Bothered And Very Bewildered.

So far the dialogue in Copenhagen has produced enough hot air to set the world on fire ! My only claim to being green is the nausea I experience when reading the latest dictates from this bun fight .

As usual Europe is seen as the rich continent , responsible for every evil.

Why ? Clean air acts have been in force here for many a year . Water pollution is monitored and transport conforms to clean emissions . The public are taxed each pay day and now on all air travel . The vast majority of manufacturing takes place where ?

India and China .Reasons being life is cheap , labour likewise ,controls few and far between and corruption rife .ie ) make as may rules as you will but in theses countries a bribe will always get the official to look away . To talk of China and India as being developing countries is madness . Both keep a peasant underclass .One via caste system. The other through communism . Each has nuclear war heads galore and tests such frequently . Poverty ? No --an unfair distribution of wealth but through no fault of Europe . I read that Africa staged a protest . Well there's a surprise .They still have no decent roads and infrastructure. Who is to blame there ? Rubbish is strewn in many parts as indeed it is in India etc . Yet not a word .

Go to India and see the rusting transport carrying too many . Poverty is not the cause .It's indifference by the wealthy leaders who themselves have no need to use such.

Europe is judged as being wealthy since it has social welfare paid for by taxes . Fair distribútion . There in lies the difference and until Africa , China , India,Vietnam, Cambodia to name but a few , clean their act up in every sense of the word ,no amount of talk and money will save the climate .

Now it seems that if all is implemented over 55000 Germans will lose their jobs .

Which means what ? Fewer goods for the Chinese market but not a jot of difference to the climate .

My Snowdomes .

In just a couple of years my collection , has , like Topsy , grown and grown .Why you may wonder do I get such a buzz from these small things .
Not only do they serve to bring back pleasant memories of places visited ,they also show how much others think about me when ,on their travels ( business and pleasure )they take time out to find one and bring back as a surprise present .No precious gems. could ever make me happier - Plus it's Christmas all year round !
I may add a musical track .Not sure yet .

Thought For Today And President Obama.

War: a massacre of people who don't know each other for the profit of people who know each other but don't massacre each other.

Paul Valery .

So President Obama who , whilst campaigning , pledged peace and withdrawal of troops from overseas ,now believes war is necessary and conveniently presents the Hitler scenario as a parallel case for Afghanistan . SPARE US .
Hitler marched into Poland and ,didn't stop there . (By the way in 1939 the USA were not in the least bit interested in this. Only years later with Pearl Harbour. did they actually join in.) China still occupies Tibet but Mr Obama is keen to do more business with this regime . How soon his principles have changed .
Afghanistan has not invaded any country . Quite the contrary they have had the British , the Russians invade them , big time , then a civil war . I'm no lover of their life style but believe they should be left to develop their own society . Chaos and corruption rule after years of war . I don't see the advocates of further fighting taking up arms .The swaggering Mr Kasai doesn't exactly dirty his hands , save via deals with his brother . The above quote from Paul Valery sums it up. President Obama ,may be eloquent ,but this war talk is becoming oh so akin to that of his predecessor. Just who exactly is governing America ?
The Generals and Goldman Sachs or him .
You see they were not elected ! He was . Time to recall those pledges .

Panasonic

There are some who know me well enough to know that I am a Panasonic fan plus. Just see that brand name and I want to buy. Panasonic never comes cheap but in my experience has always guaranteed fabulous quality .. My Dimension 4 cooker , video , DVD and amazing Fridge -Freezer. All are wonderful . So why am I not so in love with this name right now ?Answer :-

The Panasonic Lumix TZ7

This is the second time I have purchased such a camera, The Lumix 5 had to go back as it was faulty .Purchased from a specialised camera shop I had a hard job getting a refund .Then last weekend I bought the latest version . After so many rave reviews I felt sure all would be fine. This time at a shop where most items are discounted and the returns policy excellent . Once more my Lumix is a lemon . Why ?

