Jetzt fängt das gute Leben an
It’s December. Yesterday, we were still in Berlin but packed and ready for home last evening. There were just one or two things left on our list and having tracked them down, we planned a long, late lunch before heading back to the airport and home.
Checking the first thing off our list was easy. Every time we passed this stall in the Christmas Market outside our hotel, we noted the candles for our windmill at home but hadn’t wanted to schlep them around all day. Whenever we came back later in the day, we forgot. So this morning, we decided that we had to buy them then or risk going home without any. We had a jolly chat with the lady running the stall who said she’d be there from 9am until 10pm. That’s a working day and a half!
The giant sized windmill outside the shopping centre was doing brisk business for it was a chilly morning with a cold wind blowing.
We headed for Leipzigerplatz, where we’d read there was an enormous shopping mall. Really?
Really. Who’d have known? The shop fronts are small and unassuming from the street and though we’ve been walking past the square every day when we went to the U Bahn, we’d never noticed it.
Though the majority of the stores inside were the usual familiar names, one stood out for me. I had come across Idee in Wiesbaden a couple of years ago, but had forgotten about it till now. My hero happily sat using the free wifi whilst I browsed the wonderful selection of classy craft materials. There’s the morning gone, then
No, not really! I’d still been looking out for my socks and the Peek und Cloppenburg department store in the mall here didn’t sell Falke, sadly. We discovered the reason why when we looked in the shop next door. Hooray! Two pairs of Falke Berlin wool-cotton knee socks to add to my collection.
It was good browsing the mall at this time of day – nobody much around. Both of us were ready for a hot drink now though, so decided we’d head back to the Christmas market and find a little something there.
We went back across the square and over the ever-present reminder of days gone by. The wall went right through the centre of Leipzigerplatz and we have spent the last few days criss-crossing it.
A hot Eierpunsch hit the spot. It was pretty potent, too!
We giggled and wondered if the man on the crepes stall has a special Nutella knife to get into the corners?!
Later, having checked out of the hotel, we enjoyed lunch in Lindenbräu, watching as a lady took a folding ruler from her orange handbag and carefully measured the base of each of those fairy-light figures. Having done that, she fiddled about with something amongst the Christmas trees. Why? We have no idea, but that didn’t stop us coming up with a few silly reasons anyway.
And that was that. Stuffed full of beer and Bavarian goodness, we grabbed a taxi to the funny old airport at Tegel.
I went in search of a couple of favourite magazines and came across this interesting translation: Julia’s Kinderschokolade = Julia Child’s chocolate? (or should that be Julia’s Children’s chocolate, do you think?)
My favourite Schöner Wohnen and Living at Home magazines, both chock full of Christmassy ideas and seasonal recipes. I love them. As I headed for the till, I spotted an eye-catching new title – Ma Vie. I flicked through it and added it to my bundle. A card was attached to the cover with the words:
though somehow, I think it started some time ago…
