Categories
in germany

loxx miniature world

my dad had a miniature railway when we were kids. it was a very serious and special affair, which me and my brother weren’t allowed to touch by ourselves. it was kept on its box and reserved for occasional weekends spent at home, when he was feeling especially patient and had plenty of time on hands. we loved setting up the tracks in complicated routes with overhead bridges which quickly took over the rug of the living room…

so when i found out about loxx through uberlin, i was blown away by the idea. i mean, i knew for some people this is a serious hobby, but doing a whole city? was that possible?

it turns out, not only it is possible, it is also super awesome, and one of the coolest things we’ve seen in berlin so far!

there are moving trains of course, all kinds of them, from s-bahns to the ice – but also trucks and buses that move around the city and magically stop at the traffic lights. there are miniature versions of the brandenburg tor, the tv tower or the reichstag, where you can see and listen to jfk doing his famous “ich bin ein berliner” speech. there’s even an airport – yes, with planes lifting off and landing!


my favourite part was really all the small details. it seems like everywhere you look, there’s something to be discovered, little events and scenes being enacted. we went around it pulling on each others sleeves, excitedly pointing out every scene we’d discovered. i believe you could spend the whole day doing that and still leave with lots you didn’t notice…

and every once in a while, the lighting chances and you can see the city during twilight and night time.

i don’t have words to describe it. it’s just magic. go see for yourself! :)

Categories
in germany

my love for flea markets…



… is equally balanced by my hatred for haggling! i can’t do it, not after two years of daily practice in china… i always feel like i’m either cheating someone or being cheated… there’s no winning, and so i end up not buying anything most of the time. still, i like to browse around, and imagine where all these relics might have come from. berlin provides a lot of visual entertainment for the curious eye.

Categories
in germany

april

the germans have a saying: “april does what it wants” – so far, it seems determined to stretch winter as long as it can… i’m really glad i didn’t let my winter clothes behind in portugal!

i’ve been keeping in mind these mementoes from last year, frequently returning to them. so looking forward to many warm sunny sundays in mauerpark’s grass, reading and listening to the karaoke, or just watching the people walk by…


Categories
in germany

the reichstag dome

the reichstag’s dome it’s one of those places that it’s safe to visit with almost anyone: it’s free, there’s plenty of history, a nice view over the city, and a well-made audio-guide that will point out all the interesting facts at the right time, in plenty of languages. since the booking is made online, there’s no waiting around and no queues. visits happen in smallish groups, and you can take as long as you need to wander and look around, enjoy the architecture and the view over the rooftops, and just watch the people…



… if you’re lucky, you might even see the parliament in session below! :)

Categories
in germany photography

walking on (frozen) water

these are from a few weeks ago in the canal behind our house… it was quite magical to walk in the frozen ice and even beneath the bridges. definitely a new perspective, and only slightly scary!