Starting Point: Birkenwerder Train Station

Meeting & Introduction

• Meet at 12:00 at Birkenwerder Train Station.
• Brief introduction to the route and highlights of the hike.

Leg 1: Birkenwerder to Briese River Trail

• Start the hike through the beautiful forest trails, heading towards the Briese River.
• Enjoy the calm and natural surroundings, perfect for nature lovers and photography enthusiasts.

Break by the Briese River

• Stop for a rest near the Briese River, soaking in the serene atmosphere.
• A good spot to take some photos, enjoy the view, or have a small snack.

Leg 2: Briese River to Boddensee

• Continue hiking along the river, making your way towards Boddensee.
• The path offers picturesque views and plenty of opportunities to appreciate the local flora and fauna.

Café Break by the Lake

• Stop at a cozy local café near Boddensee for a break.
• Enjoy a warm drink or a light snack while chatting with fellow hikers and relaxing by the lake.

Leg 3: Scenic Loop through Briesetal Nature Reserve

• After the café break, continue the hike through the Briesetal Nature Reserve.
• Explore the lush forests, wetlands, and diverse wildlife as you loop back towards Birkenwerder.
• Take in the natural beauty and enjoy a peaceful, extended walk through this pristine area.

Final Stretch: Return to Birkenwerder Train Station

The concert took place in Johannische Kirche Blankensee. Philharmonische Orchester des Staatstheaters Cottbus, led by GMD Alexander Merzyn, played Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony. Lovely concert although I am now not sure why at some point Bruckner was one of my all-time favourites.

Before the concert, there was time for a walk in the area.

IN PROGRESS

Ingredients

• 1 cup of barley
• 2 cups of water
• 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon of of fresh parsley, minced
• 2 teaspoons of fresh basil, minced
• 2 tablespoons of red bell pepper in small slices
• ½ teaspoon of turmeric
• ½ teaspoon of mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon of fenugreek seeds
• ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil. Add barley and reduce to low heat.
2. Cover and cook for 40 minutes or until water is cooked out.
3. In a separate frying pan, heat olive oil.
4. Add mustard seeds; when they begin to pop add cumin and fenugreek and cook for about one minute.
5. Then add fresh ginger, turmeric and red pepper.
6. After 3 minutes add the cooked barley. Cook for several minutes and garnish with parsley and basil.
7. Add salt to taste.

 Learn more about grains — vegetarian powerhouses in Ayurveda. 

Under circumstances (e.g. 32C forecast for today), I am quite sure we will not see many birds. Also, the leaves still on the trees, I will most likely not be able to get any bird photos, but the walk will be enjoyable anyway.

It is really true that there are fewer birds everywhere, but we did see this Goshawk:

In any case, the Späth Arboretum is always worth a visit, like an third Berlin botanical garden, with an impressive number of different trees and bushes, and a small lake.

The Spät’che Baumschule further has various plant nurseries, as well as a shop with local produce, good coffee and homemade cakes. It is also home to various annual festivals in an idyllic location, a.o. a wine festival with wines from small German wineries, and a Christmas market which is reportedly “Berlin’s prettiest”.

Other photos from the walk:

Several gallery walks organised in this group: https://www.internations.org/activity-group/276.

IN PROGRESS

(As seen from my home in Berlin).

Continued from previous post.

IN PROGRESS

Day five (29 August): Breakfast and katamaran ferry from central Hamburg to Helgoland in the morning

Lovely ferry ride appealing to my obsession with all things martime, and resulting in an overdose of photos below.

First impression of Helgoland: Duty free shops everywhere, and people from the ferry darted towards them as if their lives depended on it.

Secondly: don’t spend the night in Helgoland. Accommodation is GROSSLY overpriced and an even worse rip-off than Kassel during Documenta. Base yourself in Cuxhaven, take an early ferry to Helgoland, walk around the island, see “Lange Anna”, take the ferry to Düne and walk around there, then take the ferry back to Cuxhaven.

That is all the time you need. Beautiful as it is, there is no reason to linger in Helgoland. You will only find junk food (unless you have booked in advance in one of the two restaurants with real food), and bad coffee.

By the way, it is ironic that this island sells itself on its fresh air, and then it is full of chainsmokers.

Here some photos from the ferry ride and upon arrival.

Day six (30 August): Helgoland

First too many photos of the cliffs, and then too many photos of the gulls:

Day seven (31 August): A walk around Helgoland-Düne and later the Katamaran ferry to Cuxhaven

Day eight: in Cuxhaven

A funny thing about Cuxhaven: You are not allowed to eat between 9.30 and 12.30. At all. In the hope of getting back to my routine of only eating twice a day (of necessity, as outlined elsewhere on this site – not because it amuses me), I skipped breakfast, went out quite early, and started to look for a café around mid-morning. None were open. I then tried a couple of hotels in the hope that their breakfast buffets were still open, and everywhere the reaction was the same: “What – you want to eat NOW? But it is 11.00 o’clock!?! – you will not find anything to eat anywhere till 12.30 at the earliest”, looking at me as if I had just dropped down from another planet. Very strange. So the concept of intermittent fasting, a by now common weight (and health) management strategy especially for people over 50, has not reached Cuxhaven yet.

Another thing that has not reached Cuxhaven yet is that people need wifi. The one in my hotel was weak and unstable and close to useless. The hotel staff acted as if I just had to accept that as a fact of life (but life in which century?).

So my idea of spending a couple of weeks here some time in winter has been dropped. Instead, I will try to find out if Bremerhaven might have moved a bit closer to the the 21st century.

Anyway, I ran into some kind of kite-surfing festival and took a million photos.

Day nine, 2 September: Boat tour through the harbour to sandbanks with seals, then trai back to Berlin in the afternoon.

Caspar David Friedrich in Dresden.

Chemnitz cultural capital 2025