It's February in Europe, so I didn't have high expectations for the weather here. I bought gloves, a beanie, umbrella, waterproof jacket and waterproof shoes. But I've been very lucky so far - despite some poor forecasts for earlier in the week.
Today when I woke up the skies were blue.
I didn't waste much time.
I ran over to the supermarket to get some fresh bread for breakfast. It's something I love doing in Europe. It's not quite the same anywhere else.
I left a note for Marcel (who'd warned me he was likely to sleep into the afternoon as he was two night shifts coming up). Today I was going to be a tourist. Sometimes it's just got to be done. So I started with a walk up the Belfry (yep the one in In Bruges).
The view was awesome. Although just beyond the city there's a lot of industry, which looks strange but I guess it's got to be somewhere. It's 366 steps to the top. Some creative license was taken in the movie because there is wire across the balcony, which you'd expect at this height. So no gangster could throw himself off it.
I resumed my walking in the sun, stopping on a bench to eat my chocolates form Dumon (yesterday's - I didn't buy more!!). More walking. Around some street somewhere (I was just walking with no map, no idea) I saw a cafe called Books and Brunch. Two of my favourite things. I took it as a sign as went in for lunch. The care is lined with books (new and secondhand) which you can buy. A note in the menu said customers are free to read them in the store and don't even have to buy anything...just sit in one of the seating areas and read away. I had some broccoli soup (something to wash the sugar down) and a cup of tea.
I decided to do a cruise on the canal. It's only 8 euro here compared to 70 euro in Venice. The boat trip took 30 minutes and it was good fun. It's nice to look up at the buildings a bit. When walking I tend to keep my eyes at shop level.
I bought my tea cup on this trip (It didn't go to Berlin or London - my two most recent trips) so a Teacup Tale was overdue. I took some photos and walking around a bit more. Belgium is famous for its fries - apparently they were named French Fries because American soldiers mistook Belgium Army staff for French. So it seemed fitting to visit the fries museum here. The museum went through the history of potatoes and their introduction in Europe and Belgium, and then the development of fries. There was a lot of conflicting theories, but Belgium is happy to claim they originated here. They have a fry shop in the basement so I tried fries for the first time. Good, but not sure they are worth all the fuss. How good can fries really be?
In need of a cup of tea I found a tea shop and read my book for a while. When I ordered a scone I was told there would be a 15-20 minute wait because they bake them fresh. Totally OK with me!
Then, more walking and tea cup shops before walking back to Marcel's. He cooked dinner (meat balls in a celery sauce and mashed potato...I'm getting very spoilt by my hosts on this trip) and we spent the evening listening to music. He's a fan of some Australian artists so it was nice to listen to some songs I haven't heard for ages. I also watched the Belgium version of The Voice. Some poor decisions were made. What were the judges thinking???
Friday, February 8
Day 1 in Brugge
Lucie's dad drove me to the train station today.
We were driving along the road and came to what I first thought were abandoned toll booths. Perhaps a new road was built and they no longer charge tolls for this.
Nope.
The Belgium border.
Just like that I was in another country.
It's an experience I've had a few times in the last 18 or so months, but it still amazes me. This just isn't possible in Australia. Drive for days on end and you're still in Australia or in the ocean.
The train from Lille to Brugge would have cost about 40euro, because it would have been the international TGV train. Catching local trains is much cheaper so I'd planned to go from Lille across the border to Kortrijk and then from Kortrijk to Brugge. It would have cost about 15 euro, but Lucie's dad (I realise now I never got her parent's names) offered to drive me to Kortrijkto save me changing trains. My train was then 7euro...a big difference from 40. It always pays to do your research.
My CouchSurfing host had given me directions to catch the bus from the train station in Brugge to his place, but the weather was fine and it didn't look that far so I walked instead. It took me about 40 minutes along the canal. Marcel lives a street or two outside the centre of the city, but it's not a big place so it's still only 10 minutes or so from the centre of the old town.
