Bergmannstrasse & WM Both Winners !

What a weekend ! Great weather - fabulous football and from Friday to Sunday Bergmannstrasse Festival , where the best act of all was Phil Bates . When it comes to the music scene Britain scores big time.The collage gives a flavour , but for me the video of Phil Bates is tops . I've now got my work cut out to upload many of his numbers onto YouTube [ & with permission ] Kat Baloun gave a wonderful performance as did Los Reyes Del KO and so many more .

Berlin - London - Berlin

On Tuesday I flew to London with BA . The weather was fabulous as indeed was the city . Suffice to say it was my best visit ever in the capital . This collage is made up of shots showing some of the lovely architecture , food , and , of course the red white and blue much in evidence . On Wednesday it was fun watching the world cup on screen at Heathrow Terminal 5.
Once in flight the BA crew were good enough to find out the progress of the German game .At that stage 0-0 .We landed and cleared entry in time to go to the main hall where another screen kept all happy with the second half . A win to Germany and time for home .The big wheel of the Deutsche Französiche Volkesfest plus a full moon saying welcome back .
It felt good , very good indeed.
My eating out tips for London :-
For a delightful lunch try Orrery Epicerie at 55 ,Marylebone High Street tel 02076168000.
You can see two examples of their excellent food .
At night why not try Savoir Faire at 42 New Oxford Street .The Can Can Dancer represents this superb restaurant .tel 02074360707

Miss Vixen's Bike Gets It's Own Tattoo

Bike riding is very popular in Berlin and a much used mode of travel . Sadly cycle theft has become all too popular . Hence the Berlin Police have created many programmes to advise the public , deter thieves and aid tracing of stolen bikes . This week they are at various locations through out the city .Today it was Charlottenburg Station . From 12:00 noon to 18:00 hours they worked by coding bikes and , all for free. You simply turned up with passport or ID card , a service bill with your address and the bill for the cycle . I had shredded mine but was 'accepted' ... They had me for honest ! To see the queue was a strange sight. Other than supermarket checkouts,it's not a daily occurrence in this country .

A Weekend in Metz and Strasbourg

Last weekend I went to Metz and Strasbourg . Two cities which are French yet both have a German history and influence. The journey was pleasant and we soon reached Metz, a truly delightful place with great flair and atmosphere . On Saturday after a light breakfast off to the newly opened Pompidou Centre -- an astonishing structure housing much to experience. Metz is best described as a tiny French jewel set in a band of German gold . Take my word for it that a holiday here [however small] will never disappoint . On Sunday on to Strasbourg . It's some time since my last visit but this city is timeless. Steeped in history ,culture and style the links with Germany are very strong. It's beautiful and impressive. Should the weekly lottery ticket prove successful Strasbourg would be my ideal second home. The small movie made from stills gives you some idea and who knows it may tempt you to make a long weekend. Real video later . watch this space !

Helen Thomas . Punished for An Opinion .

Why should Helen Thomas resign over voicing her opinion( when asked mark you ) over the recent Israeli attacks and just why isn't her apology enough ?
See what I mean re Israel . They are always the aggrieved party , ( or so they believe ) ,never the aggressor . What a joke .
I don't see them saying sorry or backing down over the nine aid workers killed .
Nor are they allowing basic essential goods to be imported into Gaza .
Indeed they are ruthless and deny another people the right to life . Deja vu the Warsaw ghetto ?
It is a war crime to starve others out yet guess what , seemingly OK if it's Israel doing it . Shame on them . Helen you have said sorry and let that be .
To the Rabi who believes you should know your history, I say he too should know the commandments , especially :-
thou shalt not kill , thou shall not steal , thou shall not covet thy neighbours house , thou shall not bear false witness .........
It seems the Israeli faction will use anything as a smoke screen to shield their disgusting behaviour in Gaza and in International waters .

Question - Where is Blair ?

Where I wonder is a certain Mr Tony Blair ? He who couldn't wait to invade Iraq on trumped up charges over non existent weapons. He who delivered slick oily speeches informing one and all of his desire for freedom , democracy etc. How odd therefore, the same Blair ( Bliar ) take your pick of handle , as Peace Envoy for the Middle East ,is now ,silent as the graves created by his bombs on Iraq .
Israel openly and, in international waters ,commits more aggressive actions against humanitarian aid ships .Nine aid workers are killed , others injured and even more taken away by armed forces .The world is outraged .This is not 'hearsay' , this is seen and on record. Yet as ever the Israelis lie and are unrepentant. The world ,especially Germany dare not forget history , yet Israel is selective as it seeks to employ methods and tactics all too close to those used in Warsaw Poland during World War 2 . The UN,terrified of standing up to this nation of bullies is impotent and does nothing .Deja Vu the League Of Nations .
I'm proud to see that many British public took to the streets to voice their opinion and that the British government has promised nineteen million pounds in aid to Gaza . These people deserve it for their suffering is terrible .
I can but reiterate how disgusting that a race once horribly persecuted by the Nazis ,now dishes out the same barbaric, inhuman treatment to Palestinians whilst the world stands by .They did it in Lebanon . Israeli war crimes are way too many .
Footnote :- remove Blair from this post .It's a farce .

Picnic in Preußisches Park Wilmersdorf Berlin

On a hot summers day should you want to escape the city ,but haven't the time to travel far , then Preußiches Park in Wilmersdorf is just the spot. With it's 55,000qm , there is more than enough room for a flea market, large cafe .walk ways, , areas for sport and relaxation. Plus the Asian community of the city have made it a meeting point . Here they play badminton , cards , give massage , talk , and socialize . So should you ,with closed eyes, lean back and listen , you could be absolutely any where but a huge German city . Two really good pals ( seen here ) D & D ,telephoned and asked me to join them there . Joined later by three more ,one a former duck egg farmer in Thailand --- we ate our fill of some very unusual and delicious food . What struck me was how there were so many people , yet it didn't feel crowded and how friendly everybody was . A lesson there for all politicians .Leave people to enjoy their lives and peace is the reward. [By the way that's not Ms V attacking D . We are following orders of the other D who wanted such a mad shot ]

Summer In The City

Upon abdication of the ghastly Schimmel Palace I didn't just lose my title as Schimmel Königen , but a great deal of clothing . Until of late things have been too hectic to get around to replacement shopping plus I have to find items that are to my liking as opposed to 'will do'

Suffice to say the day's arrived as has summer .Here's a little collage showing just a few of my finds . One pair of summer boots , a pair of beautiful heeled sandles, a leisure dress , one little grey top ,ideal for cyling . The wonderful part being there was no need to trail all over the city . Joachim Friedrich Str /Westfälische Strasse had the lot . Mind you I can think of some who'd say a visit to the Brain Centre Berlin would have been more in keeping . Yes, that is a real place ... see attached shot .

All in all ,it was a marvellous afternoon .