On the way there, traces of the old Berlin Customs Wall in Stresemannstraße.
Clostest neighbours of interest: Anhalter Bahnhof and Berlin Story Bunker, also see https://www.visitberlin.de/en/berlin-story-museum
Between Tempodrom and Landwehrkanal is a small park.
Equipped with facemasks, I am taking up where I left off here: https://www.hellemoller.eu/2020/02/09/walking-the-berlin-wall-starting-february-2020/. I will no longer follow the book meticulously but rather choose routes where I can get to the starting point and return from the end point using as little public transport as possible, and especially avoid the U-Bahn which is probably a virtual cesspool at the best of times.
Photos from the (now invisible) border on the Spree to be added later.
The walk started at the northern end of Groß Glienicker See where some remnants of the wall can be seen.
Not very far along is the Alexander Haus.
Onwards along the western shore of the lake, where it soon became apparent that blocking access to Berlin’s waterways is legal – to my surprise.
I therefore had to make a slight detour through streets with lovely villas in Groß Glienicke, before reaching the southern end of the lake and turning towards the Havel, through forest empty of other droplet-spewing humans.
There is also, supposedly, a “Skulpturenpfad”, but I only came across two sculptures.
Almost at the Havel, I came across this confusion. I have seen several examples of this, and I hope some day to discover what the secret is. Perhaps something to do with the original “Hinterland Mauer”? I don’t know.
After that, what followed was a long, rather uninteresting walk along the road (which runs along the Havel, more or less, to Sacrow, except you cannot actually see the waterway from the road). There were, however, some points of interest: Memorials for people who died trying to escape from the GDR. The first one you get to is for Rainer Liebeke.
The next one is for Lothar Hennig.
And the third one, right by the so-called Potsdamer Wassertaxi – and I will get back to that, and not in a good way – is for Erna Kelm and Lothar Lehmann.
Before getting to that last stop, a visit to the Heilandskirche which I had previously only seen from the world heritage cruise.
I had decided to walk the first bit of the next tour in the book as well, and finish with the water taxi (which turned out to be a joke) from near Heilandskirche to the Wannsee side. At the Heilandskirche stop, there is a time-table indicating the Potsdamer Wassertaxi runs daily, but it turns out that it only runs on weekend. A fact I realised when calling them and getting a voice-mail message after having waited for half an hour. Therefore, do not plan on using them during the week. You might get horribly stuck. Potsdamer Wassertaxi is totally unreliable.
For the continuation, I will skip this experience altogether and pick up on the Wannsee side.
Part of tour No 16 in the book, starting at Checkpoint Bravo.
A short walk from Checkpoint Bravo , with a detour across Waldfriedhof Zehlendorf to Berlepschstraße.
On 21 June, we were here: https://www.komoot.com/tour/206082997.
First, I took these two photos just to see what else a 35 mm macro lense can do:
Still no reply from neither Schön & Sever nor Cresco Capital Group or Cresco Real Estate or whatever they are called to questions about the scaffolding, which should have been removed end winter/early spring, as described earlier. My latest e-mail was sent 7 April and re-sent a couple of weeks later. You would think they had had time to respond. But obviously not the will.
One of my first photos taken with the Sigma 150-600, at 600 mm and heavily cropped. I have to work on getting sharper photos, but with this lens I am not sure this will ever happen. Some in the excellent Facebook group Canon 90D Owners By Michael The Maven suggest that the focus is off and the lens needs to be calibrated. So that is another thing I need to look into. Talk about lifelong learning.
Two visitors for dinner. So that was three different households around the same table. This is probably not even allowed, but I have lost track.
The excuse for getting together for a meal was to watch this video stream together: https://www.haus-fuer-poesie.org/de/literaturwerkstatt-berlin/veranstaltungen/alle_veranstaltungen/madame-nielsen-ein-abend-fuer-inger-christensen. One of the visitors, Berlin born and bred, is a fan of Inger Christensen. Go figure.