I spent an hour or so chatting to Marcel before venturing into the old town for a walk around. Brugge is nicknamed Venice of the North (although the people here prefer to call Venice the Brugge of the South). Both cities have canals and lots of twisty, narrow streets but that's where the similarities end as far as I can see.
Brugge, of course, is known for it's chocolate. There are more than 50 chocolate shops here. A few names have cropped up repeatedly in my research so I planned to visit them. I found The Chocolate Line, which a couchsurfer who couldn't host me had suggested I visit. With Valentines Day a week away there's a definite theme in the window displays. I chose some chocolates - you buy them in little boxes, so three for 3.90, or five for whatever, and eight and so on. I chose two and then asked the sales assistant to put in her favourite.
Barely 50 metres down the street I came across Dumon; this one had come up in a lot of guidebooks. I stopped in here for a hot chocolate and got two free chocolates with that. Not bad for 2.50euro. I chose another box of three and decided I better do some walking. I only ate one of the chocolates I bought - a melocake from The Chocolate Line. Marshmellow covered in chocolate with this surprise little biscuit base. Oh my god it was amazing. I knew there was crap chocolate, better chocolate and fancy chocolate but this was a whole other level. I could feel it in my body like a drug and I immediately wanted another. I walked in the opposite direction to the shop.
I spent the next few hours walking down any street that looked interesting. I rarely knew where I was, but when I thought I should start heading back I just looked for the Belfry and walked towards that.
I cooked dinner for Marcel and then we headed out to see the city at night - it's his favourite time to be in the city. There are tourists here all year round. Although the Markt Square was pretty bare, there were still plenty of camera-totting visitors around. Even in the rain. So Marcel prefers to head out after they've all called it a night.
I had my own tour guide as we walked along the canal. We stopped in at a bar where some of his friends work for a quick drink and then continued on walking. We covered A LOT of the city and Marcel pointed out a few things I'll go back and visit. It was 11pm when we walked passed a bar he frequents. We walked straight by but we were just out of view when his phone rang. A mate in the bar had spotted him so we went in for a drink. The bar was only steps from the Markt and I thought that would have made it a prime "tourist trap" but apparently it's really popular with locals. You never can tell.
After about three hours of walking, we called it a night.
We were driving along the road and came to what I first thought were abandoned toll booths. Perhaps a new road was built and they no longer charge tolls for this.
Nope.
The Belgium border.
Just like that I was in another country.
It's an experience I've had a few times in the last 18 or so months, but it still amazes me. This just isn't possible in Australia. Drive for days on end and you're still in Australia or in the ocean.
The train from Lille to Brugge would have cost about 40euro, because it would have been the international TGV train. Catching local trains is much cheaper so I'd planned to go from Lille across the border to Kortrijk and then from Kortrijk to Brugge. It would have cost about 15 euro, but Lucie's dad (I realise now I never got her parent's names) offered to drive me to Kortrijkto save me changing trains. My train was then 7euro...a big difference from 40. It always pays to do your research.
My CouchSurfing host had given me directions to catch the bus from the train station in Brugge to his place, but the weather was fine and it didn't look that far so I walked instead. It took me about 40 minutes along the canal. Marcel lives a street or two outside the centre of the city, but it's not a big place so it's still only 10 minutes or so from the centre of the old town.
I spent an hour or so chatting to Marcel before venturing into the old town for a walk around. Brugge is nicknamed Venice of the North (although the people here prefer to call Venice the Brugge of the South). Both cities have canals and lots of twisty, narrow streets but that's where the similarities end as far as I can see.
Brugge, of course, is known for it's chocolate. There are more than 50 chocolate shops here. A few names have cropped up repeatedly in my research so I planned to visit them. I found The Chocolate Line, which a couchsurfer who couldn't host me had suggested I visit. With Valentines Day a week away there's a definite theme in the window displays. I chose some chocolates - you buy them in little boxes, so three for 3.90, or five for whatever, and eight and so on. I chose two and then asked the sales assistant to put in her favourite.
