Berlin's Green Heart & Belt

                                                   
A little known fact about Berlin is that is has wide areas of parks for recreation, located primarily in the south west of the center but also throughout the capital; Tiergarten,  Botanische Garten and the vast expanse of the Grunewald. In the middle of the upper picture you can see the Siegessauele, a national monument to commemorate several wars (built between 1868-1873) and well-known landmark.

                                             
This was already the most important region for R & R for the common populace 100 years ago, long before the World Wars.It encompasses about 1,000 acres and several lakes.When Germany was still divided and the wall up, it was the biggest recreational area in the west of the city. The Grunewald has been mentioned in an old popular song from 1929: There is an wood auction in Grunewald. Funny title? Listen to this almost 90 year old recording of this song!
The Grunewald Tower below was built about 100 years ago. We were too lazy to climb it but enjoyed the "Biergarten & Restaurant" next to it very much on a hot day (about 90 degrees). Here we found a lovely breeze when the rest of the city was rather stifling.
                                                        
Another song recording from the 1951 gives you a glimpse of the famous lake Wannsee in the Grunewald:Pack your Swimming Trunks! (Pack die Badehose ein).
Nothing much has changed except that Berlin has gained its freedom!
Approaching Berlin from the air above Potsdam (more about Potsdam in my next post.)

                                                        

3 Day Blitz Summer

Germany's biggest tabloid, Bild (or Bildzeitung) declares the summer over almost before it got started on its front page today:"3 Day Blitz Summer".
In contrast to British minds, nobody here associates the word Blitz with the war anymore.It means lightning and appears in weather reports.Not even remotely, secretly in the back of their minds does it connote to WWII.
It appears in word combinations like blitzschnell (as fast as lightning), blitzartig (like a lightning) or blitzsauber (so clean it sparkles). War references, Blitzkrieg, mean The First Gulf War or Israel's 6 Days War.

Anyway, Bild, not exactly the paragon of journalism, knows our bliss with the sun is going to be short-lived.We shall see and I'll let you know. Today certainly is another day for the swimming pool.In Berlin that means that the lucky ones who needn't go to work hang out on the banks of the River Spree, Havel or at Wannsee.  
All of Meck Pomm with its hundreds of lakes and waterways imbedded in a gorgeous landscape of unspoilt forests is basking in the sun. Really worth a vacation for nature lovers.