Anyway, here are a couple of the recipes:
https://www.hellemoller.eu/2020/06/15/gazpacho/
https://www.hellemoller.eu/2020/06/14/rhubarb-ice-cream/.
This is the last post in my Corona Diary. I reckon life, for most people my age and older, is going to be like this until there is a vaccine, if that ever happens. Although I do know quite a few people around my age who are seemingly not taking this disease seriously and who do not seem to mind getting infected, with all the reported suffering that that would entail. Personally, I am still determined to die of something other than COVID19.
No volunteering in neither UNICEF nor Tierpark.
No concerts, movies, operas, or theatres (even when it all becomes possible, I would not enjoy it, and wearing a mask during such performances is for me not an option).
Staying indoors on weekends (too many droplet-spewing people, and now also tourists, around).
The occasional lunch and dinner with one, max. two, visitors? I am not sure. Most people are very careless and the thought of catching this disease does not scare even people my age. My last two visitors had been out and about all day before arriving at my place, and they did not even have masks with them. They also thought me wearing a mask while handling food and cooking was as a joke. I personally would never consider eating food cooked by someone without a mask on. Hysterical? Perhaps, but when I read about the suffering people my age and older have to go through if they are infected, I REALLY do not want to catch this virus.
Reading, studying photography (and German – YAWN!), trying to keep fit with the help of youtube, and – during the weekdays, walks further afield avoiding areas full of heavy-breathing, droplet-spewing joggers most of whom refuse to wear masks and refuse to do anything at all to keep a distance, although they should be keeping a much bigger distance than everybody else.
Trying to enjoy the summer on my balcony, despite the scaffolding, the construction noise, also on selected Saturdays, occasionally completely infernal, and the loud shouting among the workers which, despite many complaints, starts at 06.00 and wakes up everyone in the adjacent buildings.
The scaffolding has been there for over a year now. Initially, we were told it would last six to eight months. Instead, I see a second summer partly ruined. Also, it steals light which would have been valuable in the autumn and – especially – in the early spring this year during lockdown. For a second summer, I also do not have the option to keep the balcony door open overnight, which used to be a luxury, letting cool air in without the traffic noise from the street.
And noone will tell us how long it will still last. Both our Administrator, Schön & Sever, and the construction manager, Cresco Real Estate, refuse to answer questions about it.
I am signed up for this trip at the end of July: https://reisen.tagesspiegel.de/nord-ostsee-kanal/, organised by Tagesspiegel and M-tours Live Reisen GmbH. The Kiel Canal is alledgedly the world’s busiest man-made waterway. We have just received details of a very thoroughly and well thought through hygiene and distancing measure and rules, so I am definitely going, and am really looking forward to it. I do not hail from a seafaring nation for nothing ;-).
I am also signed up for this course in December https://www.artistravel.eu/fotoreise/kurstermine/reise/2020/kuestenwind-experimentelle-naturfotografie-7545.html, and unless there is a “second wave”, I will run that risk, simply because I love the North Sea coast, have never been to Amrum, have not seen the sea for over a year, and last but not least – Martin Timm’s courses are so enjoyable.
Facemasks obligatory in shops and public transport till further notice.
Taking a taxi in Berlin: Only via an app, face masks obligatory, plastic curtain between front and back seats, and only contactless payment, also via the app.
Mauerpark murals and more.
Despite signposting being notoriously poor, and now worse than ever (does not reflect reality at all, and neither does the map they give you at the entrance), Tierpark Berlin is still my favourite zoo. These days, a visit can only take place with an online ticket, and in a pre-determined, four-hour time slot, which puts you under considerable time pressure, given its size, especially if you also want to put in a pitstop for coffee, let alone lunch.