Barely 50 metres down the street I came across Dumon; this one had come up in a lot of guidebooks. I stopped in here for a hot chocolate and got two free chocolates with that. Not bad for 2.50euro. I chose another box of three and decided I better do some walking. I only ate one of the chocolates I bought - a melocake from The Chocolate Line. Marshmellow covered in chocolate with this surprise little biscuit base. Oh my god it was amazing. I knew there was crap chocolate, better chocolate and fancy chocolate but this was a whole other level. I could feel it in my body like a drug and I immediately wanted another. I walked in the opposite direction to the shop.
I spent the next few hours walking down any street that looked interesting. I rarely knew where I was, but when I thought I should start heading back I just looked for the Belfry and walked towards that.
I cooked dinner for Marcel and then we headed out to see the city at night - it's his favourite time to be in the city. There are tourists here all year round. Although the Markt Square was pretty bare, there were still plenty of camera-totting visitors around. Even in the rain. So Marcel prefers to head out after they've all called it a night.
I had my own tour guide as we walked along the canal. We stopped in at a bar where some of his friends work for a quick drink and then continued on walking. We covered A LOT of the city and Marcel pointed out a few things I'll go back and visit. It was 11pm when we walked passed a bar he frequents. We walked straight by but we were just out of view when his phone rang. A mate in the bar had spotted him so we went in for a drink. The bar was only steps from the Markt and I thought that would have made it a prime "tourist trap" but apparently it's really popular with locals. You never can tell.
After about three hours of walking, we called it a night.
Thursday, February 7
Discovering Arras
The day started with croissants from the bakery in Rouvroy. The suggestion that the French take their bread seriously isn't a stereotype or exaggeration. Lucie told me her family prefers to buy their bread from a boulangerie because the quality is important to them. Even if shopping at a supermarket they will make a separate trip to the boulangerie for bread.
After breakfast I helped Lucie feed two Icelandic horses she cares for. Her doctor took them in after they were horribly neglected and they now live in a giant yard behind his house and surgery. They are old (25 years old!!) so the yard is just enough for them. Lucie pops in once a day to feed them, give them some medicine and just cheer them up a bit.
By the time we got back it was time for lunch. I've mentioned it once and I'll say it again: Lucie's mum is an amazing cook. Lunch started with a cucumber and dill salad and then we had fish cooked with a vanilla and orange sauce. Amazing!! Lucie will be disappointed if she ever visits Australia and I make her a jam sandwich for lunch.
The north of France is a neglected part of the country. The south, with it's sun and beaches, is favoured and people usually only travel in this area to get from Paris to Belgium or perhaps Calais for the tunnel to England or Lille for the Eurostar. This afternoon we visited Arras, the closest "big" town to Rouvroy. It's a beautiful place. We climbed the belfry of the town hall and the view reminded me of a rows of dolls houses. We walked around the Place des Heros and the Grand 'Place. A huge concert used to be held in Palce des Heros (think acts like Coldplay, Greenday, Placebo etc) but the residents in the houses that line the square complained and it's now held at the Citadelle. This year the three-day event will feature Sting, Greenday, The Prodigy, Thirty Seconds to Mars.
We visited a new crepe restaurant to celebrate World Nutella Day (Feb 5), bought some macaroons from one of Lucie's favourite patisserie and a selection of amazing looking treats from her other favourite patisserie for dessert.
At home Lucie's mum cooked vegetable soup with polish sausage, and then we had bread, ham and cheese. This has to be the only country where bread and ham is such a quality meal!!
After dinner Lucie and I went for a drink with her friend Bertie. Bertie was travelling with Lucie when I hosted the two of them in Vancouver in September 2011. Bertie flew back to France from LA but Lucie returned to Vancouver so I saw her again. It really is such a small world. Who would have thought I'd see either of them again let alone catch up for a drink in their home town!!!
