On the contrary, Deutsche Bahn and DSB (Danish state railways) seem determined to pushing us into the arms of Norwegian (airlines) and even Flixbus.

On a recent trip to Denmark, my loyalty to train travel was put to the test once again.

First of all, there is no direct train between Berlin and Copenhagen. True story – believe it or not. We have to change in Hamburg, a central station which is too small and cramped for the number of people and trains it serves.

Secondly, it had not been possible to make a seat reservation for the Hamburg-Copenhagen journey. There was no explanation why not. I was happy to find a seat in a compartment which must have been about 50 years old.

The train from Hamburg to Copenhagen (which was the starting point of that leg of the journey) arrived at the platform half an hour late. Hundreds of people just stood there, waiting, like sardines in a tin, with no communication whatsoever.

The toilets were filthy from the start, and during the journey, they were locked one after the other due to dysfunction. In the end, there was not one single functioning toilet on that train.

There was no communication whatsoever on the part of the driver or staff during the journey: no welcoming message with explanation as to the delay, no announcements of next stop, no estimated time of arrival and of course no explanation of, let alone apologies for, the further delay which ended up totalling almost an hour and a quarter. Not one pip-squeak from the driver at any time.

The display in the corridor of the ancient train kept stating the original arrival time and did so right till the end of the journey.

On the return journey from Copenhagen to Hamburg, the train was “only” fifteen minutes late leaving Copenhagen.

The carriage in which I had booked a seat did not exist. I thought it was only DB and ÖBB that sold reservations for seats in non-existent carriages. Now I know that DSB does it too. The one in which I was squeezed in had no ventilation and soon many of us spent most of the journey in the corridor in order not to get sick from the heat and lack of air. No sight of any staff till about three quarters of an hour before we reached Hamburg.

If DB and DSB would acknowledge each others’ existence, and bother to look at a map, they would see that Denmark and Germany are neighbouring countries; that Berlin is just down the road from Copenhagen, and vice-versa: Copenhagen is just up the road from Berlin.

Also, in case they had not noticed, there is a climate crisis, and short flights pollute disproportionately, and with transport time to and from airport, check-in time, security queues etc., also take a disproportionate amount of time.

There are enough people travelling between the two cities, and we are all supposed to choose rail over air travel, but – with the governments’ blessings – they keep making train travel more and more uncomfortable, bothersome, stressful and more and more expensive, while air travel is allowed to become easier and easier and cheaper and cheaper.

Ideally, there would be a direct ICE train between Berlin and Copenhagen, but that seems like so much wishful thinking. Much too easy and comfortable. After all, it seems that DB and DSB would rather stick needles under their fingernails than acknowledge each others’s existence let alone communicate across borders, but if they did, their common motto would probably be something like: “If only there was a way for us to conduct our businesses without those bloody passengers”.

Next time, for me: Flixbus. It can’t be worse, but it is definitely a heck of a lot cheaper.

2023: Bring it on

A couple of recommendations of exercises that can be done anywhere

26/09/2023 Helle Møller

I have recommended her several times before, and will do it again: Gabi Fastner has for me been a life-saver several times over since the first lock-down in 2019.

I am happy to know that my bones are in great shape, but for reasons described in a separate post, for the last year, tobe on the safe side, I have had to be more mindful of them in terms of both nutrition and muscle strength (which, actually, we all should, regardless ..) I have recently started alternating with Mikala (bearing in mind that weight exercises should only be done every two days, and of course requires the availability of weights).

What I like about them both is the variety, not least in the length of the videos, so there really is no excuse not to squeeze in at least 20 minutes of one or the other, or – on days where I really do not feel like supplementing with a long walk or going anywhere at all – doing several of the longer ones by both of them.

Highly recommended – you will thank yourself for the subsequent feeling of wellbeing.

2023: Bring it on

Streetart tour of Teufelsberg 23 September

24/09/2023 Helle Møller

Organised by Secret Tours Berlin.

My walking route on MapMyWalk.