Europe’s biggest landscape zoo, it covers 160 hectares and has over 9.000 animals. In comparison, Berlin Zoo covers 33 hectares with room for almost 20.000 animals. (As far as I remember, Copenhagen Zoo, for example, is 11 hectares). Do the maths. If you want to see as many animals as possible within one half-day visit, I’m afraid you are better off visiting Berlin Zoo until everything is back to normal. But if you also like to feel like you are going for a walk in the forest, and occasionally seeing an animal or two, and feeling that no matter how many times you visit, you will never get to find your way around (a feeling exacerbated by the poor signposting) or see every corner, then Tierpark Berlin is the place for you. And if you go straight to the other end – to the area also known as “the mountain”, you will meet no or very few people.
The restaurants are open. I had lunch in Restaurant Patagona which has a large terrace overlooking parts of what is known as the pampas. Inside, face-masks are obligatory whenever you are not seated at your table. At the entrance, guests are required to disinfect their hands (liquid available) and fill in a piece of paper stating name, address, date of birth, phone number, and date and time of visit.
In any case, I enjoyed being back, albeit now as a visitor and not as a volunteer. If and when my previous volunteering jobs (with UNICEF in the Philharmonic and the Flugshow in Tierpark) start up again, I will only appear after a vaccine has become available, and I am among the pessimists in that regard: I don’t think that will happen in the foreseeable future. Therefore, I am still looking for alterntives, something I can do from home or from somewhere within walking distance from my home, which does not involve being among hordes of people.
Still catsitting. Still “Weiß Fotografieren”.
Staying in today. No matter how normal life seems when you venture outside, and no matter what the authorities say we can now do, it does not change the fact that Corona is still out there, and each time you venture out into the big bad world, you expose yourself to possible contagion. And reading about the suffering a lot of senior citizens have to go through with this disease, I am still determined to stay out of those statistics.
I walked back to my own place both days to attend an online course “Weiß Fotografieren” with artistravel. (See next post). This was my first webinar – actually first time using zoom – and it worked like a dream. I see many advantages in conducting courses this way. Also great to see Martin Timm and Benedikt Ziegler again. Martin is a joy, as a teacher and as a person.
Full moon the night between 5 and 6 June.
Another within-walking-distance destination, and on the way I saw this sculpture:
I have not been able to find anything about it. I think it was in Hosemannstraße, perhaps on the corner of Ostseestraße, but I did not pay much attention as I did not think it would be difficult to google. I can’t even find the institution, only one by the same name in Mitte. I have trawled this list, which is a very impressive collection, but it is not there.
EDIT: It turns out that the building is actally a ballet school. That must be one of Berlin’s best kept secrets. The sculpture is by Veronike Hinsberg: http://veronike.hinsberg.de/w_oeffnengleiten.html.
On to my first gallery visit since lockdown. At Sexauer Gallery this group show is on till 8 August.
Also seen on this morning’s walk:
Since I am lodging within walking distance these days, I thought I would finally take a walk around Weißensee, through Ernst Thälmann Park and up Greifswalder Straße to Denkmal der Antifascistischen Widerstandskämpfer. Lunch at Milchhäuschen.
From the cats’ balcony – I can’t make up my mind which I like best:
Visit to a lesser known memorial – Mahnmal Ehemalige Wehrmachterschießungsstätte Ruhleben Murellenberg.
I recently read about the book Totentanz Berlin by Helmut Altner, Berlin Story Verlag, in which this place is allegedly described. Since I am trying not to buy any more printed books, I had to go and see for myself 😊.
But first, as a bonus, passing the grounds of the Olympiastadion from 1936, I saw that the viewing platform in the bell tower was open. I was the only visitor there.
And then on to the memorial consisting of 104 traffic mirrors leading towards and adjacent to the site where between 12 August 1944 and 14 April 1945, the Wehrmacht executed more than 230 people, mostly for desertion or conscientious objection. The memorial is by the artist Patricia Pisani.
After you pass the stadium and the entrances to Waldbühne, turn right by the first mirror, and soon you will see a long stairway going down into a sort of valley (unfortunately, you will have to climb an even longer stairway going back up later on). Just follow the mirrors til you get to where there are mor of them in a cluster. That is apparently next to the actual place of execution, which is not accessible to the public.
