Berlin - more than just a wall

  

Berlin, not only the capital city of Germany but a city steeped in history. Parts of which happened in my lifetime.

I was only 5 in November 1989 when the Berlin Wall was pulled down but I do hold vague memories of watching the TV and seeing people cheering and climbing over this huge wall. A 5 year old could not understand what those images meant but my 30 year old self was exciting to head to Berlin to brush up on my history and experience more of Germany.

I spent a wintry weekend in Munich last November so summer in Berlin was so appealing.

Trusty Air B n B was our go to choice for accommodation and we found a sweet looking ground floor apartment in Bergmannkiez for around £45 a night.

With a U Bahn station less than a 5 minutes walk away we felt pretty central to everything and would highly recommend Doerthe's apartment if you are looking for a place to stay in the city.

My yoga teacher Hannah recommended we book a free walking tour to get an introduction into the city and this was a great shout. Choosing to do this on our first day gave us a feel for the city and meant we could then re-visit any highlights for a closer look during the rest of our trip.  

Sandemans offer free tours and then give you the tourist the choice as to whether to tip your guide or not dependent on how much you enjoyed your experience. We ended up tipping 10 euros each to our Scottish guide - Georgia and it was worth every penny for her knowledge and insight into her home city.

Day One kicked off with the free tour starting at 2pm and covered the Brandenburg gate, the holocaust memorial, and a random car park where owners take their dogs to do their daily business. This may seem like an ordinary car park upon first inspection however its what lies underneath that holds more historical value. Underneath lies the bunker in which on April 30th 1945 Adolf Hitler took a cyanide tablet and a pistol to the head. Irony at its finest that this place is now used for dogs to urinate in.

Other tourist spots along the way included one of the last remaining sections of the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie, which for me was a little disappointing. Now it is simply a replica checkpoint with actors dressed in US military uniforms who charge tourists for a photo. 

However the great thing about the free walking tour was that Georgia helped us to understand what the original Checkpoint Charlie was like and how the area was used during the occupation of the Soviets.

Day two we headed to a grey and cloudy Alexanderplatz and took a trip to the TV tower which is 280m above the ground and offers up panoramic views of Berlin. The cloud cleared as we made the top and the sun came out to give crystal clear 360 degree views.

After lunch we walked down to the River Spree and to the DDR museum which came recommended in the Lonely Planet book. This touchy feely museum allows you to get up close and interact with many items and historical artifacts from the Cold War and for 7 euros this was a well worth trip.  Seeing the old fashions, toys and home interiors gave me a history lesson and a reality check all in one.

 

 

Beers on the River Spree before heading over to the East Side Gallery and probably the most photographed area of Berlin. This is the largest remaining section of the wall still standing and the walls are covered with expression of art in all forms. Loud and provocative to dark and disturbing. On a Friday night though this side of town has a great atmosphere with local buskers gathering crowds and beer drinkers swilling straight from the bottle. It felt like a great place to spend a summer evening.

Day three we decided to stretch our legs and take a walk through the Tiergarten and Englisher Garten which was peaceful and relaxing. We even stumbled upon a naked area of the park where locals were basking in all of their naked glory. 

A short walk from the Tiergarten is the Sony Centre in Potsdamer Platz. This complex of restaurants and cinemas was a welcome rest-bite and pit stop from a morning of walking and for Dave to have his second Curry Wurst of the trip. The ceiling in the Sony Centre is an attraction in its own right.

For dinner on day three we headed to Kreuzbeurg. Now the guide describes this neighbourhood as gritty and I would tend to agree. We were offered drugs 3 times no less than 2 minutes from stepping off the U Bahn. However we meandered through the streets looking for somewhere to people watch and drink a few glasses of wine. We eventually found a wine bar and bought a bottle of red for 7 Euros and sat outside on some old food crates and chatted rubbish to each other for several hours.

On our final day of our trip we were told we had to go to the Mauerpark flea-markets as Sundays in Berlin are apparently renowned for them. The sun was blistering and there were swarms of people exploring the stalls selling everything from textile crafts to old cameras and Lego figures. After seeing enough tat in the flea-markets we bought a couple of beers and followed the sounds of loud cheering only to come across the 'Bear Pit Karaoke'. Again another thing Sundays in Berlin are famous for.

This place was packed in a gladiator style arena and we found a spot ready to watch. The highlight had to be a long haired German guy rocking out 'air guitar' style to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody with air flicking and everything. So much fun.

 

It was soon time to catch the train back to the airport but not before heading to the highly recommended 'The Bird' restaurant about a ten minutes walk from the flea-markets/karaoke.

