Today is a happy day for several reasons. Number one on the list: I set my alarm for an early morning run and only hit the snooze button 5 times. No, I am not kidding you. And yes, I still feel pretty awesome about it.
It always helps me to put all my clothes out the night before, so that I just have to grab them, get dressed, and go. Even my tired self can manage that. (I just checked 3 times to make sure I wasn't wearing my pants inside out... it happens.)
I am still treating my knee with care (read this, Nick?! so much care!) and took it easy this morning. I did a loop of about 4 miles again and ran pretty even splits of about 9:10.
Part of today's run went along the stretch of the Kurfürstendamm that you already know - the one with all the fancy shops and people. I just love to run down that road and, again, it did not disappoint. I even managed to do a little de-tour through a park close to the city hall of Charlottenburg.
Once my allergies don't turn me into a nose-running, blind mess anymore, I will take this run again and tell you more about this park. Right now, I only know that there is a plant, which grows there that is trying to kill me.
Of course, I had to take the elevator up again. Safety first.
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| Because you really need to see another close-up of my sweaty face. You are very welcome. |
But the fun didn't end there! After stretching and shower, Lucy and I went to the bakery to pick out the most delicious rolls that were ever made, because Nick and I had a breakfast date with my parents!
If you have been following the past few days: my parents are in town for the week and I am forcing them to spend as much time with me as possible.
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| Berlin light rail stop in Mahlow |
We took the train out to Mahlow, where they are vacationing with the fanciest camper anyone has ever seen. It has a bigger fridge than the one in our apartment. No joke.
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| Me and my lovely parents. Please excuse the weird hair. Mine. Not theirs. I really need to get that fixed. |
If you have never had a German breakfast. You have to put that on your bucket list. And then do it as soon as you can. And come hungry. And bring time.
Basically, we fill the table with everything we have in the fridge that you could possibly put on a roll, then we add yoghurt, fruit, cereal, Müsli, tomatoes, cucumbers .... and we boil eggs. Those even have their little own egg-holder-stool-aparatus that they sit in.
After the breakfast extravaganza we went on a boat tour!
Not on a regular boat, though. It was a gondola boat that is being pushed with a long stick. Not quite as fancy as the ones in Venice, but similar, and in eastern Germany.
I grew up in the western part of the country (closer to the Netherlands), but I was told that my parents once took us on a tour like this when we were little. So it is nice to now actually have a memory of what it looks like there!
The tour took about 2 hours and we learned a lot about ducks, since our gondolier? gondola driver? captain? boat chauffeur? seemed to have a thing for those feathered creatures. Originally, we were six passengers on the boat, but the other two got off at one of the plenty stops we passed. Maybe they weren't as fond of ducks.
Anyways, aside from boat tours, there is another attraction in this area and that is: pickles. Yes. Pickles. People sell them everywhere. Peer pressure is a powerful thing and, of course, right after we got off the boat at the harbor, we got some too. A whole bucket, to be more specific.
So that's what people do there. They get on a boat, sometimes with up to 20-something people, eat pickles, or whatever they bring with them (because you can bring your own food), and drink (because you can bring your own booze, too, or buy it there).
You wouldn't believe the number of empty Schnaps bottles we saw on other boats! We only brought some granola bars and mosquito spray, so no drinking and dining on the boat for us.
Afterwards, we had some cake and coffee at a nearby restaurant. No photos. I was starving. (Only granola bars, remember?)
Before taking us back to the train station, we did another stop at a landmark that has gotten more press than any other landmark in Germany over the past couple of years: the ghost-airport in Schönefeld.
Some of you may know that once upon a time, a plan was made to build a huge airport right outside of Berlin.
Said and done! The airport was built and named "Willy Brandt Flughafen".
The grand opening was planned for October 2010.
But a week before the big celebration - the party was canceled.
It failed the fire inspection.
