Sat Sept 23, 2023
Berlin! This is at least my 4th visit here, more likely my 5th — enough to have lost count.* On the 1st visit, with John, we hit all the major sites and museums, and on each subsequent visit, we re-visited the center city and saw the slightly more obscure sites. By now, I feel like I’ve seen most of what a tourist would want to see, and I’m focused on family instead. Visiting Ezra and Katharina and the girls here is like coming to a second home. I feel most welcome and comfortable, and I am grateful to them for that. For the weekend, I just want to do what the family wants or needs to do.
Today was market day, and we all walked up to the Flohmarkt Schoneberg to pick up some fruit and veg. This is a Turkish market, where the vendors shout out their wares, very lively. Beautiful looking food and lots available for tasting.
After depositing the goods back at the apartment, we headed to the local library. Amelia, age 7, went on roller blades, while Brookie, age 4-going-on-5, rode her pedal bike, but without the pedals, using it as a running bike. Kids on wheels makes for faster walking than kids on feet, and that’s a welcome thing!
Which brings me to what I’m calling…
Kinderwägon
That’s probably not a German word, but it could be.
Bikes and their riders are ubiquitous in Berlin. Think Amsterdam or Copenhagen, they’re that common. In a city with great walkability, excellent public transport, high gas prices, and impossible parking, to own a car is probably less convenient than not owning one. However, transporting kids by bicycle presents a challenge.
Around here, there are solutions to this problem. I’ll let the photos do the talking.
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| Note also the wagon-style carrier in the bike rack |
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| Three-kid transport |
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| Same 3-kid transport, typical Berlin grafitti |
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| Deluxe e-bike transport |
Best of all is self-transport, of course. Today, Brookie pedalled her own bike for the first time!
2 comments:
Love these photos and videos, Anne! I’m so glad you found an easier way to post them. Its wonderful to read that you no longer need to be a tourist in Berlin, that you can just enjoy being close to family and be part of their daily life. I am interested in the “kinder transport”! It makes so much sense. I wish North American cities were designed for biking and walking. Some urban centers like Victoria are trying to do this by making bike lanes but some how they are messy and confusing. Our city planners need to attend Workshops in Germany! I also enjoyed your story about waiting in the airport before flying off to Germany and appreciate knowing about your “sanctuary”. Thanks for the tip! I am so enjoying your blog and look forward to more!
Sounds like it feels great to be back in Berlin Anne. 00 I’m really happy to have video blogs now. It makes it so much nicer to be a virtual traveller.
Looking forward to many more.
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