Some of the mirrors have texts on them, some not.
I am thinking of ending this diary. I reckon the way my life is now is pretty much the way it will be till there is a vaccine, and that could last a very long time.
I had forgotten a few things when I packed for Prenzlauer Berg, so I walked home and passed this mural on the way. I very much think it depends what your gut tells you.
Internally Displaced. Catsitting in Prenzlauer Berg. Here is 18-year-old Alma still fit as a fiddle.
Arriving at the cats’ place made me realise – again – how we all live in different worlds. Unlike at my place, where you find sanitising liquid and/or tissue in every room, and a drawer full of different types of masks in the entrance way, there is no evidence of any of that being used here. Despite the fact that the couple have been going out to work all along, by public transport every day all through lockdown. They are quite a bit younger than me and obviously belong to the segment that does not understand why people of my age group REALLY do not want to catch this disease. I had brought my own, and immediately wiped down all door handles . I never thought I would find myself doing something like that and felt quite OCD-ish :-).
First visitors since New Year’s Eve, AND first café visit (apart from one take-out coffee a couple of weeks ago). Ahmed and Omar came for brunch (home-made waffles, salads, ice cream ….) and a walk to Engelbecken, and a drink at Café am Engelbecken (life on the wild side). (Photos taken with my smartphone).
Some more photos taken with my new toy:
And later attempting macro with the 24 mm “pancake” and testing a couple of other lenses on the view from my bedroom:
The up-side of a courrier service pretending “you were not home” and then delivering your parcel miles away is that you get to put your 15.000 steps in in areas you have not yet, or very rarely, visited, and to see a building actually built where you once considered buying a flat based on floor plans and computer-generated drawings.
Viktoriapark:
I once considered buying a flat here, based on floor plans and computer-generated drawings. I have never before seen the buildings actually built.
And here is the first photo taken with my new baby – Sigma 150-600 mm:
I am all for masks being mandatory in shops and public transport, and I also wear them if I have to pass through areas that to me are a bit too crowded for comfort, but I must admit that in these summer temperatures, wearing them is truly a pestilence.
Uh-oh. I have not been missing this blott on my view. Perhaps when I receive my Sigma 150-600 mm I will be able to portrait the tourists in it – warts and nose hairs and all.
Another rainy day
Most importantly, masks are obligatory in all shops and in all public transport.
This is quoted directly from Tagesspiegel today, via google translate, unedited:
According to the containment regulation, which is valid until June 5 in the current version, Berliners are still required to “reduce contacts to other people to an absolutely necessary minimum.” And even if it gets warmer and the parks lure: big meetings are still prohibited.
Members of two households are allowed to meet – no more
Specifically, only members of two households may continue to meet, always at a distance of 1.5 meters from household to household. This rule does not apply to life partners and children for whom you have custody and access rights. This means, for example: Two large shared apartments may meet, but not three friends who live in three one-room apartments.
In the park, other groups are five meters away, barbecuing in the park is prohibited. In addition, in the private sector, only events that are “required for imperative reasons” are still permitted - for example, the regulation says, weddings, funerals. Up to 20 people can be present there. The care of people in need is also permitted.
Demonstrations are allowed from Monday with up to 100 participants if they take place outside. 50 participants are possible in closed rooms. Interior Senator Andreas Geisel (SPD) has announced that full freedom of assembly may be restored in June if necessary. Religious and religious events, such as services, can continue to be held with up to 50 people. Anything beyond that is prohibited.
Unlike restaurants, bars, betting shops and casinos are still not allowed to open. The same applies to clubs, theaters, concert halls and cinemas. The only exception: drive-in cinemas.
Prostitution is prohibited: "The provision of sexual services with physical contact is prohibited," says the regulation. When it comes to sports, the situation is somewhat confusing: at the moment sports facilities that are outside and that meet a number of requirements are allowed to open.
