two weeks in berlin! two very busy, very full weeks, with so much catching up with food and friends… two weeks is really not enough time to revisit a place you’ve lived in for a few years. we’ve been experimenting with work schedules and were still mostly trying to work full-time while we were there, so these were some very packed days.

– the first week was all work work work, writing up speeches and preparing for the german stamp event. the event itself had 2 parts and both went off without a hitch, thanks to the months of planning by our postcrossing friends. first there was a formal event with a state secretary and all the people involved in making the stamp, and a more informal event afterwards, with postcrossers. it was a brilliant day, with lots and lots of postcards and so many interesting conversations taking place! really happy to see this stamp come to life.

– after the event was done, it was time to eat our way around the city and catch up with our friends! the kids have grown quite a bit by now, and like to play tabletop games with us and tell us about their collections and adventures! it’s such a beautiful phase, this span of time between 5 and 8 years old — they’re alert and competitive and they want to know things!

– in a neighborhood that seems to have taken a bit of a turn for the worse, our favorite café is still going strong, and it makes me exceedingly happy. other things we ate included hot pot, cheesecake, bibimbap, burritos, spätzle and currywurst, pad thai and khao soi, fatteh and halloumi plates, veggie burgers, donuts (they’re everywhere these days!) and also few german christmas sweets, despite it still being october.

– stationery haul! we visited luiban, where i stocked up on some sticky notes, sarasa pens and midori’s double schedule, which i’d had my eye on for some time. every time we visit, i want to stay in the cozy embrace of this little shop for a long time.

– at the end of the week, we took a train to italy, where we’re staying to visit our friends. i’ve really missed the opportunity for long train rides that central europe offers. we live in such a far corner of the continent, but here everything seems relatively close and reachable by train. how lucky!