After breakfast I helped Lucie feed two Icelandic horses she cares for. Her doctor took them in after they were horribly neglected and they now live in a giant yard behind his house and surgery. They are old (25 years old!!) so the yard is just enough for them. Lucie pops in once a day to feed them, give them some medicine and just cheer them up a bit.
By the time we got back it was time for lunch. I've mentioned it once and I'll say it again: Lucie's mum is an amazing cook. Lunch started with a cucumber and dill salad and then we had fish cooked with a vanilla and orange sauce. Amazing!! Lucie will be disappointed if she ever visits Australia and I make her a jam sandwich for lunch.
The north of France is a neglected part of the country. The south, with it's sun and beaches, is favoured and people usually only travel in this area to get from Paris to Belgium or perhaps Calais for the tunnel to England or Lille for the Eurostar. This afternoon we visited Arras, the closest "big" town to Rouvroy. It's a beautiful place. We climbed the belfry of the town hall and the view reminded me of a rows of dolls houses. We walked around the Place des Heros and the Grand 'Place. A huge concert used to be held in Palce des Heros (think acts like Coldplay, Greenday, Placebo etc) but the residents in the houses that line the square complained and it's now held at the Citadelle. This year the three-day event will feature Sting, Greenday, The Prodigy, Thirty Seconds to Mars.
We visited a new crepe restaurant to celebrate World Nutella Day (Feb 5), bought some macaroons from one of Lucie's favourite patisserie and a selection of amazing looking treats from her other favourite patisserie for dessert.
At home Lucie's mum cooked vegetable soup with polish sausage, and then we had bread, ham and cheese. This has to be the only country where bread and ham is such a quality meal!!
After dinner Lucie and I went for a drink with her friend Bertie. Bertie was travelling with Lucie when I hosted the two of them in Vancouver in September 2011. Bertie flew back to France from LA but Lucie returned to Vancouver so I saw her again. It really is such a small world. Who would have thought I'd see either of them again let alone catch up for a drink in their home town!!!
Tuesday, February 5
Northern France: The Coast
I've been in France barely 24 hours and so far devoured a croissant, a chocolate croissant, four homecooked crepes, a waffle, frites and a slice of gateau. I've forgotten what it feels like to be hungry.
So, yes, I'm back in France. A fourth French stamp was added to my passport just before boarding the Eurostar. This is quickly becoming one of my favourite trains. Not for the price or scenery, but the speed! It has to be one of the perks of living in London. Lille in 90 minutes, Paris in two hours.
I arrived in Lille Europe, crossed the square to Lille Flandres and caught a train to Billy-Montigny, about 45 minutes from Lille. I'm staying with my friend Lucie. We met when I hosted Lucie and her friend, Bertie, in Vancouver in September 2011. They travelled down to LA but Lucie came back to Canada and stayed with me again for a couple of nights. We kept in touch and when I went to Montreal last year I stayed with her for a few days. Now she's back in France so I decided to come visit.
I'm spending three nights with her and her parents. Her mum cooked crepes for dinner last night. Amazing. These were the sweet kind and the table was full of fillings: nutella, backed apples, lemon and sugar, homemade cherry jam, peanut butter, hazelnut spread, apple jelly. So many! I polished off four and washed them down with some cider. I thought perhaps the crepes were on the menu because of my visit, but it turns out it's quite common to have them for dinner. Lucie's parents speak a little English, but Lucie's translating a lot for us. Their other daughter spent some time in Australia so they know a lot about it.
Lucie and I spent the evening catching up. She went to Newfoundland last year a few weeks after I did (she decided to go after seeing my blog posts and photos) and I wanted to hear all about it. She spent a month there (I only had 3 days) and hitchhiked around.
In the morning, despite the forecast for miserable weather, we headed to the Coast, not far from Calais. Turns out the weatherman was wrong because we had blue skies and sunshine, although a LOT of wind.
