IN PROGRESS
Yes, really, this takes place during Gallery Weekend. It did not even occur to me to check before I signed up. Just like one of the previous VHS photography courses I signed up for turned out to take place during the Berlinale. I seem to be the only one who finds that sort of thing weird.
On the outskirts of Tiergarten, philosophising over the trees which are large but were only planted after the war, with a backdrop of a building complete with bullet or more likely shrapnel damage. And bullet/shrapnet damage on my local cemetery (Hallesches Tor). And my hideous neighbour, Victoriahöfe, or Victoria zu Berlin which some call it, which has been under renovation for about six years now, and whose facade is finally being brought back to former ugliness. Also see here how that renovation basically rendered my balcony unusable for most of the pandemic (!) right when it would have been nice to have that Corona-free space to step out onto and sit in.
Main purpose: this photo tour with Go2Know.
After checking in to Park Hotel Fasanerie (in idyllic surroundings), walkabout in Neustrelitz, incuding the Tiergarten. The hotel is situated adjacent to a lake, or what looks like some kind of swampland, with lots of birds – long-tailed tits, cranes, woodpeckers and much more. Also, reportedly, lots of frogs and deer, but no beavers.
And while I am describing the hotel – a couple of my pet peeves when it comes to hotels in Germany: The internet is excruciatingly slow, or weak, or whatever the term is. And the restaurant emphasizes on imported rather than German wine.
Also, there were some very annoying, and quite loud, noises coming from what seemed like upstairs from my room, probably to do with the running of the hotel, sounding like furniture was being rearranged, as well as some protracted knocking, as with hammer and nails, even on Sunday evening, lasting from 6.00 each morning (including the weekend), so no alarm clock needed, till about 22.00 in the evening, which competely ruined my early-morning coffee and my evenings and the sense of peace and quiet you would normally expect in this kind of place.
Spotted pre-breakfast on 23 March:
Phototour 23 March with go2know to Domjüch:
Walking back to the hotel:
Day three – Sunday – the day after the photo tour with go2know: In the morning, with heavy rain forecast most of the day, I started to seriously reconsider my decision to stay an extra day. With plenty of opportunity to return to Berlin by train, and the extra hotel night non-refundable, I ventured out on the originally planned walkabout in Neustrelitz. Among other places, I went to the nearest lake to beat the slight boredom with some ICM photography, awaiting the “heavy rain”.
As it turned out, I was rewarded with only a little bit of rain, and a display of extreme sexual tension by a local greve couple in a rush to finish the renovation of their one-bedroom condo.
Along a weird and wonderful wetland area, inaccessible to humans, and once the annoying leaves are back on the bushes and trees, cannot be seen by humans either.
The only beaver I saw was the one on the street sign, but there was lots of evidence, and I hope to find the time to go back soon, this time without the handful of braindead, incessant yackers. Just so I can remember where it was, here is the map on MapMyWalk.
I did get my first photo ever of a Great Egret.
Another enjoyable walk with Fritz Heiber, Empor Berlin.
Unfortunately, there are always people who,on those walks who, like badly-behaved children, can’t, or won’t, keep their mouths shut while the guide speaks, even when they are asked to be quiet. Yack-yack-yack-yack-yack. That is not only annoying because those standing near them can’t hear what the guide says, it is also impolite and rude towards the guide who in most cases, and certainly always in Fritz’s case, has put a lot of time and effort into preparing the walk. (Yes, I know, I sometimes wander off to take photos, but at least I don’t disturb the others, and I mostly try to stay within earshot).
Anyway, I had to cut the walk short in order to visit the current exhibition in “Alte Stadtbad Lichtenberg” (my only chance), and from there, take a short walk to “Alte Turnhalle” and the bi-weekly quiz.
IN PROGRESS
The weather exceptionally beautiful, I decided to pay Berlin Zoo a visit. Though I did take some visitors from Denmark there some time in the second half of 2022, I can’t remember when I last went there with my camera. I usually prefer the zoo which used to be East Berlin’s zoo (Tierpark).
With no leaves on the trees yet, I was astonished to see the number of cormorants and cranes in the process of building their nests in many of the big trees. The majestic lions posed nicely for the camera, as did a number of hoofstock and birds. And I think one of the hyenas is pregnant.
And finally, the zebras lent themselves to some experimentation with abstracts.
(on my way to an evening class at VHS Charlottenburg Wilmersdorf)
Along this route, more or less, with detours once I got close to Bayerischer Platz.
I wanted to finally see at least some of this memorial. I don’t know how many signs I missed, but those that I did photograph are in the last block of photos.
Visited and linked to many times before. This was a birdwatching walk with Volkshochschule. From that point of view, it was successful in that we saw quite a few different birds, but I did not manage to photograph any of them.
However, there are always things to discover and photograph at all times of the year, and in winter and early spring, when there are no leaves on the trees, it is easier to see not only birds but also how nature is taking over year by year.
This time, I spotted a building I had never noticed before and which I guess qualifies as what the Germans, for some strange reason, call a “Lost Place” – literally and officially – they don’t even translate that into German. I always wonder why. Those places are not lost. The rest of the world calls them “Abandoned Places”, which is what they are.