My boyfriend can testify to the fact that this place serves up some of the most incredible burgers and he was literally salivating as the plate was placed in front of him.

Burgers and a gin and tonic later we left Berlin with full stomachs and slight heatstroke but great memories from another awesome city break.

Thanks for reading.

I am off to China on Saturday so stay tuned for more travel related posts in the next few weeks.

Nic x

Yoga & Me

A few years ago I used to be called what is known as a 'Yoga Procastinator'.

A person who had never done a yoga class but always would say to myself 'you must try yoga Nic, remember to book a yoga class' and alas I never did.

For years it was always on my to do list but for some crappy reason I never did. Life just always seemed to get in the way, which is a terrible excuse.

However just over 18 months ago I finally stopped being a 'yoga procrastinator' and booked my first class.

I started going to a weekly Hatha yoga class on a Tuesday evening. It was an hour and 30 minutes of gentle yoga and 20 minutes meditation. It was just what I needed at a time when my life felt a bit upside down and my negative thinking and fuzzy head was not at its healthiest. During those 90 minutes I was able to do the 'impossible' and switch off my brain and just be in the moment.

Personally I don't believe that Yoga is about who is the strongest or who can make their bodies bend into every positions. Yoga is individual to you and I have learned over the last 18 months that there are just certain things my body will and wont do. Seated forward folds are still elusive to me, (damn you tight calves), but on the flip side my body has become so much stronger in other ways. I can now pull my tummy in and lift my legs off the floor into a headstand, and use the growing arm muscles to do the side crow.

Tripod Headstand

Side Crow Variation

I now go to a weekly Vinyasa class with the lovely Hannah from Stretch and whilst I do need to work on practicing more Yoga outside of my classes, and not letting a hard day at work be an excuse for not attending class. Yoga still provides me with that time out from my weekly routine to steady my mind and be in the moment. I look forward to my classes so much and always leave feeling energised and awake. The time I spend on the mat I go into a different place where I concentrate purely on the moment.

Spending 5 days recently with my Yoga class in Sintra, Portugal was the perfect excuse to strengthen my yoga practice with twice daily classes and make new friends. Yoga on the beach at sunset with the sound of the sea was pure bliss.

Yoga has played a significant part in making me a stronger person. Both physically and mentally. Some of the breathing and relaxation techniques have really helped me to keep my anxiety at bay.

I can still feel it there on bad days but then I try to focus on my breath and tell myself it will pass. Yoga has really helped me try to get past that. I now feel healthier and much more in control of things than I have in such a long time. 

Fallen Angel

Yoga means union, and yoga and I are now firm friends.

If you like me keep putting off joining a class then do it, I promise you wont regret it.

Thanks for reading, Nic x

Photo of the Week - 10th July

Happy Friday, and hello weekend.

Did you know today is National Pina Cola Day, if that's not an excuse to drink cocktails then I don't know what is.

I am so ready for a lie in after what has felt like an exhausting week for no real reason. Maybe I am just getting old.

Operation Garden shall re-commence this weekend and and turn what currently resembles a home for a pig, into something that shows some form of resemblance to a garden.

 

Anyway here is this weeks photo round up giving you a little glimpse into my week. Come follow me on Instagram - nicsaint84 for more random photos - largely of cake and cats.

Photo A

Green tea and a Kermit Cupcake

Photo B

Scooter Eggs and Toast Jenga

Photo C

Prosecco and Penis straws in Regents Park

Photo D

Lunchtime beauty spot

Have a good weekend, thanks for reading x

Sintra - Portugal

 

 

When my yoga teacher told me she was putting on a retreat in Portugal in the summer, the opportunity seemed too good to miss.

A chance to improve on my yoga with twice daily classes and a chance to tick another country off of my to do list.

I will go into the yoga part in an upcoming blog post but I wanted to share with you a post all about the beautiful town of Sintra, which is just outside of Lisbon - Southern Portugal.

Sintra is known for its many 19th-century Romantic architectural monuments, which has resulted in its classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I spent a couple of days seeing some of the highlights of Sintra before knuckling down to some serious yoga practice.

When in Sintra it is almost impossible to miss two of the towns stand out tourist attractions as they both sit high in the hills above the main town centre. The first being Pena Palace and the second the Castle de Mouros (or the moorish castle to you and me).

Be prepared with some sensible walking shoes if you plan on walking all the way to the top as it has endless steps but the views from the top are amazing.

Pena Palace is known for its vibrant colour and patterned architecture and is also classed as one of the 7 wonders of Portugal. 

