Category: in germany

fuji instax

i got a fuji instax last week, a very generous present from our last guests. i’ve had my eyes on one for years… my polaroid stock is running dangerously low, and i’m not buying impossible project film until they get their act together, so instax was the logical option. yet for months i’ve hesitated. i like the simplicity of instant photography, the immediate results and the easy scrapbooking, but my back didn’t really need another big camera to carry around…

now that i have one, i love it! it’s big and bulky, but much lighter than it looks. and the photos, such sharpness and bright colors! my jaw drops every time the colors come to life in the little white square.

i took these photos on the instax’s inaugural tour through the olympic stadium (click for bigger):

(the visit was unplanned, so i’ll let you enjoy the pictures and leave the history of the place for another time, lest this cheerful post be damped by somber memories.)

Post author By ana
Post date August 23, 2011
4 Comments on fuji instax

in germany on the big screen

six movies to see and understand berlin a little bit better

we’re slowly working our way through a big “berlin movie list”, discovering a number of movies that portrait berlin in its different eras. they set the atmosphere to the places we visit and the books we read. we recognise the streets and sidewalks, the façades, the monuments, and even the everyday objects that we now see elevated to relics in flea markets across town… it’s quite magical.

in ljubljana we were lucky to find to so gadi, which takes place in the same houses we lived in. but in berlin, it feels like the whole city is a movie set.

any movies you’d like to recommend?

Post author By ana
Post date August 14, 2011
4 Comments on six movies to see and understand berlin a little bit better

in germany traveling

public transportation

on the list of things we love about berlin, public transportation is featured prominently. i have a monthly pass for the first time in my life, and though it’s just a small piece of paper (not even a card!), the freedom it gives us is breathtaking. we can go anywhere in the city, anytime (well, after 10am anyway), by bus, tram, metro or rails. no need to worry about gas prices, insurance or where to park.

at 53 euros/month, the cost comes at around 1.76 euros/day, which is nothing for a big city, and especially given the mileage we put on it. the public transportation system here is as efficient as you would expect (despite some incidents now and then.)

the possibilities make me ridiculously happy. i’ve never felt better about our choice of leaving the car behind :)

foooood in germany

madame zucker

it feels like it hasn’t stopped raining since we came back from portugal, in the end of june. gloomy days, cold and wet, as if it was back to school weather already. it makes us shy away from summer foods and turn to warmer comforts instead… like hot chocolates, cappuccinos and pancakes!

madame zucker is a breath of fresh air in these parts of neukölln. berlin cafés tend towards the shabby side, but not here. the mismatched white & red furniture is fun and light, there are wooden floors, red polka dot table cloths, a fresh flower in every table, low-volume music… it all seems to say “you’re too tense, relax here for a bit, have fun”. the word gezellig comes to mind :)

and then… we might have a slight obsession with pancakes, crêpes and the likes – it’s one of the first things we look for when we move. nothing beats a good breakfast for comfort, right? it’s my favourite meal of the day.

we’ve had other pancakes in berlin, but they were “cakey”, or drenched in cheap chocolate… do people really think they can replace nutella?! fools!! so it took a few tries until we found madame zucker’s pancakes, which were hiding just around the corner from our house, tucked away on the middle of an unexplored menu. behold this banana beauty:

it’s perfection! :) yes yes, they also have cakes, croissants and the typical german brunch fare – although why anyone would settle for less than exquisite pancakes on a cheat day is beyond me, but apparently some people (*cof* boyfriend *cof*) like variety. bah!