The Ravens of Roque de los Muchachos

No zoom needed . These wonderful birds just come right up to take food from you  .

Another Berlin Advent 2014

It's many a year since my first Christmas in Berlin and how well I remember the Europa Centre then .
It has remained a special place for me with  many happy memories . Never one to frequent shopping malls this is something different and not too big or crowded .
Each Christmas the decorations around the water clock are beautiful and themed. This year, as you see it's bears so very apt as Berlin's flag has a bear on it ....... Greetings to all .

Twenty Five Years Since The Fall Of The Berlin Wall

There was much to see but I decided to focus on the memorial to those who died trying to escape and live in the west . I found it to be powerful through its astonishing 'no frills' simplicity .The carved heads all facing westwards made an impression . I recall that night  (9/11/ 1989) and the years before it . To live in a united Germany is pretty wonderful .The celebrations were excellent and the atmosphere one of joy .

Make A Splash ..Follow the Famous ?

The title is but a play on words though I did indeed make a splash and in  the same body of water ie )  Berlin's Landwehrkanal Berlin (as did two famous historical women) when I was well and truly dunked but lived. Study the famous :-)
Rosa Luxemburg , famous for her political beliefs, was murdered in January 1919 then dumped in this canal only to be found in the June of that year. The following year Anna 'Anastasia' Anderson attempted suicide by jumping in these waters.She did not succeed in killing herself .
Then fast forward to 2014, October 3rd and Helena Mikas was well and truly dunked on getting out of a kayak ( a happening which can occur with this sport ) Unlike the others I'm neither famous or mysterious, nor was my immersion tragic. A shock, but actually very funny, plus a learning curve .
My late mother used to say my only claim lay in the fact that it seemed  I was "An accident waiting to happen "
For better or worse it took place on a very important historical date in the history of Berlin and I became a Berliner .                Life is never dull !

Fly The Flag With "BRITISH AIRWAYS"

TRY THIS  BRITISH AIRWAYS QUIZ 

My favourite airline posed this quiz today. I scored well.See how you manage and at the same time enjoy watching an airline in action that makes me very proud to be British. BA the best of Britain. 

Democracy In Action .

Unlike Germany where I live, UK did allow overseas European citizens living there ( all be it short term )  to vote in the Scottish YES / No ,vote .. May the fat cats of Brussels  take note next time they say how Britain  are the EU misfits .
Well what do I say to the result :-
GREAT, GREAT, GREAT BRITAIN lives to show democracy in action. A well run vote. No need for supervisors from outside sources .Yes I am proud to be British. Gordon Brown has shown us we do have a great statesman in him . The Labour party could do well to reconsider .
For now though let life settle down , no more division tactics by power seekers backed by the like of Murdoch.
I  had my celebration with an ice cream whilst wearing  the Red White and Blue !
Britain is a Union and as such stood firm during two World Wars. Britain never capitulated .We are not a number one power in the world and have no wish to be but rank high when it comes to fair play.
Pictured below the Union Flag and my celebration ice. Strawberry,Coconut, Blueberry , topped with Chocolate , cream and lots of red cherries . The dark brown chocolate is for Gordon Brown.

Scottish Vote ..How Valid ?

The vote for Scottish Independence draws near so I ask how valid will it be . 
Throughout the length and breadth of Great Britain there are numerous asylum seekers, European workers, Commonwealth citizens, plus students from overseas. These people will be allowed to vote and I ask 'why' ? 
Here in Germany , France etc are Scottish citizens who are never allowed to vote in such an event within Europe and are excluded from this forthcoming event in their home country.
I am not against the vote , so long as it is correctly administered .
a) all should hold a valid British Passport .
b) all should be Scottish .
c) all should speak and read the language .
Any not conforming to this criteria should be excluded .When Berlin voted on the future of Tempelhof Airport only German passport holders were allowed to vote, Note, to have a German passport you must speak German and pass a test about Germany.
Take note Britain on who votes and what their credentials are .

Voltaire A Man Of Vision.

"Let us read and let us dance - two amusements  that will never do any harm to the world"

Voltaire 1694-1778

If all those currently busy killing , bombing and generally behaving in a manner worthy only of mindless louts were to start actually enriching life by at the very least the above two named pursuits,what a wonderful world we may have for all .