Sports groups can be a maximum of eight people, changing rooms must remain closed, and of course the following applies: 1.5 meters away. This means that some sports are completely eliminated. Fitness and yoga studios are closed. The Senate plans to advise on sports and health studios next week. It could start again in late May and early June.
A grey and rainy, and surprisingly windy, day.
There are some tiny yellow flowers on my balcony. I don’t know what they are. They are from a little bag of mixed seeds which are supposed to produce an abundance of insect-friendly flowers. These are the first ones to bloom. And as usual, I am unable to get sharp photos of them.
As mentioned in my post earlier this month, I am looking for a dog since, if I choose to go on living, it will be a completely different way of life from now on. In that regard, I have just had a great disappointment. I found a rescue dog whose description I really liked, and which had just arrived in Berlin from a shelter in Hungary, through an adoption agency who shall remain unnamed. I talked to them, and agreed on meeting the dog at her current “Pflegestelle”.
We had a nice walk in a nearby park, and the lady told me a lot about the dog’s progress since arriving in Berlin. I liked the dog even more after meeting her than based on photos and description. This was on Wednesday, and the lady wanted to deliver the dog to me on Saturday (today) around mid-day. She also said it would be good to have a professional trainer there when the dog arrived at my place.
Given the short notice, I went home and immediately contacted the two trainers I had already contacted earlier, both of whom live near me, and made sure that at least one of them would be able to be there when the dog arrived.
The next day, Thursday, the adoption agency told me it would be better to wait a couple of weeks before introducing a trainer. Which I then communicated to both trainers and said I would contact them in a foreseeable future.
Friday afternoon I went shopping in an animal food and equipment shop, and drew up the obligatory dog insurance, and late Friday evening, the agency changed their mind and informed me by e-mail that the dog would not be handed over the next day after all.
I will learn to love again, but I am not setting myself up for this kind of experience again. And those two trainers must think I have lost my marbles. I am beginning to understand why most Germans assume everybody is untrustworthy until otherwise proven. The way I was brought up, it used to be the other way around.
Am I still looking for a dog? Definitely not a rescue dog – I just don’t trust those people any more. But if anybody knows of a dog whose owner is no longer able to take care of it, I would still be very interested.
“Pea flowers” (Lathyrus) adorning the netting that surrounds that monster scaffolding, which makes the balcony seem a lot smaller and more claustrophobic than it actually is. It also steals a couple of hours of sunlight from our balconies. In a time where light in and around one’s own home is more important than ever. The scaffolding was supposed to have come down in March/April. Instead, I fear another whole summer is more or less ruined by it.
Neither our Hausverwaltung nor the company in charge of the renovation (Cresco Group, are answering questions about it.
Enjoying the sunrise or keeping an eye on my balcony? Every spring and summer, starting in March, is a fight between the pigeons and me – or rather, the plants on my balcony which seem to offer several ideal nesting places.
A stone?? What for?
As flower shops were allowed to stay open all along, I have gotten into the habit of always having fresh flowers at home, to have something pretty to look at, and immobile motives to play around with.
Day six of not leaving my home, the longest I have gone during this isolation. Almost afraid of going out now :-), and also completely lacking the energy, but I really do need to do some shopping.
The view from my bedroom window, taken with the Canon EF-S 24 mm, in colour, and in B&W. I can’t make up my mind which I like best:
I am sick and tired of hearing how masks do not protect the wearer and that young people have to wear them in order to protect vulnerable senior nuisance citizens, and young people then blaming us for these infringements on their lifestyle.
Would it not make more sense to simply produce enough of the type of mask that does protect the wearer? Alternatively, give us that little pill to take? Nobody wants to live like this and be alternatively patronised and reviled purely based on our age.
Determined not to figure in the statistics as a careless burden on the health care system, I have now stayed at home since Wednesday afternoon, this time around. If I get infected, it will be by somebody who has been a lot less careful than I am, so why are we not able to purchase masks that protect OURSELVES as well as others? That way, we would not have to dodge all those who refuse to wear masks (which is actually mandatory in shops and public transport here) and who are not even trying to keep a distance, nor would we be expected to be eternally grateful to those who do wear masks and respect the distancing rules.
