable but much more interesting. Began chatting with the two gentlemen sitting at the other table, and they eventually came and sat with me. They were from Cambridge in the UK and were quite lovely. It was their second trip to Venice but their first night in their hotel this trip, and they were most delighted with their room: same view, directly above the hotel doors with a little balcony. Said their room was a little suite. It sounded heavenly. We chatted about travel, and a bit about photography. Philip, the talkative one, had met a photographer who had been setting up waiting for the pre-sunset light when I walked past; it turns out he was Canadian too - Philip thought he was from Vancouver too, but by this point he had gone. A small world. Anyways, I enjoyed meeting them (the other guy was Richard).

We joked that we might see each other the next day at the same time. Almost went, but decided to go to Harry's Bar instead....

Both bars are top pics for me in Venice!

Murano Glassmaking Tour on a Shoestring

Perhaps you have heard that Venice is expensive. It is... and it isn't... More on that in another post, but here's a good example of what you can do on the cheap in Venice and still have an amazing experience: a self-guided Murano glassmaking tour.

Setting out to Murano is as easy as jumping on the vaparetto - and if you are in Venice for a few days then you probably already have a vaparetto pass; if not, tickets are cheap and you'll be using a few everyday anyways. So I consider the transportation segment "free".
Once on the island, you can find a glassmaking demonstration for as little as 5E. As I was getting off my vaparetto (at the first stop on Murano), there was a guy pointing the way to demos, less than 5 minutes walk away - I listened and paid attention to the details so that I could come back after lunch. But to the experience itself. I walked in, paid my 5E, they waited a few minutes longer for others to arrive and then the demonstration started. Exciting to be there, right in the workshop, next to the truly red hot furnace. There were only two other people there so I was able to get very close. Here are the glassmakers getting started...

Just before they got started, they noticed that one of the stones in their oven broken. The solution? Weld it together with a blob of hot glass!

Now, here is our blob of hot glass...

I had my camera on the glass-end of the process, but they guy would have been blowing down the tube you see while he rolled the rod around and the blog began to change shape...

He would put the glass back in the oven every few minutes before continuing on. At this point, there was another guy with another blob of glass in a different colour holding his stick next to the main guy. Here you see the main guy using tools to manipulate the second piece of liquid glass as it was twisted around the original piece...

Shaping the glass with scissors, hard to tell what is happening, but very interesting... They did have an audio recording playing during the demo, in English, explaining the overall process, the heat of the ovens, etc.

I literally gasped out loud as I recognized the horse that he was making...

Creating the legs...

And the finished product!!! Took all of 5-10 minutes to create. We had a quick minute to take pictures then this horsie was heading to a cool-down furnace for 24 hours.

They shepard you into the glass shop after the demo - with incredible stuff costing hundreds and even thousands of dollars - but all I bought was 2 little pieces of glass (a paper weight and a butter knife) for 10E each.. They didn't make their millions on me, obviously! Walking back to the vaparetto I spotted this gate at another glassmaking establishment and snapped a couple pics...

Another closeup of the gate....

Now, for a few other pics from my time on Murano... This is one of the glass places:

And another... this sign was made out of little chips of coloured glass:

This canal was the other way from the glassmaking demo and it's where I went first for a bit to eat and to soak in the ambience....

Oh, on the way to Murano, the first stop you come to is this one. Don't get off here, unless you have a hankering for seeing some crypts and graves...

These were some pilons that had seen better days that I spotted on the journey... I think they were just for directional purposes (once you get out on the water to/from Murano you can clearly see that they have "lanes" for the waterways)...

While I was at lunch, I observed this activity taking place on the canal across from me. The boat had a big winch (from which the operator made a point to look cool and grin once he spotted me taking pics, lol) and they were lifting heavy stuff out... Once they get these materials out of the boat, they will put them on top of that rickety old wheel barrow and all they guys would help push it along to a nearby building. It was rather hilarious as I was wondering if they wheel barrow would survive...

My pizza and beer. Pretty cheap, for Venice, totalling 21E for a whole pizza and two beers. And veeery good!

Found this guy fishing for lunch near the glassmaking demo place...

So, that was my budget tour. You don't need a tour company for this little jaunt. It was easy to do, very pleasant and for 5E who can complain?

Random Pics and Reflections from Venice - Part 2

In this blog post I continue my random reflections (click here for part 1) - plus at the end I have my observations on ways in which Venice is and INS'T expensive... Now, to start this off, I have a place in Venice!! No, more like Venice has a place in my heart and there is some shop that starts with Roberta that I just had to snap...A little amore to the sound of the dueling orchestras in San Marco Square....

At the vaparetto stops, they have a little system to figure out which gondalier gets the next ride - simple but looks like it works pretty well...

The soft Venice light in the late day...

Gondala traffic jam!!!

Loved this guy taking a picture (of me!?!? lol) from his hotel mini-balcony. You can click on the pic to enlarge it if you need a closer look to spot him....

