Hello my dear bloggers friends, I have missed you!
So here we are again moving to a new country, this time to Berlin, Germany!
After a little bit less than two years in Sudan (which seemed like eternity) here we are back to Europe, and this time in a place where I have never been before, Berlin.
What can I say about this city… still cannot place it in a category… still wondering…
It’s definitely Europe but not the mid and south Europe I know. It is not Paris, it’s not Italy. No wonder you don’t hear people saying: “oh this year I’ve got to go to Berlin to check the trends, the fashion, and see what it is going on in the world”, well not. However the Germans of Berlin are the nicest people I have ever met! Berlin, definitely, brings the best of you. You cannot help it here but feel calm, confident, happy and relaxed.
On the cultural side; Berlin is charged with history, and not the good one; when you walk in the city you can easily take a visual and spiritual trip back to the Nazi regime and the Cold War. The remorse, the regrets, the painful memories of the past, are all still weighing on the city, once divided between capitalism and communism. The Germans are doing their best trying to deal with their painful history, but they are not really getting over what happened, and a very sad morbid atmosphere lingers over the city.
Anyway, I hope to be able to catch all this with my lenses, and witness the evolution over the years.
Today I am sharing my first pictures of the Berlin Wall!
My Friend Gwen, when she first saw the pictures, said to me that she didn’t know that there was so much wall left. Well in fact, Gwen, the wall was built on each side of the two Berlins; the west side which was totally (I think) destroyed (and you can buy pieces of the wall in the souvenir shops) and the east side which is still standing, and turned into an open air gallery with beautiful paintings and drawings, and this is what you see here in my blog.
Enjoy the pictures my friends! And I promise to take you with me in my journey in Berlin for the next coming years.
Can’t wait for more of your posts from Berlin! When I was there it was still under communist rule, so I’m eager to learn more about how it’s faring under a united Germany again. Great photos!
I’m so glad you’re back to blogging!
Thanks Gwen! let me know when you would like to visit
what amazes me more than anything is your never-ending capacity to adapt, your incessant curiosity and your everlasting childlike enthusiasm. Your love of life is contagious my sweet friend. Keep us posted and captivated. hugs
Nayoul! what a sweet sweet friend you are! I miss you and miss having our “smart” conversation and brain storming….Love you!
Miss you too!! Too bad you keep ‘missing’ each other haha (i”l think of you in DC:)
love and hugs, as always
Welcome back to blogging … I’m really looking forward to your pictures.
Thanks John, I just unpacked my camera! Some of the pictures you will see were taken with my IPad, but i cannot wait to post the pictures i took with my Nikon!
What a wonderful Christmas present…to have you back in our lives…and in a place which would seem to have less violence than you last post….looking forward to the coming years…take good care my friend.
charlie!! My friend! Yes yes I am back! I am so happy to share my life stories with you again:) stay tuned!
This is delightful and am glad you are in a place where you feel more comfortable, however ackward Berlin may still be in some respects. Just the other day I listened to a radio program about Berlin. It discussed Berlin’s more glamourous past and how Germany is trying to bring it back to some semblance of its heyday, apparently without much success. The airport situation was also discussed as something of a failure and a huge frustration to German taxpayers … No matter what though, we know it’s a better place for you to be than the Sudan, eh? Have fun and enjoy the holidays in whatever ways you do.
Many blessings, dear Mirella.
Thanks Jamie, yes I am enjoying the holidays very much here. soon I am going to blog about Christmas in Berlin.
Those pictures are sobering — I like the angles and messages you captured. It’s almost like the slightly cloudy sky fits the dampened mood that accompany’s Berlin’s weighty history. Can’t wait to see more pictures. Want to see what your favorite foods are! And what do supermarkets look like?
Thanks Holy, more pictures about life here, coming up soon.
Miss you!
I look forward to your discovery of Berlin. The city has excellent modern architecture, a thriving cafe and music culture and some fabulous museums.
It is nice to have you back.
Thanks Deb!