Perigee Moon ,Berlin = 'Over The Moon'

After weeks of clear blue sky I wasn't surprised that on August 10th we had cloud building up.
Even so I managed to get this short video of the Perigee Moon as it rose in the sky.
Imagine my joy when on scanning the clips there, captured by my Lumix TZ31, a jet plane flying over the face of this fantastic phenomenon.!  It comes in around 0:44.
As a lover of aviation photography and the moon it is true to say I was 'Over The Moon '.

A Birthday Made Even Happier By The German Team !

What a birthday week I've had ...On the 10th I celebrated my entry to this world .
On the 13th there was a very special celebration birthday breakfast at the Hilton Berlin.
In the evening of the 13th it was wonderful to join with millions and watch Germany win the World Cup 2014. A well deserved victory.
Today, July 15th it was off very early to watch this great  team return to the city by filming their arrival   at  Tegel Airport .
It was a breath taking event with the super Lufthansa 747 receiving a water salute. Germany had played well , played clean and shown that teamwork wins the day . In a world where so much it as gloom, here was a joyful event to mark .

Love Means Nothing - Read On

There are those who think that love is over rated and something for teenagers. 

Then there are those who have other ideas ...Love sustains us and makes life what it is .

I came across this quotation today and wish to share it . Apt as  it has a link to Wimbledon.


"Love means nothing in tennis, but it's everything in life."

Author Unknown

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I'm no teenager and find the above superb. Now to Erica Jong's words.. 

She has a way of being spot on.  What do you think ?  

Here are her thoughts on the theme. of love  :-)

"Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it's cracked up to be. That's why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don't risk anything, you risk even more." --

Erica Jong.

Support Registered European Taxi Drivers

I caught the tail end and am glad I managed it .Basically European , registered taxi drivers who know their job,believe me I've seen what they have to learn ... are under threat from an IT firm based in US  (where else ) This company has designed an App which by passes the system here ... Today Taxi drivers in Berlin , London and Paris  united in a show of solidarity and I for one support them .
They do a great job , and not for a fortune, are extremely honest and abide by the laws . Twice I have come across , none registered and have left the cab at my request .  The best tariff is that where a driver knows his stuff and takes you from A to B in the quickest time . He needs to know a city for this .
Also one who takes you irrespective of how short your journey is ... Good luck to all the men and women who put on a grand, united parade today . May we all unite and support them .
* seems a lot of support is with the men and women who drive a taxi here .Odd thing is the comments I've had on my YT upload are not showing ..Is this yet another Ap .Little would surprise me.  

India Not A Country To Visit .

I have visited India but have no wish to return .It was squalid enough in 2002. Now it is both squalid and sordid. It does not  deserve the income generated by tourists. Why ?
Because  females are at more and more at risk in this country where women count for little. Cases of gang rape are on the increase and when I read that this week two girls have hung themselves after being gang raped I was sickened and moved to write this. If you have a mother, sister , niece then the well being of women should interest you and flagrant abuse of women should concern you .
After the death in 2012 of a young lady, gang raped whilst on a moving bus, the Indian government introduced a law to use the death penalty for those found guilty of gang rape.
However, only last month Mulayam Singh Yadav  head of the governing party of Uttar Pradesh spoke out at an election rally against this law saying, " Boys will be boys. They make mistakes "
Interesting that he is also the father of the state's chief minister !
The two girls who died this week came from Uttar Pradesh. Among those arrested so far  are two policemen. This is unspeakable and one can only wonder at such a mentality and the senseless words of Mulayam Singh Yadav who if not condoning such vile acts, sees fit to tolerate them .
India is a very wealthy country yet 1.25 billion have no access to a toilet . It can find endless funding for atomic weapons whilst ignoring basics and decency. When a cow receives greater respect than these young girls did, something is amiss .
I see no help from the UN or EU so ask that we the thinking public , vote with our wallet .
No to holidays in India .No to any goods made there . and so on until such time as laws are implemented and carried out .
You can contact your MP . Make your feelings known in writing to the Indian Embassy .
This is 2014 and all humans male and female  , should be treated equally .

Thought For The Week

                                                                                                                                                                            

Life lived for tomorrow will always be just a 

day away from being realised.



 Leo Buscaglia ( Author 1924..1998 )

Visual Memo For the Day .