This is just wrong, wrong, wrong.... oh, and it was almost 30C!

Even laundry can be pretty in Venice...

Nice vista from one of the bridges on the Grand Canal....

I adore this picture of this little Italian lady watering her plants ;-)

Not all vaparetto guys are this cute, but they are all nice ';-)

Took a few pics of workmen on one of the canals, and this one just cracked me up somehow!

Purdy yellow building...

Serious photo chick...

Another seagull posing for me...

Away from the city centre, when I was rounding the island on a vaparetto, came across these marketing spoofs, kind of funny to see...

Also saw this big tall ship (yacht) moored....

Just the nice glint off the water....

Now, which vaparetto shall we take?

Loved these reflections of these kids at one of the vaparetto stops...

I like the old stone....

Found this goddess hiding in a park...

This was a little alarming from a distance, it looked like a barge had run aground, but it is a memorial to the folks who used to move containers on their boats....

Me getting artsy with my pics...

This is the memorial plaque...

Neat piece of public art... (click to enlarge for more details)...

People and a statue....

My hotel, just steps from San Marco Square...

The view from my hotel window...

Things you can't do in San Marco Square... really!

How to make your backpack happy on a vaparetto ride...

Place I had dinner my first night, I even got my feet splashed!!! More below in my notes on what is and isn't expensive in Venice. Hint: this was NOT expensive!

Liked these glass signpost things at the gondola places....

Just a nice feeling of the late afternoon sun from this... Gondaliers on their break.... really!

Loved the glint of sun on the metal thingee on the front of this gondola...

Waving to happy strangers and them waving back! Gondolas are often moored 2 or 3 deep; here's how they get across....

I honestly was preparing to take a pic of this pretty canal view, and was zooming in, when I spotted the gondalier taking a leak.. jeez...

They say Venice is expensive, but here are some observations on both sides of the coin:

• day 1: first snack in San Marco square included a Diet Coke that set me back 7E (!) and a sandwich also for 7E... at least my Diet Coke came in a glass bottle - and an awesome view


• this was after I not-so-sheepishly got up and left the adjacent restaurant when the white-tuxedo'd waiter was sure to point out the 6E music charge


• I was able to hear the band from my cafe with my 7E Diet Coke just fine, though no tuxedo :-)


• you might think you can bring a picnic to enjoy the square for cheap but, alas, it is forbidden to sit or eat in the square


• this rule was shamelessly broken by some, as i did myself, albeit discretely broke on my last night there, armed with a 3E sandwich from a place across from my hotel and a 2.50E little bottle of wine in my purse


• that bottle was the companion to another that I'd bought , also for 2.50, for my gondola ride the day before (no glass for me, felt oddly fun to sip it right from the bottle (ok, was more like glugging!)


• got the wine along with individually wrapped cheese wedges and Tuc crackers right across from my hotel, which was steps from San Marco, right in a main tourist area


• my "do it yourself" Murano glassmaking tour cost me a whole 5E, not including lunch; I used my vaparetto pass and found a walk-in demonstration at a little factory for 5E (I was prepared to spend much more than that) - when I got off my vaporetti there was a guy calling out directions to glassmaking demonstrations (I have written a whole separate blog entry just on this trip)


• lunch on my Murano was a fairly reasonable (for Venice) 21E for a whole pizza and two beers - the ambience of Murano was free


• my first evening I had an amazingly cheap dinner by Rialto bridge right on the Grand Canal I was close enough to the water to get my toes splashed once); my pasta (a tasty penne pest) was 8E and ny 1/4 litre of wine was something like 3.30E; service was speedy and if not overly warm it certainly wasn't bad; came to abut 13E including service; the place was called "(something) Omnibus" if you go there


• wine at my fab special canal-side bar where I met the gents from Cambridge (mentioned in another of my Venice posts) was 8E a glass and came with a big bowl of peanuts


• walked away from another place just a couple side-canals away when I saw their menu prices, figured wine would break the Roberta bank


• almost went to one cute place on little canal when I read theirmenu; I stopped reading when I saw the soup was 15E


• my Bellinis from Harry's bar cost 15E each (yeah, I had two :-) but the atmosphere and history were as free as the olives (more in another of my posts)


• was sure to partake in my hotel's included breakast, simple but free and served to me at a tablle with a window of cute side streets; excellent coffee, juice, yogurt, jam-filled croissant and some cheese (and there was other stuff left in my basket)


• gelato by my hotel was perhaps the best I've ever had (thoughmaybe that rating comes partly from my degree of gelato craving at the time) and was cheaper than Florence: 3.50E for a cup with three flavours (stratacella, fragola and, my fav, limone.... Yum!)


• I picked up a little handpainted mask for 10E on my final day

So, Venice is going to cost you more than other places, but you can keep it reasonable in many areas. Just don't be afraid to splurge a little... after all, this is Venice!!!