Day in Wittenberg

I had an interesting time in Wittenberg yesterday

I went with some oldies to see LutherStadt Wittenberg, which is an hours train drive south of Berlin. Luther was born in Eisleben, about 60klm to the west, in 1483 and died there on a visit in 1546. He is famous as the 'founder' of the Reformation and is closely identified with the town of Wittenberg, where he spent most of his life.

The town is dominated by three buildings. The Schlosskirche, (Palace Church) with its famous door, where he is said to have nailed his 94 theses, in 1517, attacking the papal trade in indulgences. The building is now dominated by the tower with the words 'Mein Gott ist ein Festes Burg' at the top. It was built when the town passed into Prussian authority, and commemerates Bach's setting of these words in a famous cantata.

The second is the Stadtkirche (City/Town Church) ,with its twin towers, which overlooks the Marktplatz (Market Place) containing the statue of Luther in front of the Rathaus (Town Hall).

The third is Luther's House, which was given to him by the local king after Luther married Katharina von Bora in 1525. It is now a museum. In my photos it is marked by an outside circular staircase in the middle of the building.

The town in well worth a visit if you ever come to Germany, and if you are in Berlin it is worth taking a train for an interesting day in a town which played an important part in German history.

There are some interesting dishes to taste and the beer is excellent!

The terrible twins

I had a meal with Max and Joachim

Yes, time to catch up with news, particularly hear about Max and Jana's time in London. They were snowed in and called me so I managed to get help to them via Ian and Birgit. Apart from the inconvenience of cancelled flights, they had a very interesting time there and really liked the inner areas of the city.

Joachim was on holiday for a week so we planned our evening to fit with this. Normally it is almost impossible to pin him down for a meeting. Works long and hard heading a department at one of the countries largest electrical suppliers and Max earns his crust working as a grafik designer.

I met them both a few years ago when I helped on a book project at a local library and they worked in the computer section helping customers. They were also applying for lots of jobs, which I encouraged, and they were known as The Terrible Twins!

They succeeded in getting good jobs and settled down with their respective partners. Even thought they are busy, we still find time to meet up a few times a year to exchange stories. Max is the one wearing glasses and the meeting was as always (to please him) in an Italian restaurant.

Banking help

Just got this nice offer of help
I had to smile at this one and hope you do. I wonder who thinks up such topical images.

I wonder how Chairman Mao Tse Tung would find the current situation? I think he would probably find it ironic and funny. But then we can't ask him.

Chinese peasants helping western bankers to keep their Porsche cars - who would have believed it!

In Washington DC

Jan and Arancha in Washington DC

If you read this blog you will know that Arancha visited Jan just after we finished the first part of his MSc. thesis and so I left them in peace to enjoy some valuable time together. Arancha has now returned to Spain and Jan has started work on the final part of his paper.

They did lots of things together including a trip to Washington DC where they took some photos, including these. I think you will know the background to all the photos so I don't need to comment. I recently talked to him over Skype and enjoyed our talk and to see him looking so well. Work hard Jan and remember you don't have long to go now.

Baby time

Baby Luka arrived safely

Luka popped into the world in the early hours of 22 March much to the delight of mother Milka, father Sven and sister Nevana. Sven sent out some lovely photos to family and friends, so I just had to share the pleasure of seeing such a treasure.

I plan to see them as soon as my flu has gone and have already sent a message of congratulations. I met Sven many years ago when he was in his final year of study and doing a Cambridge First examination course with me.


He had also fallen in love with a lady called Milka who lived in Belgrade. She didn't speak German then and he didn't speak any Serbo-Croat language so they communicated in English. She moved to Berlin and they married and had a lovely daughter.

I like the way that mother and sister have supportive arms around him. I shall have to take some pics of all including the proud father.

Big Breakfast

Last Thursday I went to Jutta and Gerald's nice flat for a Big Breakfast.

Jutta has now retired from being the boss of the book store project, where I worked for a short time, to look after her husband. It was the first time I had met Gerald although I had often spoken to him on the telephone and see photos of him with Jutta.

Jutta is a bit of a hobby photographer and snapped these of me. I forgot to take my camera and in spite of Stefan of the Friday Photoshop group lecturing us, "Always have your camera with you." I forgot Stefan!