The settings are many and varied so I was advised to begin with 'intelligent auto focus ' There's a laugh - little intelligence . It simply can't deal with indoor ,artificial light . One is either jaundiced or cancerous . Nothing is sharp . Not desirable. The video mode is good and the microphone excellent . This is all . However, sad to say ,Panasonic insist you have Quick time format [not wonderful on a windows PC ] It is proving impossible to upload a video from Picasa to YouTube and to my blog . I can view but can't upload from windows. One of the main YouTube reviewers of Panasonic suggested I put examples of the shots on Flickr . Not wishing to open yet another system I've gone half way and made a collage on Picasa. It shows you really poor images . Thumbs down , money back go elswhere. Still I do have my fridge freezer .

Note) The previous post as indeed most others carry photos taken with a very old 65 € digital camera. It may lack the video sound quality but in stills is better.

Christmas In Berlin

Although Christmas has never been my favourite festival I can report there is improvement ! Last year in Scotland was fun and this year seems set to be fine . Friday night found me at The Scotch and Sofa with a very cosmopolitan group .Then today after buying a new camera it was down to one of nicest Christmas Markets in Berlin. Held at the Gendarmenmarkt ,it really is beautiful . The choice of food was fantastic. Excellent entertainment too . Inspite of extremely cold weather these ballet dancers never even shivered . The flamenco was stunning . Perched on a table top it was impossible to avoid heads , heads and more heads . I've also found just what I want in place of a Christmas tree , but more of that later . Do note that the pictures are with my old camera . Next week will find me trying the new one .[fingers crossed ]

EU No Smoking Ban in Berlin

Today I was at Die Eins for a jazz brunch . One of the greatest spots to put on your 'places to go in Berlin' list-
Now when it comes to the EU smoking ban , Germany is not running true to world image . ie ) viewed as a law abiding people to a fault , this regulation has shown their weak spot . Many areas have revolted in a manner befitting the reputation of their French neighbours .
Quite a lot of places still permit smoking and actually advertise such - Others have upstairs rooms , outside tables . the variations are amazing . Die Eins has opted for hi tech sophistication.with this smoking chamber . Resembling an Internet booth it takes two people at a time . On entering, the smoker presses a switch , lights up and the offending fumes are extracted in a heavenly direction via a star trek type porthole . Here you see the brilliant drummer and vocalist Meinolf “Cookie” Saggel . Unaware of this gadget he had chosen to stand outside in the rain . Once informed he was in like a shot to try it . Reckon his smile says a lot for marks out of ten .
My own rating . Well as a none smoker I have to say it's a superb device and all are happy since it does work 100% . Upstairs rooms or partitioned places don't .

Lies --- The New Truth .?

The press is full of the story of the pair who gate crashed President Obama's state dinner. Reality TV is involved , claiming how the couple told them they had an official invitation . OK ..Why didn't TV do some checking ? It seems all the blame is being placed on security .
Reality TV is anything but reality .Cheap to produce ,it consists of wannabees doing anything to get their small trashy , fabricated moment of 'fame'.
One fictitious mess spawns another as the those who suffer from 'copycat syndrome' sadly sit glued to the box seeking what, for them passes as inspiration. The liars go unpunished .Indeed they are glamorized ..and so the great big wheel keeps turning .
Is this what society has sunk to ? My post will carry no image of these two creepy social criminals . If you think I'm being hard , think about how much security we already have in our lives . Stunts such as this only serve to increase it.

Good News For The World .

At times it seems the news is all bad . Then,as if to show there's hope , all be it seldom ,we get a great item . On coming home late last night and logging on ,there it was ...... No Tony Bliar [Blair as EU President ] , no Milliband as EU Foreign Affairs Minister . Cause indeed to celebrate .So called a friend, had a glass of port and lemon ,played Dr Feelgood's Hog For You Baby . Truly I was happy as can be .

One had to note how very widespead contempt for Bliar is.

Tony you may well perceive yourself as a presidential god , most see you for what you really are .

First beaten by a rare species of protected bat and the now the EU .

ps) it dawned on me today why G W Bush liked you . As the world knows ,this guy has THE LAZY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR as his number one read ..

Well hunger for power knows no limits with you and just let's think of how a caterpillar moves !

From Barcelona to Berlin.

