Came home to find some more “presents”. Even more disgusting ugliness to tolerate. And just in case I was twiddling my thumbs and desperate for something to do – I can always keep cleaning my balcony.
Have they communicated with me about this in any way, shape or form? No, of course not. Their arrogance just keeps reaching new heights. They are renovating one of the ugliest buildings in the world and it is “UNTER DENKMALSCHUTZ”. Ooooohh. That means they can do whatever they like.
By the way, I’m told the building I live in is also unter Denkmalschutz. I don’t for the life of me understand why, but there it is.
I went on what turned out to be a fabulous five-day trip to the North Sea. I guess I should thank the “Neighbours from Hell” (now in stereo), since because of them, I had been scrambling to find a place to go which would seem like another planet, without actually leaving the country.
The Wadden Sea (das Wattenmeer, Vadehavet) is fascinating (which I already knew, having spent a week in Sankt-Peter-Ording two years ago), the weather was its September best, and I gorged on fresh fish and seafood, and walked a lot.
Norddeich
I was based in Norddeich which was convenient for taking ferries to and from Norderney and Juist, and – like most coasts facing the North Sea, has a long, tall, dike with a promenade on top providing a marvellous view of the Wadden Sea and the tides. On top of that, the main road is lined with restaurants serving, among other things, fresh, wild-caught fish.
If I had had one more day there, I would have joined one of those guided walks
Some people are, of course, too busy to spend time on a 45 minute ferry ride. Then it is much more efficient to spend time in cars getting to and from airports.
Sharp photos will never be my forté, especially not when it comes to wildlife, but I am quite pleased with the above two photos. I am not sure which one I like best.
Black and white or colour?
On the highest points, you can see the sea on both sides from the same spot:
Mehringplatz is being restored to its former glory. I regret not having taken any photographs before they started renovating it, but that is probably because it was a wasteland.
The whole area was practically flattened during WW2, so the “peace column” and the statues must have been in protective storage since they seem to have survived unscathed.
I wonder how it will change the currently very diverse, rather densely populated residential area around it once the work is finished.
Here are photographs taken on 29 August 2020:
Approaching Mehringplatz along the southernmost part of Friedrichstraße from Franz-Klühs-Straße:
The walk, anti-clockwise first:
Some public advice on how to keep moving:
Right now an unlikely location for a contemporary-art gallery (KM ), but some time next year, the surroundings might be more stylish:
And then, between Lindenstraße and Mehringplatz, five minutes from home, a garden I did not know was there:
Between Mehringplatz and Hallesches Ufer, a memorial to Marie Juchacz:
The home stretch: Back along the southernmost part of Friedrichstraße and across to Lindenstraße:
And finally, some new buildings finished around 2018 – in the middle the expansion of the Jewish Museum (the original building is behind me) – where the old retail flower market used to be.
Fortunately, I am escaping the nightmare again next week (it is not just the mess but most of all the noise which now starts at 05.45 AM and continues throughout the day so no chance of a mid-day nap), so I am not sure I can be bothered to clean that up, since most likely there will be more when I get back.
The bigger question is, how much longer will I have to look at all this ugliness:
By all means, do not let such minor details deter you. You are driving a motorised vehicle. In Berlin, that automatically categorises you as a V.I.P. first-class citizen.
That gives you the right to do whatever you like.
Including leaving the rubble on the ground, spreading all over the driveway, leaving a horrendous mess. But don’t worry about that. We are honoured to have to look at that because it means that a very important person was here.
Edit 6 August 15.45: Wow. What a difference a Facebook post can make. That is a heck of a lot more light than before. What happens next is of course a worry, but for now I assume I can risk starting to clean and re-furnish and use the balcony. And enjoy what is left of the summer.
I still wish they would inform me (IN WRITING) what is going to happen to that wall and to my balcony, and preferably approximately when, because I am fully aware of the fact that the real nightmare may not even have started yet, but they do not seem to want to do that.
Every time I think it will get better, it gets worse.
In an e-mail last week, I was informed that the last work would be done on 3 and 4 August, and that the net could then also be removed (I don’t know what it is doing there at all now). I therefore dropped my plans of leaving Berlin for any considerable length of time.
I did flee the chaos for three days, and arrived home in the afternoon of 5 August hoping to be able to slowly start cleaning and using my balcony (and my living room) again.
Instead, I found things looking worse than ever. In addition to some more boards and some more rubble, they have installed what looks like an entire euro-pallet – ON my balcony. So much for “your balcony will not be affected”. That statement is becoming more and more laughable by the week, and has been for over a year now.
No work was being done on that wall yesterday afternoon, and none whatsoever today, 6 August, either.
I don’t know what is more breathtaking – the arrogance or the propensity to lie over and over again. Do they actually think it is nice to have a good-sized balcony and not be able to use it? Especially during the summer, in a year where I ought to be at home most of the time? Not to mention the fact that my living is full of most of the things that are normally on the balcony.
