Switched Blog to Wordpress

Hello Everyone...

For technical reasons Blogger.com (and many other things Google related) is/are blocked in China. Because I need access there, I have switched my blog to the following address:

http://coolblueice.com/

Please use that URL in the future.

I hope to see you soon on my new site!

Many thanks... 

RJ

Germany's Father's Day ... A far cry from the US Version.

Today is Monday, 06 June, 2011. I’m just coming off a holiday weekend and am recovering just a bit. Thursday was Ascension Day, Father’s Day, Man’s Day, Männertag, or Herrentag, depending on which part of Germany one comes from and has little in common with the “Father’s Day” to which I’m accustomed in the US.

Always held 39 days after Easter, falling on a Thursday this year gave most Germans a four-day weekend. (Like in the US, many people opt to take Friday off as well when a holiday falls on a Thursday.)

Originating in the Middle Ages to commemorate the Christian (especially Catholic I think… but am not sure) belief that Christ rose to heaven on the 40^th day of Easter. By the 19^th century the holiday had “evolved” in Germany as a “Sauftag” (drinking day) for men, regardless of their fatherhood status.

The day is still observed as a religious holiday, so most Germans get the day off and many churches offer services. But by far, it’s more of a party day (especially for men) than anything else.

Certainly not all German men get (and please excuse my French here) shit-faced-drunk on this day, but there are a lot who do. Men traditionally venture into the woods with a decorated wooden cart full of beer and food, or they might choose to bike ride through the countryside.

Traditionally, the “women folk” stay home, but this has changed a lot in recent years, I am told.

This was my first experience with the holiday. I joined my cousin and three friends (one female) for a ‘starter beer’, then on to a bike ride from the North-east Berlin Hönow area, through the country-side and woods to Altlandsberg.

Here we have our "starter beer" before beginning our ride:

Then we hit the road (bike path through the woods) on our way to Altlandsberg:

Altlandsberg was interesting as the city tower had a nesting pair of storks at the top (the small town’s claim to fame):

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Also in Altlandsberg, we enjoyed a couple of beers and “white asparagus cake” which was topped with a hollandaise sauce. The sauce is normal as a topping for white asparagus, but I had never previously eaten asparagus in a cake (more like a cobbler). The “Foodies” among you out there may be familiar with this treat, but it was a pleasant new experience for me. (I apologize for having no photo of the cake… I ate it too quickly.)

After the beer break there, we rode south to Eggersdorf where we had a couple more beers (of course) at an outdoor Männertag celebration:

While mainly consisting of men, there were a good number of women and even children on the “fahrradwege” (bike paths) the entire distance as well.

The round trip bike ride was probably only about twenty miles, but that was enough given that we were doing a little eating and beer drinking along the way.

Probably the single thing that jumped out at me the most was that people on the bike path and streets were actually quite friendly toward each other, good naturedly ringing their bike bells at each other while passing by as a “mock warning”… but always with smiles on their faces.

I only point that out as an outside observer who has noticed many Germans (particularly the Berliners) seem to exhibit a lot of hostility toward each other on a day-to-day basis. The good natured spirit of the day was a welcomed change from what I normally see. (I can’t imagine the beer had anything to do with that… wink.)

Naturally this is only one guy’s observation of one Männertag celebration in Germany. Were you to participate in this holiday yourself, your “mileage might vary.”

But what a fun day it was! As an American, I couldn’t help but think of how this holiday would be so politically incorrect in the US on so many levels. I think we could stand to loosen up a bit.

Don't forget, this was only on Thursday. The entire weekend that followed was a festive weekend for Germany. There were many local events (not related to "Father's Day") for the remainder of the weekend, so everyone had the chance to "play".

Bis zum nächsten Mal! (Until next time...)

Berlin's "Gespenstermauer" (Ghost Wall)

One of Berlin's more charming stories is that of the "Gespenstermauer" (Ghost Wall) near Oranienburger Straße 41. I just had a little "experience" there myself.

We'll get to that in a minute, but first let's look at a couple of other things on the street I visited on 1 June, 2011.

First, let's look at the Neue Synagoge (New Synagogue). The term "New" is simply part of the name, as the building was actually completed in 1866. The unique Moorish style made the building one of Berlin's most important architectural landmarks of the late 19th century. It was the largest Synagogue in Berlin at the time, with seating for over 3000.

There's not enough space here to really get into the rich (and tragic) history of the building, but a brief summery would include its near destruction on "Kristallnacht" (9 Nov, 1938). The Nazi crowd ransacked the building and set it ablaze. As morning arrived a single brave Berlin police officer informed the crowd it was his duty to protect the landmark. Drawing his pistol, he stated he intended to carry out his duty regardless of the consequences. This action dispersed the crowd long enough for firefighters to put out the blaze. The building was safe for the time being.

