From S Südende to S Yorckstraße with Eckehard Heiber.
Started by walking along Hammbuttenpfuhl, and finished on Alter Sankt Matthäus cemetery.
On 19 January, I went back to Langenscheidbrücke for a better photo of the view of Berliner Dom and one of the churches on Gendarmenmarkt, and to the cemetery for photos of the two graves belonging to people whom I have heard of (among a long list of famous people buried there):
With Bernd Rolle, Umweltbüro für Berlin-Brandenburg, found in Umweltkalender.
The park was almost empty, and I was the only attendant, so that was a very pleasant walk in – for me -lovely winter landscape and perfect winter weather, except light conditions could have been better in terms of bird photography.
In addition to the usual suspeccts – pigeons, crows, great tits, blue tits, blackbirds, and spotted woodpeckers, we saw several nuthatches, jays, chaffinks, – and my first ever black woodpecker! Unfortunately, the photos are not good. I will go back on a brighter day and hope to see it again now that I know what to look for.
Main purpose: walk on Saturday 11 January with Eckehard Heiber, Empor Berlin.
I took a couple of “spookey” photos on the – smooth and punctual – train journey on the RE3. After checking in to a lovely little hotel on the waterfront in Wieck, about 20 minutes by bus from the train Station, I went on a walk in the area, a.o. to the ruins of Eldena Abbey. I saw some ducks I don’t think I have ever seen in the wild before. I also tried to take some photos for a workshop on abstract photography, provided by Artistravel.
Despite the blizzard and the storm which the meteorologists forgot to tell us about, it was an interesting walk, led by Eckehard Heiber.
For lunch, we took shelter in a nice Chinese restaurant, and later we had more opportunity to get warm and dry during a guided tour of parts of the university, by a guide called Zbig (short fo Zbigniew, I assume).
Since I do like a maritime flair, I even enjoyed the visit to museum harbour.
When I returned to Wieck, there were local flood warnings and Sperrwerk Greifswald was closed completely – apparently a very rare occurrence.
When I arrived on Friday, in mild, sunny weather, I asked the receptionist at the hotel, whom I think was the proprietor or owner, whether the weather on Saturday was going to be as nice as it was on that Friday, and he said yes, pretty much, perhaps a little bit of snow, but definitely stable. I never saw him again. Perhaps he committed harakiri.
Day 3 walkabout in the immediate surroundings and another visit to Museum Harbour. Lovely weather, so I walked back to Wieck along the river. Strongly considering prolonging my stay.
By the way – a bonus tip: “Zbig” recommended “the best cakes in Greifswald” – reportedly in Caféhaus Marimar, Markt 11. I had a look, and their cakes did indeed look delicious.
If USA is really interested in “making Greenland great again”, instead of oppressing Greenland and acting like colonial overlords and perpetrating experiments like the “Little Danes Experiment” and the birth control scandal of the 1960s, and generally treating Greenland like shit – then why not? And if the Danish authorities are outraged now, they should have thought about that during the past century.
An annual event with Derk Ehlert, NABU, – by some newspapers called “Berlin’s Wildlife God” :-).
The weather was not as miserable as in previous years. Apart from the usual suspects – crows, pigeons and sparrows, we saw (in many cases had to take Derk Ehlert’s word for it) blue, long-tailed and great tits, nuthatches (photo). jays, “Kernbeißer” (?), a goshawk and a buzzard (which initially startled me as much as I startled him (photos)).
I of course also had to indulge my obsession with trees especially at this time of year.
And finally, almost home, I like this tree in winter too:
Led by Eckehard Heiber. Südstern – Urbanhafen – Treptower Park
Went to see the exhibition at ZAK of art from the German-Polish border region, which I found very interesting.
Took some photos from the surroundings before and after, a.o. my first ever photo of a Kingfisher. I have seen many the last couple of years, but they are shy and fast and – to me – very difficult to photograph. It was far away, and the photo is not good, but it was very cold and windy so I did not want to hang around trying to get a better photo.
LAST UPDATED 29 December AM
If you are in Berlin, and we know each other one way or another, and interested in a relatively quiet but informal private celebration, and especially, but not necessarily, if you are a hobby photographer (see here some photos I took last year: https://www.hellemoller.eu/2024/01/03/some-whacky-photos-from-new-years-eve-31-january-2023/), perhaps you would like to come to my place in Lindenstraße near the Jewish Museum (good public transport) on 31 December between 21.00 and 01.00.
I have a relatively good view of the fireworks from my sixth floor perch towards Kreuzberg in one direction and Potsdamer Platz in the other.
You are welcome to bring frinds, and also to bring food if there is a special regional or national dish you would normally prepare and want to eat for this occasion. I will provide bits to eat – cheese, cold cuts etc. (- no cooking on this occasion :-)), wine, and of course something bubbly for midnight.
NOTE: If you drink anything other than wine and the midnight bubblies, please let me know in time for me to make sure I have it available. Alternatively, bring some yourself :-).
PS Just because I am too lazy to translate this into German, this is a multi-lingual event – English, German, Arabic, perhaps Polish, and even Danish if need be :-).
LAST UPDATED 16 December PM
This is a continuation of the post about Christmas markets in 2023, which is when I started the quest of taking myself out of my comfort zone and visit and photograph as many of them as possible.
The ones I did not manage to visit are listed here.
NOTE: If you are looking for inspiration, you should primarily use the post from 2023, since this list only comprises those I did not manage to visit last year. Please also double-check dates and times in the links given.
Natural and unprocessed at Ökowerk.