The breakfast was a feast and one that wandered to lunchtime before I tore myself away to gallop to my Spanish course. We talked about everything possible as one topic rolled into another in a very natural way.


They are moving to a modern flat with wheelchair facilities near to my place in summer. Can't wait to see them again and enjoy another breakfast.

It was also another chance to pose in my new 'specs' and I notice I was just starting with flu which is now in full swing. Keep taking the pills and stay away from people. This I can do today as I sweat it out at home, but this evening I am going to an Italian restaurant to see Max and hear all about his adventures in London with Jana.

Prinz Joachim von Media-Markt will also be there. Big surprise for he normally doesn't have time for anything but work!

Bolton gathering

There was a recent gathering of some Boltons

About thirty minutes ago I checked my Facebook account and found some interesting news and photos. Who are the Boltons? Some of you know that I met Ian and Dianne fifty one years ago and we became very good friends. They were always one of my two anchors in UK society - the others were the Bateson family.

They had three wonderful and talented sons. Diane was the real centre of the family, and when the boys had grown up she divorced Ian. He was diagnosed with MS nearly thirty years ago which did not help matters much either. Meanwhile the boys married and started their own families. I have always had a close relationship to son No.2 called Nicholas who married the charming, clever, intelligent Julia and they had two children. I reported about them on this Blog when I went over last summer ....... just look at the old posts and you will find them!

The youngest son, who I hardly know, also married his sweetheart and recently added a second son to their household. I picked up photos of this event via my link to Julia on my Facebook account. There is a really nice photo of her holding Adam - note the professional way she holds him between the legs! Also one of the family and one of Grandpa Ian with his new grandson. Very nice!

Went shopping

I went shopping today

Yes, I took the opportunity to get in some shopping while I steered Hans around Prenzlaur Berg today. He hadn't been there for about fifteen years so I decided to make him move by walking around part of the area. He doesn't move enough and one of my functions is to get him out and walking or cycling when the weather allows.

By chance, I had ordered some new glasses from a shop in this area. I went with Dr. Birgit for she had earlier bought some, and they cost about a third of the price I would have to pay at the well known opticians here. I settled on a pair which I was told made me look younger (What does vanity mean?) and so picked them up today. Very different from my recent round style.

I also bought some shoes because they were on a special offer, then a sweat shirt for my training sessions. Last week I bought two books when I went to Dussmanns and so added them to the picture. They are both about history, and the one about the history of Prussia seems to fit in with the two volume History of Poland I bought in the UK last year. Paying with plastic still seems painless. The shock, as usual, comes later!

Kirchener Exhibition

I went to the Kirchner Exhibition yesterday

I went with Oldie Micha and we had a great day. I got the tip from Jutta in an e-mail. The e-mail was about having a nice big German breakfast with her and her husband, Gerald, next Thursday morning. She is my ex-boss at the bookshop project and has now taken early retirement. Everyone sad for she is sorely missed. Nice that we have become friends and so exchange tips such as the Kirshener Exhibition and meet up for breakfast.

Yesterday was the last day of the exhibition at the Brücke Museum at Dahlem in the south west corner of Berlin. It must also be the richest corner of Berlin. They don't have houses there - just villas! And if you are hit by a car it will most likely be a Bentley, Rolls or top of the line Mercedes, BMW or Audi 8 range!

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner is mainly famous for his black and white impressionist drawings from 1910 t0 1930, particularly of the female form. The Nazis banned his work when they came to power and Kirchner killed himself in 1938. He had lived in Switzerland for a long time and was known to be 'depressive', before the decision to ban his work.

You must see his work in the context of the time and understand something of the history and art of Germany from the early 1900s. I really like his style and remembered seeing some of his work in the National Gallery in Berlin. Something about his style reminded me of my favourite, Otto Dix, who was producing his best work a little later, and with harder political criticism. Dix's work was also banned and he was placed under house arrest, but did not kill himself.

Micha and I later had a really good lunch in a local German restaurant before sipping coffee in the very different surroundings of Kreuzberg. Here is a pic of me at the entrance to the exhibition.

Photoshop Course

What do we do on the Photoshop course?

