New Blog Address!

Hi there!

I am moving our Berlin blog to a new address; you can now find us at berlinyall.tumblr.com.

I will now be able to post photos and updates directly from my phone, so expect to see more pics from my daily adventures in Germany. Yay for easy blogging!

See you at the new digs!

-Meredith

Hiddensee

A couple of weekends ago Jake and I went up to Hiddensee with Christiane and her daughter Lina. It was a very short trip, but the scenery was breathtaking. Hiddensee is a tiny island in the Baltic Sea that is comprised of 3 small, centuries old villages. The island really is tiny - we rode the entire length of it in just over an hour. There aren't any cars (beisdes the odd service vehicle) so everyone rides bicycles - or horses! The cold wind, misty atmosphere, locals on horseback, and squat houses with thatched roofs reminded me of something from another time. Unfortunately it rained the first day we were there so it wasn't the lazy beach weekend we had initially planned. I'm so glad we went though, and I would love to go back and again and spend some significant time there riding bikes and exploring the little villages.

Here's a little video I took, where you can really hear the wind. Also, check out the local salty dog at 25 seconds in! :)

A week in Friedrichshain

Now that I finally have a working iPhone, I am having so much fun taking pics! (If you use Instagram, my username is mereberlin.) Here are a bunch of shots from the new neighborhood, including last weekend's picnic in Friedrichshain Park with Tatjana, Frank, Erik & Nancy. Yay friends!!

(this first pic was snagged from Tatjana - it was the only one with me in it!)

Oldies

Here are a few random pics from when Klaus came to visit in February. As you can tell the weather was still really cold, but the faint hint of sunshine sent everyone running outside anyways. Luckily now it's consistently warm - even the cold and rainy days are just like typical San Francisco weather, ha :)

Mauerweg, part 2

Recently Jake and I went on another day-long bike ride through the Mauerweg, and along the way we discovered a really cute village called Lübars. It was actually off the main trail, but it looked so quaint from afar that we decided to make a detour and stop for a drink at their local beirgarten. Apparently this area is know for horses - the main area of the village was full of stately old stables. While we were exploring we discovered several bed & breakfasts that overlook the countryside and horse trails - so Lübars could be a great spot for a weekend getaway of bike riding and relaxing - without having to get on a plane or train. Maybe once we get the new flat sorted out we'll actually have time to take an overnight trip!

Apologies for the crummy photos - I am still working with nothing but my 4 year old iphone, grr. I've actually attempted to buy a new phone 3 times now, but there is always something wrong with my passport, bank account, etc. Apparently the iphone gods are angry with me :|

Waffle!

oh, and Ikea :)

Jake and I rode our bikes to Ikea yesterday to scope out supplies for our new flat. This trip was just for research - we'll head back again next weekend to place orders for the kitchen, bed and couch. The flat we've been living in for the past year is fully furnished, so when we move at the end of the month we'll have to start over from scratch. We are just focusing on the essentials at first, so Ikea is definitely the easiest option - especially since they deliver! Then over the next few months we'll try to add pieces that we find at the local flea markets to give things a bit more personality. I'm already looking forward to our next trip to Ikea just so I can get another one of those waffles - seriously freaking delicious.

Spring has (finally) sprung!

Spring!

Hello :)

Well after a month long visit to the States, I am back in Berlin! When I left back in March, it was still really cold out - when I landed in 80º Dallas, I was actually still wearing long underwear and 2 pairs of socks, ha. But when I returned to Berlin this month, the weather had changed drastically - just check out the sun we had last weekend:

awesome.

Jake and I took advantage of his 4-day weekend by going on several long bike rides. On Friday we went to Treptower Park - a huge park in SE Berlin that sits along the Spree river. After a couple of hours of riding, we parked in the sun and watched the kayakers while playing a lazy game of dominoes (and Jake won! wth?! I think getting hitched somehow ruined my domino mojo. sigh.)

On Saturday we went on another ride, this time along the Mauerweg - literally the "Wall Path" that follows the old route of the Berlin Wall. The trail is huge - 99 miles long - so we only did a few sections, but it was fantastic to get out of downtown and to see some entirely new areas of Berlin. Some portions of the trail take you completely outside the city and into the countryside, and each section includes a point-of-interest or historical marker. We definitely plan on attempting a few more sections over the next month.

Mauerweg

On Sunday we went to Erik's new apartment for Ex-pat Easter. Erik cooked up a fantastic dinner of french onion soup, roasted veggies, and mac 'n cheese, plus DELICIOUS gin fizzes made from his grandfather's recipe. Yum! 

This week we've still been busy with the hunt for our next flat, and Monday I start back with my German classes. It's pathetic how much I forgot during the month at home; I am terrified that I'm not going to be able to keep up with the next level, and I'll be booted back down to the beginner class ... Ich muss fleißig lernen!