Vegan mushroom chili

20/09/2023 Helle Møller

IN PROGRESS (need to de-americanise it ….. for example – I THINK 18 ounces mushroom must be about 500 grams. I think. And how many grams of dried kidney beans end up as the equivalent of 15 oz can of same? This obsession with canned food …..YUCK!)

EDIT: Just found this website!! A lifesaver!! https://earthtoveg.com/calc/beans/

18 ounces portobello or button mushrooms
▢3 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable broth
▢½ large onion finely minced
▢½ green bell pepper finely chopped
▢½ red bell pepper finely chopped
▢4 cloves garlic finely minced
▢1 (14-oz) can diced tomatoes
▢1 (15-oz) can kidney beans rinsed and drained
▢½ (3-oz) can tomato paste
▢3 ½ cups vegetable broth
▢1 tablespoon chili powder
▢¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
▢1 teaspoon smoked paprika
▢1 teaspoon oregano
▢½ teaspoon ground cumin
▢1 teaspoon maple syrup
▢½ teaspoon salt

For serving

▢avocado
▢vegan sour cream
▢vegan mozzarella

Get Ingredients

Instructions

Prepare the mushrooms.

Using a damp paper towel, wipe the caps of mushrooms. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each stem. Slice mushrooms in half and add them to a food processor. Working in batches, pulse mushrooms 7-10 times until they resemble ground “meat”.
In a large dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add ground mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until all liquid evaporates. Transfer sautéed mushrooms to a bowl.

Cook the veggies.

To the same pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, onion, garlic and both peppers. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Pour in diced tomatoes and beans into the pot with an onion and pepper mixture.

Simmer & serve.

Dilute tomato paste with 1 cup of vegetable broth and add to pot.
Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, oregano, cumin, maple syrup, the remaining 2 ½ c of broth and ½ teaspoon of salt to pot. Return cooked mushrooms to pot.
Give everything a good stir, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. If the soup becomes too thick, add ½ cup of broth. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve the ultimate mushroom chili with sliced avocado, vegan sour cream and/or vegan mozzarella.

Video

2023: Bring it on

Relief: I must be doing something right

18/09/2023 Helle Møller

I have been taking hormone blockers (post-breast cancer) for a year now. They notoriously cause osteoporosis, so I had my bone density assessed just before starting a year ago, and then again this morning. I had been expecting to have to make a big(-ish) decision between osteoporosis on the one hand and an elevated risk of cancer recurrence on the other, but my bone density is exactly the same as it was a year ago.

That even cheered up the radiologist visibly. I guess they see a lot of misery in that profession.

Again, I feel lucky that (in addition to obviously having good bones 😊) I had made it to nearly 70 before diagnosis, and my heart goes out to the unfortunately increasing number of younger, and, tragically, very young, women diagnosed with breast cancer and who have to embark on a lifetime of what many call the evil, turbo-ageing pills with a hundred side effects, none of which – I’m sure – are part of anybody’s master plan but definitely not if you are between 20 and, say, 45 or 50.

While their surroundings consider them cured of cancer and expect them to proceed as if nothing ever happened, they have to take double the dosis that I do, of a medication which nobody talks about, presumably due to the stigma attached to being forced into menopause, and for many with symptoms a hundred times worse, much too early. Zum heulen, as they say.

The facts that nobody talks about 1) the increasing number of very young women diagnosed with breast cancer, nor 2) the hormone blockers they have to take and which in many cases destroy their overall health not to mention ruin their other plans for the future is probably going to be foremost on my mind with Breast Cancer Awareness Month coming up. Not that I have the slightest idea what else to do about it.

Events on InterNations

Berlin Art Week events with InterNations 9 to 17 September

16/09/2023 Helle Møller

Berlin Art Week “marathon” – gallery walks with internations.org. If you want to attend any of the below events, and you are not a member already, please join InterNations in order for you to be able to sign up.