What a fabulous Sunday this has been .Colourful too in a strange sort of way . The Yorkschlösschen in Kreuzberg was a 'must', as Acki Hoffman and Friends were playing there . These guys have your feet tapping with each number .Plus I was the recipient of a yet another snowdome from Acki .Here you see us with the little treasure from Barcelona . If anyone wonders as to why I am muffled in my coat , read on ... A waitress carrying a full tray of drinks tripped and one very large glass of red went all over yours truly .This resulted in my having to take my top off , rinse it well and hang on the radiators . Now OK, lovely as my lingerie may be I decided to cover up . It was hilarious and much later with a special rendition of Ain't She Sweet I was able to don a dry piece of clothing . Some talk of red letter days. Mine was 'red wine and snowdome. ' Lovely . Hence after this final piece I rocked and rolled all the way home ...... Apologies for my duff cam and mic

Stupidity of Another Kind

ALISTAIR

DARLING

A man that brains and honesty forgot . Yes the dreary little puppet of Gordon Brown's , still holds office in spite of his many notorious expenses claims coupled with tax evasion .[read Daily Telegraph revelations ]
Each time this specimen opens his mouth with yet another idea for financial recovery , global warming , you name it ,the pound sinks further !
You have to laugh ,as we the tax paying public foot another lush ,and oh so grand gathering of the greedy G20 , every syllable uttered by this fool is like some nuclear fall out ...DANGEROUS .
Ever tried using sellotape Darling -- on your mouth ?
Once more I ask why was this bunfight not done via video conferencing ?

Just Who Is Stupid ?

We seem surrounded by prophets of doom these days. All bent on informing us that our days are numbered and we are guilty . Not they .. merely us .
Take the Green Party. If I could ,I would,only to leave them somewhere extremely untamed .Let's see how well they'd do minus all their creature comforts ! Then how about a tour round the house of Al Gore ,noting if he puts into practice that which he preaches . As for Franny Armstrong ... what a joke she is . Has the gall to condemn air travel yet , deems it as being OK for herself to get from A to B promoting her dictates.
Their whole mission is a farce . One in which over population is never mentioned .There is never so much as a whisper about China's increasing daily pollution . Not a word about the third world factories spilling chemicals into the water table whilst at the same time spewing toxic gas into the air .
The latest joke is to take place in Denmark .Yes, in December UN delegates will meet in Copenhagen to discuss what can be done . Question ) how will they get there ? Answer ) By air .
Why I ask in these days of amazing telecommunications is this necessary ? A video conference would save so much fuel , so much money .Ah, but what then the free luxury beanfeast , the
hotels , etc etc .The wives out for a shopping trip and gala ball.
I for one am weary of footing the bill for these types and then being made to pay even more tax on any air ticket I choose to purchase . In the following words ..IT'S A RIP OFF .
The world climate has changed ever since time began .
Continents have shifted ,and will ,over many years continue to do so .There are things we can do to have a clean planet.
Are all governments banning nuclear tests ?
Are all governments insisting that there are no oil spillages by the use of rust bucket ships ?
Are all rain forests truly left in tact and protected .
Are firms banned from sending spam advertising mail through regular postal systems ?
The list is endless. And all answers are NO
Who is stupid ? Well as I see it we are for accepting these dictates of pay up or else on an annual holiday . At the same time the likes of Franny Armstrong are for expecting us to take her oh so seriously .
Until all G8 ,G 20 and UN can work debating using video conferencing ,minus a financed super luxury freebie,I for one say. Sorry guys, I'm neither green nor am I cabbage looking in spite of my headgear in this picture .

B A T S

Born Again , Back Again To Sin ! BVFL.

On the Eve of All Hallows ,

Somewhere deep in France .

A creature so sombre all dressed in black ,

Decided Miss V had better come back

With a flash of light and the blood of live mice,

His strange incantations rang through the night ,

Then who should appear from webs spun so thick.

But Berlin's Foxy Lady...How's that for magic ?

The Final Curtain

It's been fun writing as BVFL but now the time has arrived to say " Good bye ".
Let's hope one day , all in this world will learn to be kind to each other and we'll see an end to the rewarding of corruption .
Where I'll go and what comes next , who can say .