That was today’s rant. Please may I go to the supermarket today?
Thyme and cress (with bokeh for which I reluctantly have to thank the cars in the yard) in bloom on my balcony.
These are SO good. Especially eaten in little bits together. And that is almost healthy – right?
Lupine. A very common outdoor plant when I was a child, but already back then there was – to me – something old-fashioned and retro about them. I don’t think I have ever had them in a vase indoors before.
Now all I need is the dog:
And a visitor:
After three days in splendid isolation in my home and – not least – on my balcony, I met up with Ahmed for a walk in Volkspark Rehberge and round Plötzensee.
The big news (to me at least) is that I have started to look for a dog to adopt or buy.
Often tempted, I did swear never to get a pet again, both due to the commitment and the heartache. But now, coming to terms with the “new normal” and realising that, at my age, it will be a very long time before I can again take up most of the activities that used to fill my day – if ever – I can focus more on what I also like – long walks, in cities but also in nature, and there is so much of that in and around Berlin. For that, it would be lovely to have a canine companion, and the more dog-training tutorials I watch, the more I feel like dedicating a lot of time to working with a dog. I would very much welcome a rescue dog.
The “problem” is that I am partial to large dogs, for example the German Shepherd type dog, and both breeders and shelters are quite strict about – or rather against – large dogs in flats without a garden or a fenced-in back yard for the dog to run around in, so I probably have to look for a more medium-sized dog.
I have already found two different dog trainers who are available even in times of Corona, and both live in my area. One of them right nex to me.
I am currently not interested in adopting directly from a shelter in Macedonia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, Spain or Italy, although that is quite common here in Berlin. I would prefer a dog that has already arrived in Berlin, the I can actually meet, who can meet me. Other than that, it does not have to be a puppy, and definitely not a pure-bred.
Watch this space ……
For a couple of hours I was convinced it was Sunday (since it’s all a blur, but how could I have skipped Schuman Day??), so made me a Sunday brunch. Pan-fried green asparagus, olive oil, fresh-pressed orange juice reduced, chili flakes, eggs, feta, salt, pepper, pea shoots, coriander, rucola …..
Ventured further afield. Details are here: https://www.hellemoller.eu/2020/04/27/walking-the-berlin-wall-from-late-april-still-deep-in-covid19-till/.
Allowed and not allowed in Berlin:
As from 15 May, cafés and restaurants may open (following the distancing and hygiene standards) till 22.00 hrs. Buffets not allowed. On-line reservation is a must and data must be kept for four weeks.
Hotels may open for guests from 25 May, but without breakfast buffet..
As from Saturday this week, all shops may open, regardless of size, with no more than one customer per 20 square m at any one time. All types of beauty treatments are also allowed from that day on, as long as everyone can still wear masks.
Citizens from one household my now meet with more than one person from outside that household, for example an entire other household, not only in public spaces but also at home.
The March regulation, according to which Berliners were only allowed to leave their home for grocery shopping, fresh air and exercise not too far away, has now been relaxed as long as the minimum distance of 1.5 meters to other people is observed.
However, the Berlin Senate still urges citizens to keep contacts with other people other people to an absolutely necessary minimum.
Museums, memorials and galleries have been allowed to open again since 4 May, as long as they comply with distancing and hygiene rules.
Operas and theaters are closed until at least 31 July . Large cultural and sporting events with more than 5.000 participants remain prohibited until 24 October, and events with more than 1.000 participants until 31 August.
Demonstrations with up to 50 participants are “generally approved” as long as hygiene and distancing rules are observed.
Attending church service with up to 50 participants has been possible again since 4 May.
Baptisms, weddings and funerals for up to 20 people have been possible since 22 April. The prerequisite is that the distancing regulations can be observed and an attendance list is kept, containing first and last name, full address and telephone number. The list is to be kept for four weeks and handed over to authorities on request.