If you are planning on attending one or more of the gallery walks posted on internations.org, please read and take note of all of the following, which seems obvious but, prior experience has shown, not to everybody:

Since Internations.org does not allow posting of maps in the event descriptions, and it is vital for participants to have access to maps, please find links to them all below.

If you attend a gallery walk, please make sure you have access to the map of the route in case you arrive late or fall behind for one reason or another and want to re-join the group. The galleries will most likely be quite crowded at times, and I will be unable to keep an eye out for everyone. You should also make sure you know what to expect in terms of distances to be walked between galleries.

Please also do the maths and see how limited our time in each gallery is, and take into account the time it takes to walk from one gallery to the next. Some will want to stay longer in some of the galleries, which is another reason why it is important to have the list of galleries and the route at hand in order to catch up if you want to.

Also note that once a walk has started, I want to be able to see the exhibitions too :-), and I can therefore only be contacted by Whatsapp and only in emergencies.

And finally, routes – and plans – can change slightly, so please check your e-mails and also check in here as late as possible before an event in order to have the most updated version of the map.

More generally, as some will notice, I am avoiding the more established and well-known areas, as these tend to get very crowded during art week (for example Potsdamer Straße, and Auguststraße/Linienstraße). Those who prefer to visit those areas can of course find all necessary information on the website of the art week and put together their own gallery walks.

Below are all the venues, with links to each event:

First of all, we are staring this art marathon with these visits:

10 September: FOYOU Voluntary Art Liaison

Only two other people had signed up and they both actually had the wits to cancel their attendance – woohoo – to me simply common courtesy, but such a rare occurrence in InterNations. This allowed me to change plans slightly as I unexpectedly had more time on my hands than I originally thought. Another reason why it is important to cancel your attendance, especially at events where not many people have signed up.

Anyway, it is a great exhibition and a very cool place to visit. Highly recommended. There till 22 September.

11 September: Wilhelmhallen

About 20 no-shows. How difficult can it be to click the button that says “CANCEL”?

Perhaps, by the time this art week is over, I should stop doing this. It is so much easier to go by myself, and totally free of the usual, endless, InterNations bullshit.

I always like to visit Wilhelmhallen, but did not find this particular exhibition particularly interesting.

Followed by three gallery walks:

Wednesday, 13 September: Gallery walk #1

From Alexandrinenstraße to Leipziger Straße. Galleries to visit: König Galerie, Max Goelitz, Sweetwater, Shahin Zarinbal, and KVOST. FIND A MAP OF THE ROUTE HERE. Given a total walking time of 45 minutes, this gives us an average of 15 minutes in each gallery.

Below is an APPROX itinerary just to give us an idea of the pace we probably need to keep (but please remember: I do not have a crystal ball, so I cannot predict which exhibitions will be so interesting that we will stay longer nor which ones will be uninteresting so that we will leave more quickly):
König Galerie 19.00-19.20
Walk 20 minutes
Max Goelitz 19.40-19.50
Walk 15 minutes
Sweetwater 20.05-20.15
Walk 5 minutes
Shahin Zarinbal 20.20-20.30
Walk 10 minutes
KVOST 20.40

A pleasant walk with a handful of people. The König Gallery is always worth a visit, but I am not sure I would recommend any of the other galleries as must-sees. Most of them are relatively new, and in what is currently a new gallery area (Leipziger Straße between Charlottenstraße and Spittelmarkt). We visited two galleries not on my list – Galerie Thomas Schulte, an established gallery which I had simply forgotten to indlude, and Scherben, which I had not been aware of, so here is a revised map of the route.

14 September: Positions Berlin

The annual art fair that takes place in hangars 5 and 6 at Tempelhof Airport.

For me, the highlight of the art year, especially in good weather, since the outdoor (covered) food and drink area has a great view over the airfield.

I cannot recommend a visit some time during the weekend enough. And if you go on Saturday, you may have a great view of the giant kites as well :-).

Friday 15 September: Gallery walk #2

Four galleries along an iconic boulevard. FIND THE ROUTE HERE.