Spotted this week in a shop window on Tauentzien Straße. a  visual memo of three rather important aspects of life .  Beats any of the corruption, violence and  warmongering the media try to feed us with each day .

A Flying Visit .

The video shows I'm still hanging on in there and with Air Berlin , all things are possible .
It was a great journey out and back.Terrific ground service at both airports.The journey to the hospital was both scenic and interesting. All the way home I was able to 'moon watch' from my seat. Once indoors, straight to the balcony plus a tripod and do you know, I'm sure the man in the moon smiled for the camera .

Fantasy and Reality

The top image was taken this year by a rather remarkable man one Constantine Gerloch at the Berlin Bike Show.Well thought it's all clever stuff .The bike was mounted on special blocks yet I could pedal it and after Sommerfeld Hospital this was possible. Terrific fun. Fast forward and a few lessons learnt, main one , patience. After Sommerfeld my regular physiotherapist was booked solid until May. Keen to continue I went to a practice where some rather heavy handed treatment set me way back ,negating lots of good work, Sunday I managed a short ride on "Fred ", if that is , one legged pedalling counts .For now and some time to come it will have to .... Back next week at my regular physio practice where the hands are safe and able to diagnose damage. 

The Overlooked Message .

Today whilst out in the city I called in at Mode and Sparen , a small boutique in the Kant Strasse . Here one can find fashion, new and excellent second hand . Books , porcelain etc. The staff are exceptional and a coffee is always offered,and in my case, accepted . The above T-Shirt was spotted and I had to photograph the message .You may wonder why.
Read the colourful print and then think of the current state of the world .
When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 signalling the end of the cold war, our future promised the above. Next take a look at a map of the world and note how many trouble spots and conflict zones there are . Terrorism is on the increase and another cold war looks set to become a reality . To those who laughed at hippies and peace activists I want to say the above is my hope this Easter. Our world has billions of ordinary people and this global peace is their wish. Behind the scenes are the politicians, no longer statesmen and women , but rather power hungry individuals who are the puppets of  very powerful , never seen , never named heads of huge weapons industries . The above message is not to their liking . Take note:-) the very politicians who are busy tut tutting are aware that big business is selling weapons to all sides, often in the knowledge that children will be using them .
Have a peaceful Easter and,as it is the festival of hope and new life, let's each do our best to say "no" to all the lucrative conflicts. Begin by writing to your MP , European MP etc etc. Flood them with letters saying no to any more war .

The Missing Month Of March

At the end of February it was into hospital for me and I didn't come home until March 13th .As lovely as the setting of Sommerfeld Klinik is it was sensational to be back in the city. The shows , exhibitions and general buzz proved a tonic.Above you see visits to two cycle shows. Both were motivational and inspiring. An electric bike is my wish but first a suitable secure parking spot must be located . This Penny Farthing seen below is wonderful but some thing tells me it would be extremely risky to ride.

Photography, Physiotherapy ,Planes

It's almost a year since my first accident and the motivation to get moving and rebuild  wasted muscles has come mainly through photography. Especially planes .
It's not far to the airport and amazing fun trying out the locations used by the regular spotters. Climbing up required help as did getting down but wow did it feel good  !
In my eyes, not only are planes beautiful  they are motivators. British Airways , Air Berlin, here I come .

How to Chill Out In An Easterly Wind

Until recently the winter weather has been mild .However like all things it changed as winds from the East and North East blew in cutting at your skin like glass..
Dressed appropriately it was pleasant and the white covering of the city was beautiful. My favourite is the ice with such astonishing patterns in it. Last weekend I was out and about and can honestly say it was great. Enjoy some of the chilly shots. 

Rügen - A Place To Start The Year .

The break here was exceptional . Flights to Spain , Portugal etc were at premium price as were the hotels and availabilty was poor. Then I found this wonderful gem with the Lindner Hotel Rügen. A winner in every way and as the offer is open until March I may just return, That's how good it was ! Wonderful weather too . 

Flying The Flag British Airways Style

Back filming at Tegel Airport was wonderful. Watching a BA London/Berlin flight arrive even better. There were other good shots, these follow later. For now I choose to join British Airways in "Flying The Flag ".

A Thought For Every Day .

True happiness is to enjoy the present without anxious dependance upon the future .

Lucius  Annaeus   Seneca