Another beautiful day in Berlin so off to explore Käthe Kollwitz Park in Prenzlauer Berg. We’d driven past this on our first tour of Berlin with Janna. We took the train to Prenzlauer Allee and then walked to the park. It’s a lovely area, but as ever in Berlin there’s a grim history around every corner. This lovely structure, the Prenzlauer Wasserturm, is a nineteenth century water tower built in 1877. In 1933 communists, socialists, Jews and other undesirables were interned here and murdered by the new Nazi Government. There’s a plaque beside it which describes the history. It’s now a childcare centre. History turns. So lovely. So awful.
We were in search of a market held here every Saturday which we found after walking through the Käthe Kollwitz park which features a statue of the lady herself – graffiti and all. Later we saw young people playing a game that involved hanging something around her head!
Lovely tree lined streets; the leaves falling as we walked.
I did not have my phone and Joe was worried about his battery, so we don’t have many pictures. This is the only one of the market – a fish smoking cabinet! But there were lots of other stalls and I bought a gift and also a skirt for myself. Clare also bought a skirt. The seller and maker of the skirts was a lovely woman.
After our shopping spree we went in search of a place to have lunch. Here are Clare and I walking beside the park.
We all agreed this area had a distinctly North Fitzroy / Clifton Hill vibe. And indeed we found a local cafe very similar to the ones we frequent at home. Locals settling in with their computers or reading the papers. Here you see Clare and I at table, me drinking coffee, Clare planning our next steps.
After which walking along a nearby street Joe recognised the actress from Deutschland83, Maria Schrader. I called out to her and she very graciously responded. We told her we’d loved her performance in that series where she plays a very complex character. Then I had the temerity to ask her whether she had plenty of work. Yes, she replied. It was only when we were home that I found out she was the director of two wonderful films, Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe and I’m Your Man. Both are great and I recommend them strongly if you haven’t already seen them. And I’m so embarrassed about my question! She is very well known here for both film work and in the theatre. She was lovely.
We were intending to walk to a tram to take us to Alexanderplatz but in the event we ended up walking all the way. A reasonable distance but we are seasoned walkers. Somewhere along the way – still in Prenzlauer Berg – Joe took this picture of me near some recycling bins, they are in all districts. We have been surprised by how awful they look! I think it’s the tin they seem to be made of.
We finally got to Alexanderplatz from where we took a train to check out the famous department store KaDeWe. Joe and I were off to see Wolfgang at his apartment and wanted to buy cakes. The store was amazing as expected. We’d seen pictures on the Rick Stein’s show about Berlin. The fish section in particular. Clare took pictures, I was sorry I couldn’t. It was very flash all over. Afterwards we left Clare and were back at the station pretty quickly. Here am I – again!
And off we went to have afternoon tea in a typical Berlin apartment – or perhaps a cut above! We were in Schöneberg – it’s been great seeing all these different districts in Berlin. This one reminded me of inner London. The apartment was beautiful, large and full of lovely things. Tea – a lapsong souchong / earl grey blend – and apple cake. Delicious.
Another portrait of Friedrich the Great hung on the wall – he’s everywhere.
But here there is a personal link – this is porcelain, a gift (eventually paid for) by Friedrich himself.
I also discovered a shared interest in Adolph Menzel – this artwork hanging in the window is of himself and there were other related objects, including a chair from his studio.
Back at the apartment I was exhausted but after a short rest we ventured out to the local Italian around the corner – we could have been in any city in the world – Trattoria Vivo in Adolfstrasse. Lovely people, lovely food and lovely Sicilian wine.
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