THE END

Aint She Sweet,Got Blue Plastic On Her Feet .

Miss Vixen as you have never seen her . Not wearing her furs or the latest from Mode und Sparen,but protective gear which had to be worn to enter a room left in a real unhealthy mess by some German workman . Even with this outfit I can honestly say it wasn't a pleasant experience .
When will this problem be resolved via legal process.? No point in saying "watch this space", as I calculate it will be many postings before that occurs .
So for the time being this is Star Wars Vixen off to gather her photographic evidence of the worst work I have ever set eyes on !

Heidelberg,Worms ,Frankfurt, Mannheim, Speyer ,Mainze

The last ten days have been spent in Darmstadt . Not exactly a large German city , but a friendly one. An amazing German rail system coupled with Vodafone UMTS enabled me to set out each day [plus small notebook] to get work done and explore various towns and cities .

These were :-

Heidelberg , Worms ,Frankfurt , Mannheim , Speyer , Mainze .

Heidelberg situated on the River Neckar is delightful and clearly a tourist haven .With its castle ,old town and river ,this is a place which draws you back .

Worms [pronounced vorms ] is small ,pleasant with an impressive cathedral .The day we went there was a choral organ concert and one could but marvel at the acoustics .

Frankfurt , standing on the River Main is a business city.One feature I do like about this city is the extremely modern architecture . There is also a small Alt Stadt.

Mannheim is a city which had to be more or less rebuilt after WW 2 and a grid system was used .There remains a fascinating water tower ,a beautiful Jesuit Church and a very old palace

There is also has a truly superb ice cream shop. Fontanella . Look up http://www.eisfontanella.de/ In my jargon a place such as this is a 'hot spot' .Really great ice cream is a find and make it .

Speyer built along the Rhine is small but very pretty . It's an Alt Stadt with lots of cafes , churches, museums and shops . I made several lovely purchases here.

Finally Mainze built on the Rhine .This was /is my favourite . The cathedral is astonishing and the old town sensational. Food is wonderful ,reasonably priced and well served . Shops are tasteful and display quality goods . Guess who can't wait to revisit ?

I saw so much in each place and would advise any visitors to Germany to forget the A train... Just take DBahn .

Top Row L-R
Above the roof tops of Frankfurt / Commerce Area /Bridge into Worms / Heidelberg Castle.

Mid Row L-R

River Neckar /Water Tower Mannheim /Jesuit Church Mannheim/ St Josephs Speyer.

Bottom Row L-R

Speyer Cathedral /Old City Mainze / Mainze Cathedral / Above roof tops of Frankfurt .

Seen In The London Scene.

Yesterday I got up at 4:15 am in order to get ready and take the first BA flight to London.
Not my favourite city but well worth it to spend a day with a friend who used to work here .
We had a terrific time catching up on news , latest in books read etc etc . People watching , eating and drinking . At my request she kept me well away from Downing Street and Parliament .
The collage shows our 1st watering hole , a street show in Covent Garden , one of many fountains , Piccadilly Circus , a view of Parliament ,then inside a super Doc Martins shop .
The solo picture was also taken in this shop .I couldn't resist it. Born in Manchester and a lover of double meanings this appealed to my wicked side . British Airways may have lost their edge , terminal five is a nightmare, UK security checks are administered by 'fish wife ' types who bawl and shout ,BUT for friendship , fun and so much laughter ,all of these horrors were bearable.

note:- not only did I walk miles in my new boots , I was given another snowdome as a present !

IFA Berlin 2009

IFA is a huge exhibition for the latest in consumer electronics . Maybe ,but for me IFA stands for ,' International Fun Always' . This afternoon [ the last day ] I went and had the time of my life . Impossible to see everything, yet I packed a lot in and even had a go at the Vodafone Air Guitar competition . Vodafone made their own film which is on You Tube .A member of the staff made these using my little camera . Letting your hair down , not to mention kicking your legs up is extremely good for one .... why not try it.