I am one of six retired 'Oldies' who go to an 'Oldie Centre' at Falkensteinstr. in Kreuzberg. Stefan runs the computer courses in a nice room with six computers. He offers a number of courses including ours on Friday afternoon. We are now using the Photoshop Elements 7 programme which is certainly an improvement on earlier versions. I have Elements 6 at home.

I am now learning how to use 'ebene' - layers to lay on a background and so build up a picture by adding things that were not in the original photo/image. You can also change colours, shapes such as extend or distort. It is also a time and place for us to have coffee and cakes and chat before we hit the programme. I really enjoy the meetings.

Here are two photos of things I have created. The first was an image of the street round the corner including me balancing on the U-Bahn line and the second is of an animal's picnic. Still a lot to learn and looking forward to each Friday session.

PS: Anyone noticed that the elephant is wearing my winter boots?

Start of the month

This month started well

I came back from a memorable visit to London and settled into a nice rhythm. Monday teaching then looking after Hans, Tuesday training, cinema afternoon then teaching in the evening, Wednesday free morning and teaching in the afternoon, Thursday training then my Spanish course and in the evening meeting people, or going to an exhibition/concert, Friday teaching then to my Photoshop course. Nearly every Saturday I go out for the day and Sundays I usually reserve as a quiet day for me. Of course, I can 'mix and match' most of these to accommodate new things - which I do!


I recently met Ziya again at the 'Oldie Centre' where I have my Photoshop course each Friday. He has been in Istanbul a lot lately and so it was nice to see him again. He is a 'hobby cook' and so often helps out at the 'Oldie Centre'. Here is a pic to show him at his hobby. He is not on the course but goes to the centre a lot to meet friends from Turkey, speak in his first language, and play cards, for this is also one of his passions.

He has another problem with his laptop and internet connection so I plan to visit him tomorrow - after Hans - and see if I can help him. I did it before without really knowing what I was doing, so perhaps I shall be successful again.

Things in March

So what is happening in March 2009?

I started the month in London celebrating Adrian's big one but on the day of his party Peter Bateson was celebrating his 29th birthday, with his wife and friends in Australia, and no doubt thinking about it being his last before he becomes a father in a short time.

Not a lot of birthdays this month. My old teacher friend Günter Porsch will celebrate on the 22nd March. Bernd, who is also a teacher friend, will celebrate in Bernau with his family on 28th March - just one day before we put the clocks forward one hour to mark the arrival of summer time in central europe.

That is all for birthdays, but to make up for this shortage we could always celebrate the first birthday of my MacBook, and my Asus Eee, towards the end of the month. No? Na ja, it was just an idea!

I have a number of workshops to attend, instal a new computer for Micha, go on two 'Oldie' walks and do all the ususal things this month. I hope you have a pleasant time as we slowly swing away from winter into my favourite time of the year. Yes, Spring with all its colours, smells and new delights.

Last day with Sarah

I spent my last day with Sarah

I first met Sarah when I returned to university after a long research stay in India in 1984. I was housed in a uni house and she was also there - also with Tessa who was my neighbour. What a time! We have kept in touch over all these years including three trips she has made to Berlin.

On Sunday morning she arrived at 11.00am in her little Peugot. Adrian also arrived by car for he had taken his son to play rugby with his school team, but we left the cars and walked to a nearby bistro-cafe where Charlotte works for pocket money.

We met Tanja and they all had a splendid late Sunday morning breakfast - served by Charlotte. I didn't for I had had breakfast in my Guest House. It was very 'English' but had a certain charm and I would stay there again. We later ended up at their house for a late coffee and so Sarah and I left there for the last part of my stay. We drove in suberbs to the north and then north east towards the airport. We took in Hampstead and some other old interesting green areas before we hit the home of Agred.

She lives in a nice large house and garden with her husband and two daughters. Really natural and although it was the first time in their home I felt I had been there forever. The girls were experimenting with baking a number of thing and mother just let them do it and gave gentle supportive advice at the right time.

We, of the older generation, retired to the garden to sip a light white wine with 'nibbles' and catch up with news. Yes, in the garden for the whole weekend I was there was like being in Spring. Very unlike the cold winter weather I had left in Berlin. I really had to tear myself away from such a gentle, friendly atmosphere back into the car and then the last leg of my journey.

And so the long, boring, sitting around waiting for the flight back to Berlin. A super weekend, apart from the flights, and wonder what the next ones will be like in May.

