Spectacular sky around sunset on 8 October
Fundraiser for breast cancer awareness
I just started this fundraiser: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1385067465353748/10225009149950643.
Butternut squash and chickpea curry
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 small or one very large head of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 1 large know of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 red chilies, diced
- 1 tblsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium butternut squash, diced
- 700 g cooked chickpeas
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 1 tin tomato
- Water as needed
- Sauté onion, ginger and garlic in the oil for a few minutes with a pinch of salt, then add the spices and fry for another minute before adding the squash and chickpeas.
- Mix well, then add the coconut milk and tomato. Bring to a simmer and cook until the squash softens and the sauce thickens.
A handful of exhibitions visited during the long weekend 1 to 3 October
Rohkunstbau in Schloß Altdöbern and Magnum 70 Years in Reinbeckhallen.
Recommended pitstops: Orangerie am Schloß Altdöbern; and there is a tiny café with great coffee right next to Reinbekhallen.
Das Kleine Grosz Museum – a relatively new museum in a former petrol station, and street photography by Holger Biermann in Willy-Brandt-Haus
If you are looking for a pitstop, the café has what looked like a pretty standard selection of quiches and cakes.
Graduates from Ostkreuzschule für Fotografie in Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien (first two photos taken on the way there)
From a lake in Wannsee
I visited two galleries in Wannsee: Gallerie Mutter Fourage (with a lovely café and garden, showing works by female artists from Ukraine, and Wannsee Contemporary, showing works by Philipp Kremer. On the way back to the station, I just took these photos from a lake (Kleiner Wannsee).
Phototour to “The forbidden city” in Wünsdorf
I had signed up for this tour with go2know. The weather was fantastic. The fact that I am not yet in photography mode for real manifested itself in the fact that like the fuzzy-brained retard that I am, I had left the extra camera batteries at home in the charger where I had meticulously placed them the night before. Of course the battery in the camera soon went flat.
I did take a handful of photos, and then a couple with my phone, but I did not stay long, and certainly not the full six hours allotted to us.
I wanted to also check out the Indian Military Cemetery nearby but it proved too complicated to get there on foot. It did not seem safe to walk several km along the edge of a surprisingly busy road, and no footpath. This is not Germany for nothing. The mighty private car is still worshipped above all else. I might see if there are other ways to get there and make a separate excursion there some other time.
There are not many pitstops in the area. I ended up having a light lunch in Café Lötz. I recommend it only because there is nowhere else to eat :-), although their cakes did look quite good, and the service is very friendly.
Miscellaneous photos from the last couple of weeks
IN PROGRESS
Most importantly, in September, my niece visited. I had not seen her for year and we had some wonderful days, visiting Tierpark Berlin, the giant-kite festival on Tempelhofer Feld, and the Citadel in Spandau, among others. One evening, we had dinner in NaNum (almost) across the street.
Earlier in September, I took these on a walk in Tegel, and from my balcony:
Berlin Photo Week – many workshops to choose from – I signed up for two of them
The provider was go2know, and the first one took place on 2 September and included a guided tour of parts of the Czech Embassy. In order to travel light since I ought not to do a lot of lifting yet, I had brought my lightest lense, which was not ideal for the purpose:
And finally, the view from my balcony that evening:
The second walk took place the day after with a start on Alexanderplatz, and that was a stark reminder that I should try not to overdo things. It was day three with appointments, and I had to throw in the towel and go home. I had brought my heaviest lense, and it felt like it weighed a tonne. I felt old and weak, and like I am still a patient – not a frame of mind I appreciate :-).
But do check out go2home – they organise a lot of interesting photo tours. I have signed up for two of them already and will start working on my upper body strength and mobilitiy as soon as I am allowed which will hopefully be next week when I hit the magic week six after surgery mark.
I am also looking forward to my “Reha”, which is finally falling into place – three weeks in a clinic in St Peter-Ording, with a focus on physiotherapy, gymnastics, massage, etc., and of course walks on the beach, but that is not till the end of October.
New series: “I spy”
From Rahnsdorf to “Neu-Venedig” to Wilhelmshagen 1 September 2022
Exactly five weeks since surgery, I woke up this morning knowing immediately that something was different. MY SCARS WERE NOT HURTING! What a difference that makes! They are each about 25 cm long, and it still feels better to wear compression than to not wear it, so I guess it is no wonder that it is taking time for them to settle, but I also think it is time now for me to not be reminded of them 24/7.
On top of this positive development, the weather was at its Berlin September best, so it was time to finally make an excursion to the the outskirts of Berlin – something I have not felt like since early June when a sneaking suspicion about the final diagnosis started to creep in, followed by weeks of uncertainty about the surgery and the outcome.
For the second time, I brought my new camera with me in the hope of also rekindling my interest in photography.
Recommended pitstop: Café Gerch.