One note to US viewers .
In my 20's I was hit by a driver. All these very lively limbs were smashed and the prospect bad . The amazing health service of UK put me together and to this day I give thanks for that . My mother was a recent widow ,and I a student yet the best Orthopaedic Specialist in the North West of England saw to me . President Obama is right and for those who say he is wrong take note.

New Boots , New Jazz Season.

A new month and we move into a new season . As luck would have it I found the very pair of boots I've been looking for . Then to start Die Kleine Weltlaterne season, who else but Otto Hamborg and the Viertakter. They really got things moving with a programme of Barock to Rock 'n' Roll.

Today I saw this amazingly tall man and wondered how he would look in boots .[ a lot of leather would be needed ]

Finally how about this guy's job ? Coming up the escalator in Karstadt Store what should I see but a lady being painted ! Totally naked save for her chic knickers she stood ín public as the artist did his work .

Never a dull moment . Note ] today the smell of Autumn was in the air .It made me feel almost drunk with joy . A colourful season which I for one love .

Wild West ? No ,Western Berlin

It isn't every day that you come across a group of cowboys standing outside a drinks establishment. So lucky that I always have a camera with me . Here's the proof .A great bunch of guys they explained how they were having a days ride around the city . Each owned a horse so all was possible . Getränke Hoffmann on Kaiserdamm was their watering hole . Minus a horse I may be, but I did have my trusty bike .

Germany, USA, Ancient Greece, Egypt--- in one day !

Saturday was Ruddesheimer Platz Festival .A terrific event with so much to see and do that one had to make choices . For us it was the US Air Force Band Check Six. Glenn Miller really began a tradition of great music and it's good to see today. The stage show was compared by the man you see in costume 'Echensteher Nante' see his web page www.nante.de He managed so much with such humour. Quite a guy. Then followed a fashion show to promote Oxfam ."So what," you folks in UK may say. There you have charity shops galore on each street . In Germany the concept is relatively new .I worked for a while at one and had a lot of fun. Now this is not yours truly getting wed .It was the surprise finale of the show and wow what a dress. 'Almost' had me wanting to try it on . Instead a friend bought me a delicate black shawl. It's beautiful. Then a surprise as we were given tickets for the Long Night Of The Museums . This astonishing event held twice a year, runs like clockwork . There are so many fabulous galleries , museums , studios etc it could take a life time . Photography [minus flash ] was permitted .Here you see Aphrodite , then the head of Nefertite and a truly ancient coffin . Could be used as a bath during ones life. Economical. There was glorious music in the Berliner Dom and outside a light show with the music broadcast to give extra effect . The shows went on all over the city until the early hours but at gone 1 am it was a very tired Miss V who stumbled into her bedroom after such a lot of 'cultural travel'

"12th IAAF World Championships Athletics Berlin 2009"

Last night was wonderful . Watching some of the worlds 'greatest' athletes in the Berlin Olympic Stadium was magical.

Here are two short videos . Not RTL standard, but they catch the atmosphere . One is a part of the 3000 metres Steeplechase won by EZEKIEL KEMBOI of Kenya . Fantastic to see. The other is of PHILLIPS IDOWU from Britain doing a lap of honour having won the Mens Triplejump . The stills show SANYA RICHARDS of the USA doing her lap of honour after creating a new world record for the Women's 400metres and an ecstatic STEFFI NERIUS for Germany .She is now the world champion for Women's javelin throw .

Then last but not least you see Berlino ,the mascot ,who one could safely say , is a winner every day.

Frankfurt Oder and Back to Berlin.

On Sunday I travelled to Frankfurt Oder with bike and the train . On arrival the temperature was 31°c and shade where ever possible , a must . The top row shows the German side of the Oder , with food as usual, served in vast quantities .Note , not only was it impossible to finish my lovely meal at the Ratskellar , it was mission impossible for this icecreamholic to even consider 30 scoops plus cream etc . The centre row shows Slubice in Poland and Frankfurt Oder viewed from there . On the return journey the train was packed with cycles giving one the impression of being in travelling cycle store . As some landmarks of Berlin came into view it felt good .. there would be a shower, a coffee , not to mention a chance to throw off all clothes and relax . Paradise .

