Some things we've been enjoying recently include:
1) Bicycles: Berlin has been great (or better than my experience in the US) about creating bike lanes, bike paths, bike parking, and bike rentals for its residents. The mayor of Berlin, also, in his welcome letter to new residents encourages people to bike and take public transit. Bike Rental Program through Deutsche Bahn, the transit rail company here in Berlin:
At the Prater Biergarten....along with plenty of space to park bicycles. We come to the Biergarten for Rostbratwurst and of course, Bier.
2) Green Space:
There seems to be a concerted effort to create green space in the midst of city life here in Berlin. It is actually difficult for us to walk more than a few blocks without finding a park...either a playground, park, or sports field. I especially like that there are ping pong tables throughout the city and trampolines and chess tables can be found intermittently.
During our weekly small group, we have often sat by riversides while reading together:
At a park near my school...
There are ping pong tables everywhere around the city and Lisa and I have already purchased paddles and played some games.
Trampolines built into the pavement in a park...
Overlooking the Park:
3) Culture:
Saturdays Lisa and I have visited several museums including the DDR Museum, the Pergamon Museum, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer's house (actually his parents' retirement house but where Bonhoeffer would visit frequently and wrote his incomplete Ethics...more on that visit in a later post).
Pictures from the Pergamon Museum holding The Ishtar Gate, the Pergamon Altar, among other antiquities from Babylon, Greece, Rome, and other ancient civilizations.
4) Church...with a strong sense of history
Lisa and I have recently attended a Lutheran church in the neighborhood. The pastor preaches Jesus, there is liturgy and an observance of the liturgical calendar, and a connection with other believers, past and present; it feels comforting to sing hymns that were written in the 16th, 17th, and 18th century and that Christians have been singing for hundreds of years.
5) We never know what we'll come across walking or biking around the city...
2 comments:
Built in trampolines! My boys would LOVE that. I enjoy reading your updates about life in Berlin. It all sounds so relaxing. Why is it that other countries understand the importance of relaxation, while the U.S. is like one big ball of stress?
Thank you Melanie...what a great response! I agree that other countries do seem to focus better on relaxation- learning new things, walking/biking, riding the train, etc. that provides a slower and more relaxed perspective.
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