Since then, there have been so many changes in plans as well as in people holding responsible positions, there has been so much remodeling, so many flaws have been discovered, so much money has been dumped into it - that nobody knows when this airport is going to open. Voices claim that it may never happen.
One thing is certain though: this place is empty and it is quite creepy! There was not one car, not one plane, nothing - and that place is huge. An airport that is brand new, that looks "done", and there is grass growing on the parking lots?! Creepy.
Now, we are back home and doing what we are doing best: re-watching a movie that I fell asleep to when we first tried to watch it. Sorry, Nick, I hope it's worth watching a second time!
Did you go for a run today? How did it go?
Do you ever have to watch movies again, because you fell asleep the first time watching it? - all the time. The worst was Alien. It took me about 5 or 6 times to watch it, to finally see one of those monsters.
Have you ever eaten pickles on a boat? - No, I just saw people doing that, because we waited until after the boat tour was over to buy them.
Do you get creeped out by empty houses or airports? - definitely.
Basically, we fill the table with everything we have in the fridge that you could possibly put on a roll, then we add yoghurt, fruit, cereal, Müsli, tomatoes, cucumbers .... and we boil eggs. Those even have their little own egg-holder-stool-aparatus that they sit in.
 |
| Nick is already a pro at this and knows how this is done. See the little egg holder stool thingy? So cute! If you can't get any where you live, you can use shot glasses. Not as cool, but who cares?! |
Not on a regular boat, though. It was a gondola boat that is being pushed with a long stick. Not quite as fancy as the ones in Venice, but similar, and in eastern Germany.
I grew up in the western part of the country (closer to the Netherlands), but I was told that my parents once took us on a tour like this when we were little. So it is nice to now actually have a memory of what it looks like there!
The tour took about 2 hours and we learned a lot about ducks, since our gondolier? gondola driver? captain? boat chauffeur? seemed to have a thing for those feathered creatures. Originally, we were six passengers on the boat, but the other two got off at one of the plenty stops we passed. Maybe they weren't as fond of ducks.
Anyways, aside from boat tours, there is another attraction in this area and that is: pickles. Yes. Pickles. People sell them everywhere. Peer pressure is a powerful thing and, of course, right after we got off the boat at the harbor, we got some too. A whole bucket, to be more specific.
 |
| Like I said: peer pressure. |
You wouldn't believe the number of empty Schnaps bottles we saw on other boats! We only brought some granola bars and mosquito spray, so no drinking and dining on the boat for us.
Afterwards, we had some cake and coffee at a nearby restaurant. No photos. I was starving. (Only granola bars, remember?)
Before taking us back to the train station, we did another stop at a landmark that has gotten more press than any other landmark in Germany over the past couple of years: the ghost-airport in Schönefeld.
Some of you may know that once upon a time, a plan was made to build a huge airport right outside of Berlin.
Said and done! The airport was built and named "Willy Brandt Flughafen".
The grand opening was planned for October 2010.
But a week before the big celebration - the party was canceled.
It failed the fire inspection.
Since then, there have been so many changes in plans as well as in people holding responsible positions, there has been so much remodeling, so many flaws have been discovered, so much money has been dumped into it - that nobody knows when this airport is going to open. Voices claim that it may never happen.
One thing is certain though: this place is empty and it is quite creepy! There was not one car, not one plane, nothing - and that place is huge. An airport that is brand new, that looks "done", and there is grass growing on the parking lots?! Creepy.
Now, we are back home and doing what we are doing best: re-watching a movie that I fell asleep to when we first tried to watch it. Sorry, Nick, I hope it's worth watching a second time!
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| Even Lucy decided to watch with us. |
Did you go for a run today? How did it go?
Do you ever have to watch movies again, because you fell asleep the first time watching it? - all the time. The worst was Alien. It took me about 5 or 6 times to watch it, to finally see one of those monsters.
Have you ever eaten pickles on a boat? - No, I just saw people doing that, because we waited until after the boat tour was over to buy them.
Do you get creeped out by empty houses or airports? - definitely.
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