Daramsala --- Berlin.

On the 17th August 2007 a very special armband was lost in Leipzig.( see the post for that date )

This led to my knowing a really exceptional young lady in Daramsala. We became regular email contacts then, actually met for the first time this summer in Frankfurt. Later she and her colleague were able to visit Berlin and stay with me. Action packed is an understatement and it was a very tearful farewell when we said goodbye . They gave me these beautiful gifts as a token of their friendship. The workmanship is astonishing and all is done by hand . I had stayed with a friend in Frankfurt and they too were presented with a gift . Should you ever require a special gift then go to http://www.norbulingka.org/ Online ordering is possible.

As we stood on the railway platform , each of my visitors took out the finest woven white scarf. These were placed around my neck and loosely tied . This it seems is how Tibetans say goodbye and thank you . I shall never forget the effect of that simple yet graceful custom . Now one question , "how do I say thank you to that hornet ?" Without him or her I may never have known such amazing people . Quite a thought .

The Dalai Lama in Frankfurt 2009

Last Tuesday I arrived late at night in Darmstadt . For those who haven’t a clue where this is, let me put you in the picture .It’s a small town /city outside Frankfurt am Main ..not far from Heidelberg and very close to what is known as Burg Frankenstein Castle. Yes you have read that correctly.
A Buddhist I’m not ,but it’s a faith which I respect . In my opinion HH the Dalai Lama is the worlds greatest spiritual leader, his respect being equal for all humans and all beliefs. Furthermore he is one who speaks truth seasoned with a lot of common sense. Something seldom experienced these days.
Thus when a good acquaintance said that I was welcome to stay with them for the duration of this huge event staged in the Frankfurt Commerz Arena , I accepted their hospitality. Why ?
I have a Tibetan contact . Like so many she lives in exile and works at the Norbulingka Institute. [see links Tibetans in exile ] Via the wonders of cyberspace we are best described as email friends .She and a colleague came all the way from India, hence cyber became reality and I was able to help them.
The weather was scorching and extremely humid but meeting up and working together proved terrific fun. We had lots of laughs , I met many interesting people. In the Asian exhibition virtually all countries were represented .
My day was not as long as my friends and it was a very exhausted Miss V who almost ‘fell off the train ‘ in Darmstadt each night .
Am I glad that I went ? YES , YES a thousand times YES but for now it’s back home and prepare to be their hostess and tour guide for a few days in the magic capital of Germany --- Berlin.

Note) I choose to live in Germany . My home country was not invaded and taken over. If you are reading this I hope the same can be said for you .
Yet to this date over 6 million Tibetans live under a Chinese dictatorship in their own country which is Tibet not China . Not only is their culture and language being eradicated , they are marginalized and minus freedom to worship .
The UN says nothing ,does nothing and why … because money is the God most revere and crossing the Chinese could result in lost contracts. “ So what... do we really need Chinese rubbish goods ?” Most of all can we really stand by and watch a dictatorship abusing human rights without saying a word ? UN representatives , EU members of parliament , indeed all politicians are working for us . They are well paid so let’s see them earn their money.

FREE TIBET .

Let me leave you with a wonderful quotation from HH Dalai Lama . True for all and in light of the new greed for wealth , even more so.
"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."
Dalai Lama.

