Mr. Minsch in Kreuzberg

Hi Readers, I know I took a long break .... sometimes life keeps you busy and let's you forget that your blog readers might be waiting for a new post.

Slowly the weather in Berlin is getting really pleasant.. sunny and warm. Still some clouds but warm enough and when catching the sun rays one can already imagine the summer approaching.

We took this opportunity to take a stroll through the Park am Gleisdreieck which stretches from U Gleisdreieck, and S + U Yorkstrasse  and further. There is a cool area for skaters and other sportive activities. More info about the park here http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Park_am_Gleisdreieck
What would Germany be without parks? They are just part of the country and the people. I cannot imagine Germany without parks.

Afterwards going along Mehringdamm we ended up enjoying coffe and cake at the cafe Mr. Minsch which has fantastic cakes. It is a very popular place. We were lucky to find a table available and a short queue  While we enjoyed our most delicious pieces of cake we could see the queue getting longer and longer...

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Himmelspagode in Hohen Neuendorf near Berlin

Phew, times passes fast and I neglected my blog .....
Here something to cheer you up. It's a very big but pretty nice Chinese restaurant North of Berlin. It might be far out but worth a visit.



Die Himmelspagode is a Chinese restaurant which offers buffet or choose from a large menu. It has a fantastic ambiance. It has two floors and especially on the weekends you have to make sure to reserve a table either by phone or online.



In the middle is a pond with turtles.
If you look down from the top floor, you look right into the pond.

Directions: You just follow the Autobahn A 111 and take the exit 2b Stolpe, then Henningsdorfer Chaussee, continue L171 direction Hohen Neuendorf. Then turn left in Oranienburger Strasse. You will see the restaurant on your right.

We've went with our family and enjoyed the food and each other's company.

 And a good cup of tea at the end.

Our odysee of house-hunting

One of the reason why my blog has been so quiet the last few months is that we've been busy looking for a bigger apartment. I've never imagined before that this will take so much time and sweat. It took us almost three months and 18 apartment viewings.  Altogether it requires an enormous amount of time. There was even one day when I viewed three apartments, one in the morning before work, one at lunch break as it was just a few minutes from work and then one after work. Needless to say that I've been exhausted.

The good news is, YEAH we got one apartment. We had to slightly higher our budget and make a few compromises. However it's a very nice apartment and I am very happy that the hunt is over.

The weird thing while house-hunting was that the landlords are looking for people with a steady job, good income but you should have time to view the house in the middle of the day in short notice. Maybe once in a while it's even possible to drop everything and come running to the viewing but then as it takes time I cannot do it all the time. The last few years the housing situation in Berlin has worsened. Nowadays is is very hard to find an affordable apartment which is not in the suburbs.

The sites I mostly checked were.
immobilienscout24

immonet
You can register and do a search request with your criteria.

When you phone to ask about the viewing you need a lot of patience and the landlords or estate agents are not in and don't answer calls and almost don't call back. Sometimes they reply to emails. Once you know when to view the apartment, don't be surprised to be among many others. Then if you're interested you will have to give your documents. This is mostly the same: copy of your passport (in case of foreigner a copy of your "Meldebescheinigung" registration card), copies of your three last salary statement, statement from your present landlord that you don't have rent arrears, Schufa (can do it online at meineschufa) sometimes you will have to sign an agreement that the landlord will inquire your schufa.

Then it's good to call the next day. Often the apartment was gone so quickly.
Of course once you got a contract you should read it carefully. You can also get it check at the Mieterschutzbund. If your'e not a member you will have to pay a fee. We've got one apartment offered which was part of the social housing scheme and in the contact it was written how the rent will increase once the subsidized money stops.  This would have been a very expensive flat at the end.

Anyhow, in case you're house-hunting at the moment, I wish you good luck and lots of patience!

Signs

It's been a while. Although winter has been cold I didn't find the time to write in my blog. Today I want to share with you some of my pictures of SIGNS I took on various trips  I always like to take pictures of the different signs hanging above shops etc. Sometimes they are very beautiful or original, often with a lot of details.

These ones were taken in France, Savonne:

This one is from Strasbourg:

These ones are from a small cute village along the wine route:

And these ones from Germany, Speyer:

Fichtelgebirge:

Winter reached Berlin

Hey, finally the winter is here and the snow. On Monday there was Blitzeis (freezing ice?) and lots of accidents. It was really slippery and one had to be so careful not to fall. Now it's cold (minus 5 C) and snowing. Ambulances are still full.
Just 2 weeks earlier I thought that we would skip winter this time and go straight to spring. But I guess it's good that way for mother nature and building snowmen. Here just one from Potsdamer Platz made out of Lego.

Popular things to do at New Year or Silvester

Here I collected some ideas how to celebrate the New Year's Eve.
This is mainly if you celebrate at home. Otherwise of course you can find many parties in Berlin. 
Some links to help you around (although in German):

http://www.berliner-silvester.de/feiern/992578-990341-silvesterambrandenburgertor.html
http://www.berliner-silvester.de/feiern/party/
http://www.silvester-party-berlin.de/


OK now for home party:
Hopefully you have a Raclette set at home and done some shopping.
This is what we will do this Silvester. It's such a pleasant thing to do together on the last day of the year. Same goes for Fondue. Creative ideas could be:

Cheese Fondue with
Marinated (Marinated with grated Orange skin and chilly) meat for Fondue

Raclette with:
 Ginger scampi skewer, Sausages filled with cheese, Figs, Olives, potatoes, nuts, bacon. Otherwise any vegetable and meat works well. Of course you'll need Raclette Cheese.