Our first stop was the coastal hamlet of Ambleteuse. The town now is nothing more than holiday homes and a few restaurants. At this time of year it's a seaside ghost town. A few centuries ago it was a different story. Henry VIII of England built two forts here in 1546 as a bit of an "in your face" to the French kings. Henry II of France had them conquered three years later. At the end of the 17th century, Sebastien Vauban built Fort Mahon at the mouth of the river, which still stands. And it's what took us to Ambleteuse. According to my post-visit research, it's the only coastal fort preserved in France. Ambleteuse's colourful history doesn't end there. Napolean tried to create a harbour with the intention of invading England in 1805. The foundations are still there.
We drove along the Coast to the town of Wimereux. In summer this place would be crazy, but in early February we were lucky to find somewhere for lunch. We wanted frites, which we found at a van set up in a car park. It was still too windy to enjoy them ON the beach, so we just parked on the promenade and ate in the car.
Then it was off to Cap Gris Nez and Cap Blanc Nez. The cliffs of Cap Gris Nez are the closest point of France to England. We could see the cliffs of Dover in the distance (only 34km away). Apparently it's rare to get skies as clear as we had and water as blue, especially at this time of year, but we were lucky. We braved the wind and walked around the point and the maritime security centre that sits up at the lighthouse. Then we drove to Cap Blanc Nez. An obelisk sits at the top commemorating the Dover Patrol, which kept the Channel free from U-boats in World War 1. We could get down to the beach here and see the cliffs from the bottom. Amazing site. I still can't get over the weather.
We drove back to Rouvroy and to an afternoon snack of cake and waffles followed by dinner of salmon and pasta. Lucie's mum is an amazing cook!!
Pics will come when I write a proper post for Pegs on the Line. This is just a quick update so I don't forget anything!!
So, yes, I'm back in France. A fourth French stamp was added to my passport just before boarding the Eurostar. This is quickly becoming one of my favourite trains. Not for the price or scenery, but the speed! It has to be one of the perks of living in London. Lille in 90 minutes, Paris in two hours.
I arrived in Lille Europe, crossed the square to Lille Flandres and caught a train to Billy-Montigny, about 45 minutes from Lille. I'm staying with my friend Lucie. We met when I hosted Lucie and her friend, Bertie, in Vancouver in September 2011. They travelled down to LA but Lucie came back to Canada and stayed with me again for a couple of nights. We kept in touch and when I went to Montreal last year I stayed with her for a few days. Now she's back in France so I decided to come visit.
I'm spending three nights with her and her parents. Her mum cooked crepes for dinner last night. Amazing. These were the sweet kind and the table was full of fillings: nutella, backed apples, lemon and sugar, homemade cherry jam, peanut butter, hazelnut spread, apple jelly. So many! I polished off four and washed them down with some cider. I thought perhaps the crepes were on the menu because of my visit, but it turns out it's quite common to have them for dinner. Lucie's parents speak a little English, but Lucie's translating a lot for us. Their other daughter spent some time in Australia so they know a lot about it.
Lucie and I spent the evening catching up. She went to Newfoundland last year a few weeks after I did (she decided to go after seeing my blog posts and photos) and I wanted to hear all about it. She spent a month there (I only had 3 days) and hitchhiked around.
In the morning, despite the forecast for miserable weather, we headed to the Coast, not far from Calais. Turns out the weatherman was wrong because we had blue skies and sunshine, although a LOT of wind.
Our first stop was the coastal hamlet of Ambleteuse. The town now is nothing more than holiday homes and a few restaurants. At this time of year it's a seaside ghost town. A few centuries ago it was a different story. Henry VIII of England built two forts here in 1546 as a bit of an "in your face" to the French kings. Henry II of France had them conquered three years later. At the end of the 17th century, Sebastien Vauban built Fort Mahon at the mouth of the river, which still stands. And it's what took us to Ambleteuse. According to my post-visit research, it's the only coastal fort preserved in France. Ambleteuse's colourful history doesn't end there. Napolean tried to create a harbour with the intention of invading England in 1805. The foundations are still there.