History and Corrupt Politicians

I like to think my lack of posting in recent weeks is due to a hectic social schedule . Truth be known a cocktail of inertia plus a mind elsewhere is the reason.
All the ghastly political events flooding the media have merely had the effect of stifling my rebellious nature [ is this a cunning ploy to dampen the likes of Ms V ] . Today shortly before leaving for Frankfurt I read that the British government have quietly awarded them selves a nine thousand pound annual claims allowance plus other fringe benefits . Brown, who spoke of cleaning politics up .. Oh my they are still as dirty as the colour of his name …. And we all know what smells and is brown . Yet 'Pox a la Politica' is more virulent than swine flu .
Yesterday Ulla Schmidt of the German government explained in terms befitting only a politician that the use of her tax paid for ministerial car for private holiday travel to Spain was actually cheaper than her renting one ! For whom Frau Schmidt ? The car by the way has been stolen . I do so hope by a German tax payer.
Meanwhile at my own expense I’ve been for a long weekend in Bavaria. The weather was wonderful with scenery to match . If you ever get the chance , try to visit this part of Germany . It's majestic ..Most of us are ignorant of German history … brainwashed by the Daily Mail re WW1 and WW2 the masses are led to believe that is all there is to Deutschland .
Reader there is so much more to this country . Relatively young compared to other countries it once had several kings . One being Ludwig 11nd of Bavaria . This artistic , sensitive individual was well and truly set up by politicians who had him declared insane .Minus any examination.
A few days later he was found dead in a lake . Read about him on line .
My point ? Politicians are the dangerous ones , with two things in mind a) money and b) power.. In UK we have prime specimens , smooth as silk , the only thing they are economical with is the truth . History does repeat itself .See MP's expenses !
Later I will add some photographs of Schwangau .
Until the next time , Miss Vixen is recovering her powers of rebellion .

Carousel Fun

Recently all of Europe has been experiencing hot and humid weather.Yet my weekend in Berlin wasn't spoiled by such . Friday night was perfect for a late, out door dinner on the terrace . Then on Saturday after a leisurely but luxurious breakfast , out on cycles throughout the city , stopping to quench our thirst in any number of places. A visit to the New National Gallery was a must, to see the latest exhibition . Timing was excellent as the heavens opened in a vain attempt to cool the city . This current exhibition entitled :- 'Picture Dreams', Ulla and Heiner Pietzsch Collection ,is on until the 22 th November and merits a visit .The works are pretty wonderful . Above you see a part of one . This was taken on a hoarding in the city and shows half the work . So much exercise had worked up an appetite and Winterfeld Platz was the next stop at what must be the most curious yet amazing eatery ever... IXTHYS. The owners are Korean , and all walls are decorated with hand written portions of the Bible . There are only none alcoholic drinks but the food is sensational and not expensive . I had the BiBam Bob a fantastic dish of spicy rice, meat , vegetables, served with an egg on the top .This you mash thoroughly then add hot sauce to taste. Eaten with Kim Chi ,it's a dish to savour .

So as you'll see it's been a round and about weekend .Even more so if you watch the little video . Right in the centre of Breitscheid Platz was a carousel .At 2 euro a ride ,I was off my bike and on there .One whirling Ms V reverted to age 6 years. Why not ? Each passing year adds 1 to our age but this doesn't have to destroy the child within..Can you spot me ? For sure you'll hear.

Bergman Strasse Festival

It started on Friday and finished today. Held in Kreuzberg it's a pretty lively event .There were four stages . Two for music and two for theatre and dance .With so much on offer and good weather , the place was packed .Food was fabulous and so varied it made choosing difficult . The collage is to give you an idea . Here , not only do you see you see a gypsy style jazz group and nose flute band but Phil Bates of ELO fame . This year he brought his daughter Rosie and she sang a couple of songs accompanied by her father . It was a nice touch which all enjoyed. Phil Bates is a fabulous musician with a great personality . Seems he is playing at the Potsdam Festival the weekend of my birthday so what a present that will be ! As usual , due to the impressive architecture ,there were those with had a real birds eye view. Finally this tiny video would have been longer but ,having lost sight of a friend I quit filming due to panic ! Where were they ? Right behind me .

Summer Solstice In Berlin

The longest day was fun and here you see BVFL taking it easy in the city waiting for a drink to be served.
I'll add a collage of images then tomorrow do my best to create a movie for YouTube re the Iranian protest held today. As you'll note the placards , symbolism and photographs speak for themselves . It was an ordered demonstration minus violence . I had hoped to spend the early hours up on Teufelsberg and watch the sun rise on this magical mystical day then enjoy a solstice breakfast. However the best solstice breakie requires a very special spoon but this was 'stuck in a drawer' . Later whilst cycling down the Heerstrasse I met my physiotherapist . He and his wife had been to a Solstice breakfast at the television tower . They had to be there for 4am and it cost forty euro per head .As he said , worth it for a once in year event , but still feel my T Berg notion had the edge .

