Author: auntyuta

Auntie, Sister. Grandmother, Great-Grandmother, Mother and Wife of German Descent I've lived in Australia since 1959 together with my husband Peter. We have four children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. I started blogging because I wanted to publish some of my childhood memories. I am blogging now also some of my other memories. I like to publish some photos too as well as a little bit of a diary from the present time. Occasionally I publish a story with a bit of fiction in it. Peter, my husband, is publishing some of his stories under berlioz1935.wordpress.com

The most recent Excursions

A street in Altstadt Spandau

Wow, what an underground station!

: This underground station was our destination

From Spandau we went by bus to remote rural like Staaken for a family visit. This is at the furthest edge of Berlin.

Last night we strolled through the city center to get a glimpse of the Festival of Lights.

DSCN4525 — This is one of the pictures Peter took last night

We went to the Jewish Museum today. I’ll write a blog about it some other time.

DSCN4520 — Is he so huge or am I so little?

Still Sunday

My brother and his wife came to see us today. They showed us pictures from the family meeting near Stuttgart. One of our cousins turned 70. For the birthday celebrations 48 family members had turned up. I had to guess who the older family members were. Some actually looked familiar to me even though I hadn’t seen them for a long time. The younger generation of course looked totally unfamiliar to me.

We went for lunch to the close by Italian restaurant at Hansaplatz. Later we had coffee at cafe Buchwald where we had some lovely cake called ‘Baumkuchen’ because the inside of the cake looks like the inside of a tree trunk. Our guests talked about a movie they had seen only yesterday. The movie is called ‘The Wall’ with MARTINA GEDECK. This is the movie we had recently seen also. I believe overall my brother kind of liked the movie too, however he would have preferred a bit more realism. His wife thought the surrealism was borderline for her. A bit more of it and she would have felt like walking out. However they both granted that it was wonderful photography and great acting by Martina Gedeck.

At church this morning the theme was: Thanksgiving. I was surprised that ‘Thanksgiving’ is celebrated already in October. There was an organ player playing songs which I didn’t know at all. The whole order of the Mass was different from what I am used to in Australia. Well, it was Catholic, wasn’t it? How come it didn’t feel the same as in Australia. I really don’t know what the difference is.

DIGITAL CAMERA — This is the church I went to this morning

I love listening to the church bells ringing.

As I said before, Berlin has many, many very well kept park areas. What is also very noticeable are the many spots where some kind of building is going on. Just in the area where we are staying plenty of public work near the streets and foot paths is going on of which I took some pictures.

These rocks are being used near footpaths

Last week we saw an interesting play in the Jewish Theater. I’m going to write about this some other time.

Start of the sixth Week

There’s a lot of space in between all the highrise apartment buildings in Hansaviertel. These buildings date from the 1950s.

Dolls like this seem to be very popular at harvest time (autumn)

This week we saw two beautiful movies, both set in Austria. One was a light entertainment TV movie, the other we saw in a huge old fashioned cinema. The main character was played by Martina Gedeck. She’s such a good actress. You had the feeling she lived her role. Really unforgettable. Supreme photography of a very remote Austrian country site high up in the mountains. Excellent music selection for this type of movie.

We met an old friend of Peter’s. They used to be colleagues in the 1950s! He joined us in a trip to ‘Schloss’ Paretz.

Glienicker Brücke

Glienicker Brücke is the bridge that used to divide East and West. Yesterday we did a little excursion to this bridge. Here now are a few of the pictures I took yesterday with Peter on and near the bridge.

The Funeral

DSCN4327 — It is a large Cemetery with lots and lots of grave sites

DSCN4319 — The Entrance to the Cemetery

Inside the Chapel where the Funeral Service for my Cousin took place.

My Cousin’s Urn was buried right next to where her Husband’s Urn was

DSCN4323 — The Entrance to the Cemetery

Inside the Chapel where the Funeral Service for my Cousin took place.

My Cousin’s Urn was buried right next to where her Husband’s Urn was

Frau Pastor gave a beautiful speech about my cousin’s life near the urn-grave.

DSCN4337 — My Cousin’s Family invited neighbors and friends to this lovely Restaurant where we had a well cooked meal and could talk to everyone after the Funeral. Close to twenty People were present.

DSCN4334 — The Entrance to the Restaurant

DSCN4339 — Some of the Decorations of this Bavarian Restaurant

Saturday of the fourth Week

Today is already the last day of the fourth week of our stay in Germany. The week started with Sunday when we went with Angie on a beautiful boat-tour through the city. The following day (Monday, 1st October), we met Angie at Bellevue-S-Bahn-Station and had morning coffee with her at Thürmann Baker’s Cafe at Hansaplatz U-Bahn-Station. There’s a Post Office at Hansaplatz from where Angie sent off a parcel to one of her sisters. The weather was very pleasant again. Just right for a lovely walk through Tiergarten towards the Victory Column. Angie enjoyed this walk with us. Later on we met Ilse and Finn at the Italian Restaurant close to Hansaplatz, where the five of us had a very satisfying lunch again outside in the garden area.

Afternoon coffee and cake we had upstairs in our little apartment. Angie had booked in at the newly opened Holiday Inn at Alexanderplatz. She left on Tuesday to fly back to America. Peter and I went to Prenzlauer Berg on Tuesday and had dumplings at a restaurant near Rosenthalerplatz.

Wednesday it was time to travel ‘Criss-Cross-Through-the-Cauntry’ to Munich for my cousin’s Urn-Burial on Thursday. On Friday we travelled back to Berlin. Travelling time was about nine hours. We just had to change trains frequently. That way we were able to travel at a much reduced price. For the two nights in Munich we stayed with my cousin’s family. We love this family. They are such friendly people. Even though it was a very sad occasion to meet them, we still had a good time with them.

So far we’ve had always friendly weather during our stay in Germany. Today is the first day where it is quite cold, wet and dark outside.

Now we’re looking forward to the start of our fifth week in Germany. What is it going to bring to us?

Sickness

Yesterday afternoon I was not just exhausted but sick, truly sick. No idea what brought on this feeling of nausea, these terrible cramps in the bowels – – – No idea at all. Unless it had something to do with what I had been eating. This morning I still feel a bit weak and sleepy. At my age this can mean anything – – – I plan on taking a shower at one o’clock (pm) and then get dressed for our meeting at Ilse’s place. Peter wants to arrive at Ilse’s a bit before 3pm; that means we’ll leave the house at 2pm to go and catch the underground to Scharnweberstrasse.

I’m looking forward to meet Angie who arrived from Florida on Thursday already. Angie’s sister Monica unfortunately had to cancel her visit. Later on we’re going to have dinner at Daniel’s Restaurant with all of Ilse’s close family.
The Berlin Marathon is going to take place tomorrow. A lot of streets are cordoned off already. Will be difficult for Angie’s taxi to get through from Alexanderplatz.

Third Week in Berlin

Today just a few photos of our third week in Berlin.

Despite many people using public transport and going around on bikes, one can see lots of cars everywhere too.

DSCN3957 — 10 o’clock Sunday Mass at a close by Catholic Church

DSCN4111 — One of our visitors during the past week

DSCN4013 — Another dear visitor we know from Australia

DSCN4156 — Yesterday we met another dear friend

I am seventy-eight!

We left the gardens of the restaurant after an excellent lunch to have coffee and cake in our little apartment. We had been very lucky that it had still been warm enough to sit outside for our meal.