Unfortunately, the building was almost completely destroyed by Allied bombing later in the war. The building more or less laid in ruins until after German unification. Some parts of the building survived and were protected by various groups during this time. After the fall of the Berlin wall, reconstruction began. Most of the building is used as office space today, with only one small room used for religious services.

Here's a video with a bit more detail:

Next, take a look at the old post office just down the street called the Postfuhramt. Completed in 1881, it was once Berlin's main post office. One look at the photo will illustrate the beauty of the building's neo-Gothic brickwork... and how huge the building is. In addition to the space necessary for normal postal work, the building contained a stable for 300 horses and sleeping quarters for the drivers.

Today an art museum resides in the building. Note the upside down car on the steps displayed as "art" for a current exhibition, giving a clue that the art exhibits there lean toward the abstract.

Ok... So now we come to the part of my post today that I promised you... It my little story on the "Ghost Wall" in Berlin (near Oranienburger Straße 41) where two small children's spirits are often reported being seen 'out of the corner of your eye' as they dash out of the wall and into the street. (I didn't see them, darn it.)

Even if they remain unseen, legend has it that those leaving a penny in a crack in the brick wall will have a wish granted by the two children's spirits. The two provisions are that (1) the wish must be simple enough for these two small spirits to accomplish and (2) the wish must not be selfish.

So I thought, "Why not give it a try?"... Below you can see where I inserted my penny.

After inserting my penny into the wall and taking a couple of photos, it dawned on me that I had yet to make my wish...

The first thing that popped into my head was to simply wish that the two young spirits would bring a smile to the face of the next person who happened to walk by.

At that point, I stepped back to take a photo a few feet from the wall. Just as I snapped the photo, a woman approached me and without saying a word pointed to an address in a tourist guidebook.

Since I had located the Ghost Wall by its address, I knew exactly where I was and could see the address the woman was seeking was just a building or two further down the street.

That allowed me instruct the woman where to find her address (in German... thank you very much). She thanked me whole heatedly and guess what?... She gave me a big smile!

That was probably just a coincidence.... Don't you think? ;-)

Until next time!

RJ

Memorial Church on Berlin's Ku'damm

Took the S-Bahn to Berlin's Ku'damm yesterday. Upon arrival, I was confused because the landmark Memorial Church (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche) was nowhere to be found.

I was certain I was at the correct location, but the building simply wasn't there. What the heck???

Finally, I figured out the Church is under repair and is covered by a temporary glass and steel facade, making it appear to be a modern (agreeably ugly) office building. Cover will be removed when repairs are complete in 2012.

Photo on left is the new 'look'. Photo on right is the real thing.



Until next time!

Weekend Bike Rides

I took two nice long bike rides over the weekend, both of them starting at my home in Mahlsdorf. On Saturday I rode south to Köpenick and the nearby Müggelsee. (The largest lake in Berlin. In German 'See' means Lake... not Sea.)

Where the Spree River flows into the lake, the waterway narrows. At this point is a pedestrian tunnel, making it easy to cross to the other side with a bike.

Once on the other side, I followed the Spree River back to Köpenick, stopping at my favorite refreshment place "Ele's Biergarten", where I peacefully sipped a Berliner Kindl and watched the world float by on the Spree.

On Sunday, I headed North past Hönow and into the nearby countryside. I love all the scenic bike paths that crisscross the area. I rode some distance (probably 4 or 5 miles) before passing under the "Berlin Ring", an Autobahn encircling Berlin.

After a few more miles (without map, compass, or GPS) I slowly working my way in a circle toward (what I hoped) was again Hönow. I asked directions only once from a woman riding by on here bike. I'm not sure if I really needed the help but I do enjoy asking directions in German, just for the practice. (The fact that the woman was pleasant and attractive probably didn't hurt anything either. ;-)

The road did indeed loop back to Hönow, so I completed a nice loop in about two hours. I still had not had my fill of riding (the weather was beautiful), so I just putzed around the local area, trying to piece together a map in my head for later reference.

That's all today!

Back in Berlin

Blog?... What blog? Ok, so it has been a while since my last post. Let's see if I can do better in the coming months.

19 May 2011, was my first trip back to the city center.
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The first photo is of the Berliner Dom on the Spree River, with the TV Tower in Alexander Platz in the background.



The second photos is the Museum of the Kennedys, located just in front of the Brandenburg Gate. I've yet to go inside, but will do so soon.







The Holocaust memorial always moves me. There are no signs explaining the meaning of the work... That is left entirely to the viewer.

New travel article on Spreewald in Germany

Oh... I am sooo bad about getting my blog entries out. But today I just had to do it, as Associated Content just published one of my travel articles. It is on Spreewald just south of Berlin.

Check it out here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2910590/spreewald_germanys_venice.html?cat=16 If you like it, a nice rating would be appreciated. (smile)