Also note: Before starting the gallery walk, I will be visiting t his mini art fair, in Kühlhaus (only open during art week) – probably around 16.00 hrs, and after that visit, I will go directly to Galerie im Turm by public transport for the gallery walk. If anyone wants to join me in Kühlhaus, let me know, either by Whatsapp on the number given in the event description or by e-mail here.

Note that on the gallery walk, we will have a total walking time between galleries of just a good half hour, which will leave an average of 20 to 25 minutes in each gallery, which should be plenty of time and perhaps even leave time for a quick pitstop along the way (but please remember that I do not have a crystal ball, so I cannot predict which exhibitions will be so interesting that we will stay longer nor which ones will be so uninteresting that we will leave more quickly). Also, there may be one or two galleries open on this evening which I am not yet aware of.

An approximate itinerary is here, just to give us an idea of the kind of pace we need to keep:

18.00-18.20: Galerie im Turm

Walk 15 minutes

18.35-18.55: Peres Projects

Walk 15 minutes

19.10-19.35: Galeria Plan B

Walk just a couple of minutes

19.40-?: Capitain Petzel.

A very pleasant mini gallery walk with about seven or eight (?) people, to four very different exhibition openings, and ending with drinks in PlaceOne – Panorama Bar Berlin.

But first, the mini art fair in Kühlhaus. I live within walking distance – not sure it would have been worth a major detour:

Saturday 16 September: Gallery walk #3

From Neue Grünstraße to a private collection at Engelbecken. Galleries to visit (still to come). FIND THE ROUTE HERE.

Here is an approximate itinerary, just to give us an idea of the pace we need to keep (but please remember that I do not have a crystal ball so I cannot predict which exhibits will be interesting enough to stay longer, and which will uninteresting so that we will leave earlier – perhaps leaving time for a quick pitstop along the way):

14.00-14.25: Konrad Fischer

Walk 15 minutes

14.40-14.50: Galerie Russi Klenner

Walk a couple of minutes

14.55-15.10: DAAD Galerie

Walk 5 minutes

15.15-15.30: Klemm’s

Walk 10 minutes

15.40-15.50: Kreuzberg Pavillion

Walk 15 minutes, AND – there might be a queue to get into the last stop:

16.05? to ?: Sammlung Ivo Wessel, Private Collection, Bruno Taut Haus, Michaelkirchplatz.

Followed by a well-earned stop at Café am Engelbecken for those interested.

No-shows? Only about 18, I think. Never mind, it was a pleasant walk, again with about a handful of people, in gorgeous weather.

We visited an exhibition space, Art Kreuzberg, which was not in my original list. I don’t know how I could have missed it when I did the research. I know it is there, and have been there before to other exhibitions, I just did not consider the fact that it was right smack on today’s route. A testimony to my non-existent orientation skills. And the fact that the gallery Soy Capitàn is right next to Klemm’s had somehow also eluded me this time around.

The revised APPROXIMATE route is here.

Sunday 17 September

Auguststraße/Linienstraße, FIND THE APPROXIMATE ROUTE HERE.

This is a very busy area with lots of galleries, shops, cafés and restaurants, so it may be difficult to stay together, but let’s try to have a leisurely amble anyway. The galleries that I know for sure I want to visit are marked in the map, and we will start in Sprüth Magers and finish in Dittrich and Schlechtriem, and make as many pitstops along the way as we need (I know I will have reached a certain satiation point when it comes to contemporary art by then :-)).

Six out of six no-shows, which was actually a welcome reason to cancel the walk after the visit of the first gallery – Sprüth Magers. Having walked there in 28C, I felt completely “overheated” and wondering what on earth had possessed me to plan a gallery walk in such a notoriously crowded and built-up (i.e. no air) area.

I consequently declared the 2023 Berlin Art Week for over, as far as I was concerned and treated myself to a big, fat amarena ice becher (first and last ice cream of the season – definitely not part of my by now 80% vegan, gluten- and sugar-free, ayurvedic and everything else anti-cancer nutrition plan :-)).