Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Berlin

So a short trip up to Kesswil a nice little town on Lake Constance near the German border with no address for Nik, walked around town and then found him unexpectedly on the road home. He is a journeyman stone cutter a system that has been in place since the middle ages. They are trained by a master craftsman and then have to leave their village and not return home for a number of years, travelling by foot working in their speciality. Nik had been away for 4 years and was returning home with other journeymen to ceremoniously shed his clothes and become part of 'normal society' again so it was party time with his lovely family and friends and a night time throwing him in the lake with old songs and much joy.
Spent two days with him and then a long autobahn (11 hours) journey to Berlin to see Rainer and Petra who came to the Egg as customers but have become special friends. Rainer from West Berlin worked in East Berlin before the wall fell as head of Depts at Humboldt University and was involved in the repatriation of prisoners from the Stasi time and Petra from East Berlin works as events manager at the same university. Rainer has a small apartment in the centre of the city and loves to walk the streets so I have had my own personal guide for history and culture and I can see why Petra has a love of travel after being imprisoned for so long in her own country.
Berlin is a city of contradictions with the old and the new the ugly and the beautiful and to me it has a great feeling with wide avenues and many parks. Again if you are in the mood for the city (and have a good guide) it helps so much towards the enjoyment, not to plan to see everything but to discover it like a Chinese scroll, weaving in and out of the past and the present.
Had a wonderful morning with Ruth Tesmar head of the Arts Dept. A great artist herself she has places for students but also studios of her own high in the roof of the Uni full of objects and printing presses and installation projects and has such a passion for art that my mind opened like a flower to her and when I finally stumbled outside it was like into another world.
So maybe a few more walks then who knows, milking cows in the Alps with Magdalena, Denmark to see Jens and Margit, Netherlands to see Marty and Gerben and Mirjam, so many options and only 16 days left.
I've loved the trip so far, no pressure, taking it day by day and reconnecting with good friends.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dave it s great to keep up with your amazing journey and enjoy it by proxy! guess the little red one is still doing fine. bx

Anonymous said...

So I say thank you for the music the songs you're singing
thanks for all the joy they're bringing
who can live without it I ask in all honesty what would it be
without a song or a dance what are we
so I say thank you for the music for giving it to me ...

Sending my warmest thoughts to you on your further way, it was so wonderful having you with us!
Greetings from Rainer & Petra

human being said...

hi Chook... seems you have a wonderful time on your tour de Europe...
happy you are enjoying yourself...

just ONE happy friend can make a harsh world starry...
be well.

Jon said...

Hi there...

It's been nice to catch up on your travels here... seems like you're having an amazing summer...

See ya again soon...

chook said...

Hey Billie is that you? When I can I will post your amazing portrait of me, so the world (small as it is) will know what a genius you are. Cappaccino is missing you as I am. xx

Petra I think you have too much time on your hands you are becoming a poet. Get back to work!!
My music is only a thank you for the wonderful time you gave me. Berlins story has been written in my mind through your eyes. xx

Hey HB are you still coming back to read my boring story of happiness, perhaps I should put in the thunderstorms and rejections to liven it up a bit!! But really the best plan is having no plan so you can stay with the happy bits and leave the sad ones. Looking forward to getting back to your site to see what you have been up to. xx

Ditto Hopper, get back to work, you have better things to do than following a happy camper thru Europe. But I'm glad you stopped by and I've missed reading your blog. Talk soon

Anonymous said...

Thank your for the flowers - but it is by ABBA ...