Hello and Happy Friday!
I love Berlin. I honestly can say that my favorite part so far is Friedrichshain where a friend of mine lives. She recommended to check out this area but sadly she was working out of town and could not meet us. Well, this means we have to come back here one way or the other. We did have some sunshine but mostly cloudy and grey which does not really matter when walking around in the heart of Berlin. Graffiti makes everything looks colorful and special. Even the oldest run-down buildings. Berlin is full of art everywhere. Street art, great museums, contemporary art, stickers all over the place and hipsters. My world! I felt totally comfortable and could have walked around even more to discover and explore this great city. Read on and find out what we have been up to this week.
Reading: While on vacation I read more than usual. Just traveling by car makes this happen. My husband loves to drive! Whoop Whoop – and I can read! I know, at this point I should really see a shrink and tell him about this book addiction of mine. I finished Jocelyne Saucier’s Ein Leben mehr. This is a book my husband and I read at the same time; he read it in French and I thought it was great. It is fun to talk about the book afterwards and analyze together. I read Matt Haig’s Reasons to Stay Alive which was awesome. Book reviews will follow obviously, hah! We discovered a great bookstore here in Berlin and I was a victim again. Damn you, books!
Watching: My husband and I watched The Intern two days ago and I highly recommend it. It is a beautiful little story and a great watch. We both loved it. I did watch some documentaries on Checkpoint Charlie and The Wall on Youtube and realized that I should have taken more notes in History class in school. Well, it is never too late, right.
Enjoying: Myself and traveling with my family. Family is simply the best. We had a great time. Let’s see where we go next. A bunch of awesome trips are in the making. I also enjoy just to be these days. I am content and happy. Life is good.
Discovering: Wherever I go, I usually I go to the local independent bookstores. Of course I found a couple in Berlin and the one that sounded instantly awesome was Shakespeare and Sons. What a gem of a bookstore. They offer a wide selection of English and French books from every genre, new or old. I comfortably browsed through the bookshelves. There are some tables and chairs to sit and read or to enjoy a cup of coffee and a bagel or brownie from Fine Bagels which is located in the bookstore. My husband “allowed me” to spend 30 minutes in this awesome bookstore. He knows me too well. He waited outside with his daughter and our son. I was happy with all my purchases (not too bad for 30 minutes, right!?) and we all shared the world’s best brownie I have ever had and bought from Fine Bagels to make everybody more comfortable and happy. They were waiting for me outside in the cold while I sipped my coffee inside. However, this was happiness for me – to be in a bookstore, alone. I don’t need anything else. Raum B is another independent bookstore that we discovered. I do like the concept of this place being a workshop and a bookstore with a little coffee corner. Simple and great. Just a perfect place to meet friends, talk and hang out.
Thinking about: Always more traveling. I am totally hooked again. Thailand is on my bucket list since so many friends went there recently. It is almost like a sign. “Daniela, you need to go there!” I also know that I won’t ever go to Eisenhüttenstadt again. What the hell is this city all about? I felt depressed, sad and just weird. Have you ever seen House of Wax? This is how it kind of feels when you are in this city. Watch this funny video with Tom Hanks about Eisenhüttenstadt and driving on the German Autobahn. So funny but true!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRgzr3gc7Ys
What have you been up to this week? Have you ever been to Eisenhüttenstadt? What have you read or watched? I would love to hear from you.
Thank you for reading my blog and have a great weekend.