Returning travellers arriving from other countries at Berlin airports and by land must report to the health authorities and observe a two-week quarantine.
Violations will be punished as follows:
Not keeping the distance of 1,5 meters: between 25 and 500 euros.
Walking in groups of three or more who are not part of the household: between 25 and 250 euros.
Failure to comply with an ordered domestic quarantine: between 250 and 2.500 euros.
Holding unauthorised events: between 500 and 2.500 euros. Participants between 25 and 500 euros.
Accommodating tourists: between 1.000 and 10.000 euros.
An early morning visitor.
Muffins and a walk with a friend where Kreuzberg meets Mitte, and for a couple of hours, life seemed almost normal. Or what we used to consider normal.
And it’s a full moon again:
Went to Engelbecken because news of this year’s five cygnets had reached me. I only managed to catch a glimpse of them almost hidden under mom’s wing, but took some photos of some of the other animals there.
A dramatic evening sky.
Ruccola. Actually prettier than those highly cultivated plants that are purely for decoration, I find.
Time to do a bit of scanning and reminiscing, so here are some very old photos.
Getting arty-farty with a lamp, a glass, a wall, and a dry rosé.
For a few moments , an unusual light while the sun was setting and it was raining. Here is the same view with two different focuses (foci?).
Went back to Urbanhafen to practise photographing swans in flight. Far too many joggers, and they do nothing to help keeping any kind of distance, although they – with their heavy breathing – should stay even more than two meters away from everybody.
Anyway, not particularly happy with the photos, so there is room for improvement, which is just as well, since there is at least another four months to go before I can start turning back to the activities that used to fill my days and evenings.
A bit of street:
And a bit of nature:
First of all, if anybody in Berlin sees this, please do not forget about this collection: https://www.stadtmuseum.de/berlin-jetzt. Please keep your eyes out for memorabilia suitable for inclusion, and take a photo and submit it. Alternatively, please let me know where to find it.
Insect extinction is a sad fact. Hardly any insects find their way to the rather large lavender plant on my balcony.
It will be a while before I master macro photography, but I love my Canon 35 mm macro. Here, a rare visitor.
Ventured out to look for a specific mural at Urbanhafen. Took this photo on the way:
Berlin Stadtmuseum has a great project: https://www.stadtmuseum.de/berlin-jetzt. I am submitting the below photo to them.
Thanks to Wieland Giebel for the discovery.
The weather was beautiful, and Urbanhafen was as full of people as ever, nobody observing any of the guidelines, so I quickly took the photo and hurried back to my perch, taking just this one photo on the way back along the Landwehrkanal:
My attempt at adding some structure to the day. To-do list and list of things I must/should do each day.
An extra-curricular, non-scheduled, “non-essential” walk along the Landwehrkanal.
One of two weekly getting-out-of-the-cage-to-go-grocery-shopping days. Took Mr Canon and his Nifty Fifty with me. Finally managed to procure two masks. I wish they would make them mandatory on public transport and in supermarkets (as long as it is emphasized that they should be used along with the current distancing and other rules so as not to give a false sense of security). If nothing else, it serves as a constant reminder to keep the required distance and to not touch your face.
Taking random photos is probably not considered an essential reason to go out, but nobody stopped me for lingering.
No animal was harmed in the making of this photo. It was dead when I found it. I swear.
This afternoon, most of the current restrictions were extended till 3 May. That is probably wise. Shops up to 800 sq m may reopen. E-mails are already coming in from art galleries that they are reopening. Keep calm and carry on. Masks on public transport strongly advised but not mandatory. Hairdressers may reopen, but I think I will wait a while, having just bought an arsenal of hairbands to keep my hair relatively in place.
It is guess-a-macro time again. Solutions will follow at the end of the day.
It was grocery shopping day (EXCITING!) and my favourite flower shop was open when I passed by, so I could not resist treating myself to something pretty to look at at home.