Adrian's 50th Party

And so I arrived at Adrian's 50th Party

I entered a little late, but just in time for the speeches. Adrian spotted me as I entered with my camera in my left hand and a glass of champers in my right hand. He said he had forgotten to organise a photographer and would I stand in. I relied in the affirmative and set our to snip and snap away. I present a few of my photos here. I selected the ones of the family and friends I knew.
I shall try to add the family then just leave you with the rest of my selection.


I shall open with Adrian giving a speech to open the event, then a nice one of Tanja in a very smart outfit, and daughter Charlotte with 'little' brother Anton who is nearly 16 but already 6 foot tall. He plays rugby for his school - naturally! Then of different guests and one of Charlotte with her boyfriend Sam who made sure I got back to my Guest House okay. Nice pics with nice memories.

One pic includes a massage for that was also available at the party. What service!

Saturday with Ian and Birgit

After a tradition English breakfast I went off to meet Ian and Birgit

We last met in Berlin in the summer of 2007 when they relaxed in my garden. I also have some nice photos of that meeting. It was the first time I had been to their flat in a quiet area of Kensington and Chelsea. They own the property and rent out the shop and downstairs flat but their flat at the top is nice and light with lots of views of the sky and clouds. They have an aged white cat losing its sight. Ian looks after her all the time. It came to me, sniffed, realized I was not Ian and wondered off to find him!

They took me on a tour of their district which was very interesting. Two streets to the south is Portabella Road with its market. Here is a photo. From there we wandered off and found ourselves in front of their Fitness Centre. They are both very active at work and also keep fit with three visits a week to their gym. Birgit's idea of fun is learning to jump out of a plane with a parachute! I jest not! They also ski and try to get to a piste each winter. Here is a pic I like of them in front of their Fitness Centre. From there we wandered on and ended up in a restaurant serving Chineses food but in a way I have never seen in Berlin. It was full and served an interesting array of dishes. They seemed to be regulars and could use chopsticks with great ease. I can't, but that could be because I don't really like Chinese, or food from other 'far' eastern countries.

After, I bought some things for Liebe Andrea and ended up in Holland Park. I took some pics for my Friday Photoshop 'Oldie' Group, including some of Kensington Palace at one side of the park, and the large villa type houses nearby where some of the world's super rich live when they are in London. We moved on!

Heading back we entered a nice area with some interesting shops. One was for designer jewellery but with no prices. Ian added that if you need to know the price then you should not go into the shop! Later we found a bistro-cafe and with an amazing sign at the entrance. I saw English used in a way I had never seen before and so have sent the picture to my teachers' group in Berlin.

Back at the flat I noticed their solution to 'parking' their bicycles. They hoisted them to the ceiling - not a bad idea when the passage is narrow. We chatted away and sipped a glass or two of white wine before I got ready to leave for Adrian's 'big' party. It was around the corner and so didn't take long to get there. Thanks Birgit and Ian for a memorable day.

London weekend

I had a great time in London last weekend

As you know from my last post, I flew to London last Friday morning and returned last Sunday evening. I flew with Ryan Air for the first time and cannot recommend anything about it. It was cheap but there is nothing else to say for it. I think it is the equivalent to 'Reality/Celebrity TV' with wings!

I shall tell you about it in a series of posts with photos. The reason was to attend Adrian's 50th Birthday Party and to see Ian, Birgit and Sarah again. A strong Sussex University theme ran through the meetings and groups = most of us met there! And, Adrian and Tanja played a major role in my moving to Berlin.

I eventually arrived at my Guest House which shared a name with Adrian and Tanja's daughter. Yes, Charlotte and she is also my god-daughter and hadn't met since the family left for London twelve years ago. Here is a pic of me outside. After tracking down a branch of my UK bank I got some money out and did some shopping, had a snack and slowly returned to West Hampstead to my Guest House.

Later I walked the 10 minutes to Adrian and Tanja's house and we had a great reunion. Tanja cooked and I had a relaxed meal with all and we caught up on news. I wanted to meet like this for the next day I expected we would have little time to talk, given the number of guests at his party.

Here there is a pic of Charlotte trying to sort out my English mobile phone, one of Adrian with a mug of tea in addition to a couple of me.

Next day was just as good!