VISITED 30 November: “Small but fine” in the medieval village of Alt-Marzahn. Fr 14-22, Sa 12-22, So 12-22. Underwhelmed. Only redeeming feature: One stand with West-African streetfood. I had expected a bit more in Marzahn. Just a couple of photos, starting with a typical Berlin sight as seen from my home that morning: Garbage in trees. Very popular, in fact too popular to everbe removed. The trash on the photo came from the infinity building site next door during a storm years ago, and although Cresco Capital has the equipment to remove it, they would not dream of it.
A piece of Danish Christmas culture. 12.00-18.00, Admission free.
Holy Shit Shopping (that IS what it is called): Admission 8 euro. From 12.00 to 19.00.
Church choir and handmade gifts in Lübars. This ought to be idyllic, and can be combined with a highly recommended walk up to Köppschensee. Unfortunately, again this year, I will not be able to make it.
Long-standing tradition on the outskirts of Berlin. Lichtenrade.
Evang. Johannesstift, Zehlendorf
VISITED on 1 December: Along the Landwehrkanal*). Nowkoelln X-mas flow. 10-16.30. The Nowkoelln Xmas Flow takes place at the Maybachufer in Neukölln, directly at the Landwehrkanal between Volkspark Hasenheide and Görlitzerpark.
Why on earth this is called a Christmas market is beyond me. Nothing christmassy about it. Just piles of second (at least) hand junk. One stand with Japanese street food as the redeeming feature. Still, the weather was nice and the walk there along Landwehrkanal pleasant:
“Potters, painters, arts and crafts, fashion and jewellery designers”. Artisan advent in Charlottenburg.
Evang. Johannesstift, Zehlendorf
Strausberg. Not in Berlin, but I will attempt to visit this one
Rixdorf – a lot of home-made stuff: “Berlin’s most romantic Christmas market.”
“A very British Christmas” at St. George’s Church
Schiffshebewerk Finow on my wishlist every year but so far, I have not managed to fit it in.
Christmas market for dogs and their humans. (Why am I not surprised?)
Italian Christmas market. Street-food etc.
Arts and crafts, sausages and mulled wine, in Frohnau.
On the banks of the Havel River: Christkindlmarkt Kladow
Fairytale Christmas market at the oldest surviving castle in Berlin.
Kunstadvent in Berlin-Friedrichshagen.
“Typically Berlin Atmosphere at Bröhan”.
Weddingmarkt Christmas edition
VISITED 1 December: By many called the prettiest Christmas market in Berlin – Späth’sche Baumschule
Very cosy with a stage, and a big fire, and good quality things to buy if that is what you are looking for. Also the nice “Hofladen” was open. Relatively crowded. Did not take any photos (too cold :-)).
Nordic/Medieval at Schloss Britz
Sustainable consumption at Kollwitzplatz eco market.
VISITED 14 DECEMBER: Alt-Stadt Strausberg
Of course not in Berlin, but I wanted to take a closer look at Strausberg wich is only about an hour away on the S5. I gave up the original plan to walk around the lake first – too cold, dark and drizzly – but the Christmas market was cozy. However, not cozy enough to actually take my camera out of the rucksack, so just took a few smartphone snaps (The first two on the way from the station:
Not in Berlin but would like to visit: Königs Wusterhausen
Dicke Linda Christmas Market at Kranoldplatz. NOTE: In Neukölln
Covered Christmas stroll on Kranoldplatz. NOTE: In Steglitz
Unconventional in a cool location in Prenzlauerberg
VISITED 21 DECEMBER: A falconry show and Jochen the talking elephant in Westend. I went mostly for the – alledged – falconry show but saw no signs of that being true at all. There were some stands with good quality things – for example had I been looking for things like gloves, hats, scarves …. I could easily have found something I liked. Relatively well visited though the atmosphere a bit subdued, or maybe that was just my imagination, after the Magdeburg tragedy the day before.
VISITED 22 DECEMBER: Arts, crafts and delicacies in the very south of Berlin. (Rudower Weihnachtsmeile). Quite nice, some interesting streetfood, including Chinese. As in Westend yesterday, the atmosphere seemed a bit quiet.
Monday to Thursday 14.00-22.00; Friday and Saturday 14.00-23.00; Sunday and holidays 12.00-21.00. Closed 24 December. Entrance free.
All-inclusive next to an iconic bridge over the River Spree*). Note high admission fee and online tickets with much included in the way of drinks and food. At the Spreespeicher at Oberbaumbrücke
VISITED 28 November: A piece of Scandinavia in Berlin
Moose sausages and other game products. And if you want – alledgedly – real glögg, and not the wishy-washy Glühwein, this market claims to have the real deal. I saw Danish, Finnish, Icelandic and Swedish glögg on offer. (Or you can make your own).
VISITED ON 12 DECEMBER: Tempelhofer Hafen. Very small, traditional, with “the usual suspects” plus one stand with Tibetan street food. For some strange reason does not make the best of the location right next to the harbour. Did not take any photos.
“Berlin’s highest Christmas market”. Highest is undoubtedly true, but calling it a market is a bit of a stretch. Too boring – and cold – to even take my camera out of the rucksack, so just took a few smartphone snaps, except one photo I took on the way back to S Grunewald:
Also: (Not in Berlin but would like to try to squeeze them in
25.11.-22.12.: Rostock (combined with a walk on the beach in Warnemünde)
This Goshawk (DE Habicht) makes a brief appearance most mornings in a tall tree at the back of my courtyard, right next to Berlinische Galerie. He keeps a watchful eye on the ground for a while, then swoops down, and flies away. I have not yet been able to see if he actually finds some food here, but there are plenty of mice and small rats in the area, so I wish he would bring his friends along to help keeping them at bay.
It is almost worth investing in a longer lense just for that, but for now, here are two not very good photos:
