Flaneur

Woke earlier than I’d hoped but had a pretty lazy start, having a lie in looking at websites and then some bread and jam and tea….chatting to Mt as he’d been called in the night by P’s alarm system again. We both spent some time contacting various people then chatted again once we’d established he was fine and it was just a mistake again.
I decided to have a another day wandering the city and exploring, so started by walking over to Mauerpark for the fleamarket in bright sunshine…but still pretty cold. Loved looking around all the stalls…unbelievable mix of things from piles of sunglasses to army hats, dinner sets and typesetters’ metal letters. Had a tasty coffee as I walked round then over to another one in Arkonoplatz, and wandered down via some interesting streets (including a section with the line of the Berlin Wall marked out with some very interesting photos of the area from the years of the wall) to Museum Island. Resisted all the cafes and restaurants I passed en route but did succumb to another Bratwurst. Stopped in at the Neue Wache memorial….where an unknown soldier and concentration camp victim are both buried, surrounded by earth from the battlefields and with a lovely sculpture in the centre of a mother holding her dead son. Beautiful quiet calm space with its opening in the roof that reminded me of the Pantheon.
Decided to leave the museums themselves to explore with L when she arrives, but did nip in to use the loo (you can always rely on a museum for a good shop, cafe and loo!). Interesting to see the David Chipperfield extension to the Neues museum…he’s the architect for the new concert hall in Edinburgh. Lovely to see the mass of interesting old and new buildings in that area….very different to the large areas of soulless residential blocks filling in the bombed areas elsewhere.
Went to the Rausch Schokoladenhaus and, after a bit of time queuing, settled down to a delicious hot chocolate and exquisite little chocolate cake. So rich, but just perfect.
Afterwards I was just passing the Koncerthaus and realised something was on so popped into the box office. It was a concert of John Adams, Copland and Dvorak, but the only ticket available was for €21 right at the back and the side. I decided not to bother but as I came out a lady was selling two tickets…her husband was ill so she wanted to sell and asking €25. I bought one, only to find it was right on the front row….great seat! She came in with me and we had a lovely chat about the hall, the organist featured in the Copland (who was giving strong Anna Lapwood vibes), her family and career, and the legacy of a split city that’s seen in the number of music venues, with some from the west of the city still preferring to attend the western venues, almost regardless of what’s being performed. We had a drink together in the interval and really enjoyed the concert together….with the oboist and bassoonist both almost playing with their eyebrows, and the conductor doing the Dvorak without a score….he just seemed to have the music inside him somehow. Lovely!
I decided to walk home (another 10 mile day by the end of it!) and arrived in time to settle down to chat to A as the sun set slowly, then afterwards to K. Good catch up about her family plans for this week and about making sourdough bread, then I had some scrambled eggs and relaxed.
It’s been a lovely day…so full of interesting things to see and do.