Home made fortune cookies
Bake them yourself.
Recipe: what you need is:
* 40 g wheat powder
* 10 g corn starch
* 50 g icing sugar
* 1 egg white
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1 pinch salt

Mix all ingredients and 2 table spoons of cold water. Let it sit for an hour. Prepare a circle out of cardboard paper (diameter 9cm). Then put approx 1 tablespoon of dough in the circle. (sorry don't know how to say it better).
Preheat the oven 160 degree Umluft, or 140 degree gas oven on 2. Bake them cookies for 6 to 8 minutes till the sides are golden. Take a cookie immediately. Then put your paper of self made saying in the middle of the cookie and close the dough like a tortellini. Put it to cool into a small glass in order to keep the shape.

Dinner for One
In Germany a MUST. It seems all Germans sit in front of the TV in the evening and watch this. It's the program broadcasted the most. Some people might take a drink each time James does.

"Bleigiessen"
Lead is melted over a candle and forms into shapes which are supposed to tell your fortune for the coming year. You can use an old spoon to place the lead on. I think this is also a very German thing to do.


Anyway whatever you do on this night, HAVE FUN and "Guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr". This too is a very German expression, literally saying good slide into the new year.

Finally MIDNIGHT is here and the firecrackers, kisses and Champagne. Oh and then they Germans say "Frohes Neues Jahr"

Also in Germany don't miss to eat a "Pfannkuchen" a filled doughnut. It's absolutely part of New Year.

Wishing you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

When the snow falls wunderbar - A wonderful German-English Weihnachtssong

When the snow falls wunderbar

(Unbekannter Autor)

When the snow falls wunderbar
And the children happy are,
When the Glatteis on the street,
And we all a Glühwein need,
Then you know, es ist soweit:
She is here, the Weihnachtszeit

Every Parkhaus ist besetzt,
Weil die people fahren jetzt

All to Kaufhof, Mediamarkt,
Kriegen nearly Herzinfarkt.
Shopping hirnverbrannte things
And the Christmasglocke rings.

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,
Merry Christmas allerseits...

Mother in the kitchen bakes
Schoko-, Nuss- and Mandelkeks
Daddy in the Nebenraum
Schmücks a Riesen-Weihnachtsbaum
He is hanging auf the balls,
Then he from the Leiter falls...

Finally the Kinderlein
To the Zimmer kommen rein

And es sings the family
Schauerlich: "Oh, Chistmastree!"
And the jeder in the house
Is packing die Geschenke aus.

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,
Merry Christmas allerseits...

Mama finds unter the Tanne
Eine brandnew Teflon-Pfanne,
Papa gets a Schlips and Socken,
Everybody does frohlocken.
President speaks in TV,
All around is Harmonie,

Bis mother in the kitchen runs:
Im Ofen burns the Weihnachtsgans.
And so comes die Feuerwehr

With Tatü, tata daher,
And they bring a long, long Schlauch
An a long, long Leiter auch.
And they schrei - "Wasser marsch!",
Christmas is - now im - Eimer...

Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,
Merry Christmas allerseits...

Christmas Market in Dresden

On our way back from Prague we passed by in Dresden and visited the Christmas Market (Dresdener Striezelmarkt). If you come by car, the easiest way is to follow the sings and park in the Parkhaus Altmarkt.

We've been there during the week. I can imagine that weekends are very crowded like in most places.
The Christmas market is very beautiful! Very cute and one of the prettiest we've seen. Each stall has many details and pretty decoration. The stalls offer some common christmas market items and some special ones. You can see how the famous Dresdner Stollen is made.Also food items all looked yummy and of course Gluehwein shouldn't be missing. I actually drank a Feuerzangenbowle which is slightly different. You might know it from the famous German movie.

Fairy tale figures are around and telling stories...

More about Prague

Ok like promised here some more of the stuff we did in Prague.

First of all, a specialty called TRDELNIK. It's a sweet pastry and being sold on the markets and some stalls on the road. The dough is wrapped around a mold and then fried on open fire. Brushed with sugar and spices. Then outside it gets crispy and soft inside. It's quite yummy though very sweet.

Walking through Prague it's one of the things you have to eat. Ok. Here finally I am enjoying it....Hmmmmmmm!!!!! Yummy!!!!!











Another major tourist attraction is the  Prague Castle. It's a large medieval (unique architectural) complex with courtyards, palaces, cathedral, convent and the popular Golden Lane. For sure you have a beautiful view once you're up there.

We headed towards the famous Golden Lane. Be prepared the entrance fee is hefty. It's not possible to only buy a ticket for the Golden Lane but you have to buy one for the small tour and then it's Krona 250. (around 10 Euro). In No 22 Franz Kafka lived for about a year and wrote "A country doctor".
The Golden Lane is a sort of museum and souvenirs are sold.

Then we went down and towards Karlov Bridge. You can't miss it. Everybody is walking in that direction. From the bridge you have a beautiful view over the Moldau. It seems especially the sunset is magnificent although on that day it was cloudy. On the bridge between many tourists, you find painters, caricaturists, musicians.