All Things Bright and ----?

This little collage shows some of the rather unusual things I've seen in the last twenty four hours . The young man is a phenomenal drum player with' Otto Hamborg Viertakter.' At last nights gig he was wearing this spectacular TShirt [a present from a fellow drummer in US ] I loved the message . Next ,-- how about the orchids .These were spotted at Innsbrucker Platz today at a florist's shop by the SBahn . I found their beauty simply breathtaking . The two shots of fish were taken in my favourite food shop, Rogacki , Wilmersdorfer Strasse . Bottom left is a Sea Devil and behind a really red fish poking it's tongue out ! Top right I just couldn't resist .Hardly the Eye of the Tiger though.Then finally a box depicting a camcorder . Yes at last I've done it . This is my brand new Toshiba Gigashot 80 GB model .It arrived today . Off now to fathom it out and hope all works . YouTube here I come .

Fete de la Musique Berlin.

If you really want a great time and music is your thing ,then why not try Berlin this weekend where each year the Fete de la Musique marks the beginning of summer.
Throughout the city are 60 stages all staging a variety of music ( FREE ) .
You name it , you'll find it , every single genre ! Make any iPod freak go wild .
Berlin's Fête de la Musique celebrates the beginning of summer with an amazing variety of live concerts on around 60 stages throughout the city. All music genres are well represented, including world music and jazz, and just in case you missed it , all performances are free.
During the day you can have a terrific time and then at night off to the nightclubs where more performances continue until the early hours .
After that ,what better way to welcome summer yet again , than with an early morning dip at one of the many open air pools .... or ,if a recovery 'sleep in' is called for , no probs as the baths stay open even later at night in Summer .
Have fun ----------

Its Been Fourteen Days and Hours Galore

It's been fourteen days and hours galore, since I last posted here . Fourteen days of news following [that slug Blair having emerged again to play Saint Stir It---yuk]. However even with this and on top of the usual work items , routine chores plus appointments I've managed some pretty interesting times.Last weekend there was the Savigny Platz 2nd Jazz Festival where very mixed weather proved acceptable as the groups were terrific . Then Tuesday the 9th , off to Bristol for an appointment the following day in Cheltenham . Easy Jet proved remarkably good . Just a pity that Schönefeld Airport is such a terrible place . As usual I had the great fortune to meet some wonderful people .Back late in Berlin on the evening of the 10th I had a friend to stay. We managed to pack in stork watching at Malchow , a trip to the Theatre to see the Mel Brooks musical 'The Producers' and, yesterday ,the 47th Deutsch-Französiches Volksfest. [This gets better and better for me as more wild rides are added.] Last night there were fireworks as well. So, if you are to be in Berlin this month or July ,I can recommend the latter three . Note too that the weekend of June 28th is Bergman Strasse Jazz Festival . On this note , I'll close and leave you with these few pictures plus videos ..

Pictures From The Jazz Marathon .

Some are absolutely fabulous . Yes ,I mean the NIGHTCROWD BLUESBAND .
My camera could not do justice to their music and as you'll see I had problems enough due to the sun . So go to their site . It's well worth it and you can hear some of their great sound . http://www.nightcrowdbluesband.be/

Pictures of a few of the groups I saw .. Jazz is rather like literature ,it has very many varieties . Some fair , some middling , some ------ [see the top collage ]

This guy is a regular in as much as he plays his guitar in the streets of Brussels. To sit and watch him was a joy . Fortunately as there was no amplification the little cam picked it up reasonably ..

A Taste Of Brussels

For me , May ended and June began in Brussels . A city which never ceases to amaze. The Jazz Marathon 2009 began on Friday the 29th May and offered a wide range of music at various venues and , all free. As ever, tops for myself and countless others were the Nightcrowd Blues Band .Pictures to follow in another post .
Whilst still 'recovering' from a great time here are two items to give you a taste of Brussels . For believe me when it comes to food and drink the Belgians know a thing or two .As for the little video made in the souvenir area , kitsch but I couldn't resist. Who knows maybe it will get some of you planning for 2010.