Solutions to the macro photos:
It is certainly true that cloudy skies make for more interesting photos
If I survive this, I might start a new political party. Platform: Balconies for everybody, asap and definitely before the next pandemic. No flats without a balcony – really ought to be written into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It is guess-a-macro time again:
Solutions:
After a cloudless day with up to 23 C, the weather started to turn.
Experimenting with my two new arrivals: Canon 50 mm (the “nifty fifty”), and Canon 35 mm macro. And Lightroom.
Leftover risotto mixed with egg and fried = brunch
Apparently, pot soil is the new toilet paper. That one I can understand. Obviously, many people now have the time to discover the joy of growing things even on small balconies, which is great. But toilet paper?? Not to brag, but I was using that long before it trended.
Colour-coordinated cranes:
Moon rising.
Sunrise, reflected
Honing my emerging voyeuristic skills
Holding on
And finally, giving in to a craving for lamb and redwine:
A bit of entertainment from the get-go. https://potsdamerplatz.de/en/architecture/.
Good morning. I still hate you, even though just for a change you are on the neighbours’ balcony and not mine. You are still just a rat with wings, as far as I am concerned, and I would not be surprised if it turns out that you are contributing to the spread of the Corona virus.
Today’s entertainment: Someone passed by in the street, and a new crane on the block.
It is also guess-a-macro-photo day. As anyone who sees this (if anyone at all) will see, I can’t really get the hang of macro photography, no matter how many tutorials I watch, so if there is an expert out there who would give me a private lesson, post-Corona, I would be very grateful.
And finally, had to go out, and even use public transport for the first time in about three weeks. I could barely contain my excitement, so I took my camera with me.
When Corona lockdown started here in Berlin, Germany where I live (having retired and moved from Copenhagen to Berlin in January 2016) I suddenly had the time I have been hoping for to devote more time to photography. I ordered the Canon EOS 90D which I had been considering for some time, and started to take photos from my flat on the sixth floor in the area of Kreuzberg which borders on Mitte. Along the way, since there was nothing else to spend money on, I bought some more lenses. The results can be seen above.
There are many recipes on-line. This time, I did this (note that whatever I do, I never add bread, nor water):
Bonus tip if you are the lucky owner of both a food processor and a blender: Save yourself a lot of fine-chopping for the blender and run the vegetables in chunks in the food processor first, and then blend with the rest of the ingredients. Time-wise, that is worth the extra washing up.
Pour some of the gazpacho into an ice-cube tray and freeze. That way, you have ice cubes to add when serving that will not dilute the soup.
(That is a little bit too much sugar for my taste, so I reduced it a bit, especially since I will be serving it with a crema catalana, which is already quite sickly-sweet). And yes, my next course should be food photography :-).
For the base
Rhubarb Jam
On 6 and 7 June, I attended this online course with artistravel. The teacher was Martin Timm whom I knew from a course I attended two years ago here in Berlin. I don’t know the other teachers, but I can highly recommend Martin’s courses. Martin is a joy as a teacher and as a person, and he can always find something positive to say about all of our photos, even if he thinks they are cr.. :-).
Here are some of the photos I took. Not all of them qualify as “weiße Fotos”.
Loosely based on this recipe (altered to fit the size of plate and the ingredients I had available and some that needed to be used up): https://originalbeans.com/recipe/edel-weiss-cardamom-macadamia-squares/.
3 large or 4 small eggs
325 g butter or oil (I used half butter, half olive oil and a splash of sesame oil)
300 g sugar (I used brown sugar)
1 tsp cardamom seeds, finely ground
2 tsp ground ginger
Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed oranges
30 g plain flour
50 g unsweetened cocoa powder and 25 g cacao nibs
200 g white chocolate
115 g cashew nuts, coarsely ground
Beat the eggs till fluffy, then add butter/oil and sugar and keep beating. Then mix in the spices and the orange zest, and then the flour, cocoa powder and cacao nibs (if using). Finally fold in the cashew nuts.
Bake at 200 C for 30 minutes.
