So Nice To Come Home To

Yesterday I called in 'The House Of A 100 Beers for my lunch' . Half a roast duck plus veg and dumplings . Choosing what to drink was a problem for one who isn't a real fan of beer. Then I spottted an English Stout made with Oatmeal and it sounded so good I decided to fly the flag and bring out my English side with pride. A fantastic choice. Dark as can be with a ruby red rim it had a head on it which was beautiful. Almost too good to drink . Then followed an idea .. Buy some ,take home , combine with very ripe bananas to make the ultimate in a smoothie . It was made and left to chill in the fridge .What a night cap to come home to ! It brought to mind two songs one of which was sung at the Jazz Club I'd been to . ie The Man I Love and You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To .
The man is Samuel Smith who was responsible for this incredible stout and yes, it was excellent to come home to.

note ) serious beer drinkers , especially Guinness fans may say 'The Lady is A Tramp' for such sacrilege.
I make no apologies

Berlin, Bahn ,Bikes and Binz

Saturday 22nd October and rather than have that extra hour in bed, I got up at 4:40am .Left the flat at 5:45am and was at Berlin Hauptbahnhof for 6:10 am . The reason being I wanted to try my Dahon folding bike out. ie ) Get to the station, buy a coffee, then start to fold the bike. Done in no time .I can only say that it's a pity that a trek to the seaside from here takes so long . Four hours to be exact . Yet it gave me several good photo opportunities and at the other end a long bike ride ,not to mention getting lost in a forest .The little Red Riding character is not me . Binz is Binz . Sorry Germany you cant do seaside as well as Scotland and Ireland. (Dont despair few can) .They have the gold medal for majestic natural structures, fine beaches and that X factor. Never the less I had fun, lots of food and am now planning the next trip plus bike.The D Bahn remains as ever , brilliant. Now that does deserve a gold medal.

The Kudamm Shines In the Festival Of Lights.

A very short film of a night to remember .Out on my bike and down to the Kudamm only to find that the police had made sure tonight belonged to us .ie ) the pedestrians and cyclists. We were free to walk, wander, wonder and film just as we wished .No traffic was allowed .I met some terrific like minded people .We took pictures of one another , for each other and swapped notes. My movies will take some time to edit in iMovie so here's hoping ....As usual the organization and constant clearing up proved impressive .The streets always shine here .

Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ10 Brings You More

One more to go and that will be on the move . I had considered attempting all 80 spots but , since some appear not worth it they are off my list ... plus , where building works make the filming ultra difficult the same applies .Believe me there is a great deal of building all over this city .I've climbed up ,balanced and sprawled out on the pavement in order to get shots .It's been fun though ......

Going Up In The World .

Illuminations give us pleasure and for some strange reason so do viewing towers from which,almost like giants we can observe our surroundings from a different perspective. Here is my offering regarding Rauen and the new viewing or obervation tower which has been erected . The eastern part of Germany is rather flat but here we have some 'hilly spots '. This 40 meter structure is ideally situated among huge forests. Well worth a visit for excellent views , fresh air ,exercise .Try to take your binoculars .Then you will be doubly amazed.

The Festival Of Lights Berlin 2011.

On the 12th at 19:30 the powers that be pressed the red switch and whoosh , 80 sites throughout the city were graduallly illuminated .I watched the action at Potsdammer Platz from afar,then traveled down to the Brandenburg Gate making snippets of film.

Over the next 10 days the plan is to travel the city ,by bike , plus tripod and camera in an attempt to capture all 80 . Reality may prove something else . Variables such as weather will play a role .However ,between 7 pm and midnight each day the city will be a blaze of colour come wind , rain or whatever .

Pumpkins For Colourful Cookery .

Whilst riding my bike last week what should I see but this astonishing display of pumpkins etc . The autumnal colours are superb and I was soon parked up to investigate( the beauty of a bike ). This collage illustrates the diversity and the display creativity of the vendors . So many items later I came away . Below are the purchases .

Top left) somewhat larger than a garlic bulb . It's for peeling , grating and adding to a salad. Top right) again a variety for peeling , grating and adding to salad.

Bottom left) Remove top .Then bake . Scoop out the seeds . Fill with meat or cheese and bake a little longer . Bottom right ) These are really different . One must prick all over . then bake as for baked potatoes . Cut in half , remove the seeds. Scoop out the flesh , mix with cheese etc , replace and place under the grill for a few minutes .

German Unity , History and Sightseeing

Tomorrow is the big day .However today was great thanks to a visitor .We did the city on bikes and took in a lot.Here's a documentation of some of the best German history has to offer. Believe me this country does have a greater history, mainly cultural and it deserves to be aired . A book to be recommended for this is :-

The German Genius by Peter Watson............