Feeling gloomy at the absence of Joe, but Clare and I ventured out to the local farmers market. Which was wonderful. We are located in a predominantly Turkish area of Wedding and the market reminded me forcefully of the markets in Istanbul. These tomatoes looked better in the photo – because of the sun – than in real life and we didn’t buy any.
These oranges were really sweet and I bought four.
The vendors were very friendly. I proffered too little money for two punnets of four figs – so many wonderful plump purple figs for sale, reminding me of the MIFF film Under The Fig Trees – and when I realised my mistake tried to pay more but the man would not take it. I was intrigued by the tiny figs on the right of this stall. And I’ve never tasted a clementine which is what the citrus on the left is; they’re also here in abundance.
That’s the trouble with coming to a farmers market on holiday you want to buy more than you have time to eat! It’s also quite tricky working out money in coins! We both managed okay. Here’s Clare in full purchase mode. You can see the quality of the eggplants.
We also bought fish, chicken and bread as well as fruit and vegetables. I have loved the plums here, and have stewed them to have on my morning muesli. When we got home I made a still life study for Instagram!
On the way back to the apartment Clare and I stopped off at Soul Coffee and Kitchen for coffee and cake. I took a picture of Clare but it must be on her phone. Here’s a very nice one she took of me. I order a double expresso with extra hot water on the side and it approximates to my usual long black. The coffee here is very good. And so are the cakes.
After unloading at the apartment and resting for a bit I walked up to see Joe. We met outside the hotel and then bought a sausage from a man selling them outside a shopping centre on the main road and walked to Brunnenplatz to eat them. They were very good! Here’s Joe still trying to convince everyone that his symptoms are very minor.
On my way back to the apartment I took some street scenes. Here is a place decorated with balloons. I’ve seen a few of these around the streets. There doesn’t seem to by any common thread to which shops use them, but there might be. This one is on a cafe. I have no idea what a Hook Bar is. The balloons used are all different colours; I’ve seen yellow and pink as well as these blue and white ones.
There is street art around here, as elsewhere in Berlin. I liked this Hommage Ä W. Kandinsky on an otherwise nondescript building.
And this is Nettelbetkplatz which our apartment overlooks. It’s very busy all day and night, but our place is soundproof so we are not disturbed. We like the energy in the place although some of it comes from junkies Joe tells me – I’ve not noticed them. Lots of kids.
Lots of people on bikes.
Lots of cafes; the one with the yellow umbrellas is Oeufs and we had breakfast there on our first day and have had coffee there a couple of times. It’s good.
And this is the place opposite us that is a sister restaurant to Ernst. It offers a more traditional meal – not just the morsels you get at Ernst. And it is here that the chefs from Ernst trial new food combinations and cooking techniques. They only do filter coffee otherwise I would go there because they have the most wonderful looking biscuits.
A second night without Joe – I’m gloomy.
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