Whereas the Castle de Mouros is the 10th century castle whose walls offer panoramic views encircling the cliff-tops overlooking Sintra.

Southern Portugal is also famous for its sweet treats - Pasteis de natas and were a much welcome treat after all climbing and sight seeing. These egg custards tarts are deliciously crumbly and taste much better than the supermarket ones from back home. Wash it down with a 1 EURO shot of cherry liquor from one of the street vendors and you are all set for more exploring :)

No sight seeing trip in Sintra is complete without a tour around the gardens of Quinta de Regaleira. This place feels really magical with lush green gardens, Rapunzel style towers and turrets, caves, and a spiraling well which spirals down into the deep depths of the caves.

 

Wandering around the gardens was so peaceful and it felt like stepping into the Secret Garden and was probably one of my favourite spots in Sintra.

 

Sintra really is a little jewel of a town, with its quaint back streets and colourful architecture and a great introduction into Portuguese history and tourism.

Have you even been to Sintra or Portugal?

Thanks for reading, back soon

Nic x

Photo of the Week - 22nd May

Its Fri-yay, and an extra long weekend too. Thank you Bank Holiday.

It's been a busy old week with me trying catch up from my trip to Israel last week. I was in London on Tuesday for a Thunderbirds presentation and have been trying to get back into an exercise routine now that the 4 week countdown to Portugal is on.

Here is a photo round up of the past week. Let me know which photo is your favourite.

Photo A

N is for Nemo. My cupcakes for the Bake Off Competition

Photo B

Rainbows and Lamp posts

Photo C

Thunderbirds 2 Cake at the Licensee Day

Happy Weekend everyone, eat, drink and sleep.

Thanks for reading, back soon. 

Nic x

Sketch - London

Ah Sketch, I have wanted to visit you for so long and have often trawled through your instagram feed wishing for the excuse to visit.

So when a promotion came my way at work a few weeks ago I knew it would be the perfect excuse to indulge and treat myself. I also dragged along my best friend as she was celebrating too. Double Whammy!!

We were booked in for 6.30pm but arrived at around 6pm and sat in the Parlour for an early evening cocktail. The 'Let's talk about passion' cocktail is a mix of vodka, passion fruit, raspberries, pineapple and lime. What a way to start the evening.

We were shown to our table in the gallery just before half past and I may have done a little squeal of excitement. It's pink walls and low lighting along with the velour scalloped stools gives the gallery a dreamlike feel to it. It feels like a cross between a Mad Hatters Tea Party and a Turkish Delight.

As we took our seats we couldn't help but laugh at some of the David Shrigley artwork on the walls. From the obscure, to random to downright weird the decor really catches your attention. Here are some of my favourites.

Upon opening our menus out popped a cut out cutlery set, further enhancing my feelings of being at a fantasy tea party.

It was straight on to mains for the two of us and whilst I ordered a rump steak my friend opted for the hake. Service was attentive and speedy and we were literally salivating as the plates were placed in front of us.

Washing down the steak with a lovely glass of red, it felt like the ultimate indulgent evening.

When it came to using the loo's I may have been more excited than my actual food. Ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration but I have never been to an alien pod like toilet before.

There are around 20 egg shaped pods situated around the floor under a multi-coloured domed ceiling. Whilst locked in my pod doing my thing I was joined by the sounds of ducks quacking. Am I dreaming again or am I aware??????

Dinner was finished off with a plate of macaroons. The chocolate was to die for and just the right amount of sweetness to complete our meal.

We left a couple of hours later with full bellies and big smiles on our faces.

Thank you Sketch for a wonderful evening. I hope to be back one day soon.

Have you ever been to Sketch? Let me know.

Thanks for reading, Nic x

Hello Kitty x Lola's Cupcake

Who doesn't love a cupcake?

I am more of a savoury fan girls myself, but when it comes to cupcakes I'm happy to break the rules. So when I was invited to Selfridges today for the launch of Lola's Cupcakes collaboration with everyones favourite feline fashion icon - Hello Kitty, I knew I would be in for a treat.

The collaboration features a range of mini cupcakes using Kitty's iconic red bow and her cute little face, but also a range of personalised cakes for you or your best friend.

Hello Kitty is all about friendship and sharing and what better way to prove this by ordering a personalised cupcake.

The event was held in the food hall at Selfridges and lots of little girls were excitedly jumping up and down after getting a little red Kitty bow painted on their heads.

I am typing this blog post as I tuck into my red velvet gooey cupcake.

Be sure to stop by Selfridges for a sugary treat.

Thanks for reading x