We drove along the Coast to the town of Wimereux. In summer this place would be crazy, but in early February we were lucky to find somewhere for lunch. We wanted frites, which we found at a van set up in a car park. It was still too windy to enjoy them ON the beach, so we just parked on the promenade and ate in the car.
Then it was off to Cap Gris Nez and Cap Blanc Nez. The cliffs of Cap Gris Nez are the closest point of France to England. We could see the cliffs of Dover in the distance (only 34km away). Apparently it's rare to get skies as clear as we had and water as blue, especially at this time of year, but we were lucky. We braved the wind and walked around the point and the maritime security centre that sits up at the lighthouse. Then we drove to Cap Blanc Nez. An obelisk sits at the top commemorating the Dover Patrol, which kept the Channel free from U-boats in World War 1. We could get down to the beach here and see the cliffs from the bottom. Amazing site. I still can't get over the weather.
We drove back to Rouvroy and to an afternoon snack of cake and waffles followed by dinner of salmon and pasta. Lucie's mum is an amazing cook!!
Pics will come when I write a proper post for Pegs on the Line. This is just a quick update so I don't forget anything!!
Thursday, November 22
Berlin: Day 4 | A culture fix
I've already touched on Berlin's incredible street art. It's everywhere. I had considered doing a street art workshop (I could be a talented street artist without even knowing it), but decided I am all to aware of my lack of artistic talent and opted for just a tour.
I began the day at yet another cafe. This time it was a case of walking around Prenzlauer Berg and finding something that looked good. I ended up walking to the Mitte neighbourhood and into Marketta. There was no English menu but still quite busy. I took that as a good sign. I ate my breakfast (more bread) at a large communal wooden table next to a toasty fire while reading my book. Now that is how to start the morning.
The tour started at 11am and our first stop was the Turkish neighbourhood, Kreuzberg. It wasn't long before we were walking down Oranienstrasse, which I visited on Tuesday. Our guide, Penny, pointed out a lot of things I didn't notice before and gave me the background on things I had seen. The tour was a mixture of education about graffiti and street art (they aren't the same thing), checking out some great pieces around the city, visiting some galleries and even an African beach community, YAAM. The latter was due to be closed down the day we visited. It's a waterfront property and money trumps what the community has going on there. I was surprised it was still open when we were there given the impending eviction.
The below picture is a funny story. The artist, El Bocho, has done his own take on a Czech cartoon called Little Lucy. In the cartoon, Lucy loves her cat. In the street art, Lucy is always trying to kill her cat. Bocho has gone so far as to hang up stuffed cat toys in a noose around the city.
The tour finished up at the alley Annika took me to on my first day in the city (what are they odds) and after I enjoyed my first taste of currywurst from a stand in Hackescher Markt.
I used the rest of the afternoon to expore Prenzlauer Berg. Even though it was a little chilly, it's a great time to visit the city. There are trees everywhere and they look gorgeous with their orange and yellow leaves.
After a stop at another cafe, I jumped on the train again. When I was in Paris I saw an exhibition of Helmut Newton's work at the Grand Palais. His photographs are not to everyone's taste so I won't be surprised if you Google it and wonder what the hell I see in it. But I loved what I saw in Paris. What I forgot was that Newton was from Berlin, before he fled the city (he was Jewish). The Museum of Photography here was built by the Helmut Newton Foundation. It features an exhibition of Newton's personal belongings including condolence letters to his wife, June, and documentary footage of Newton at work. The footage was different to what I saw in Paris.
I caught the train back to Prenzlauer Berg and had a German dinner of schitzel and roast potatoes followed by apple strudel before meeting Annika at Kaffee Burger, a music venue down the road from my hostel. Friends of hers were playing in a band. The music is described as "gypsy pop" and to give you an idea of what that entails, the instruments used by the two bands we saw included a clarinet, accordian, trumpet, double bass and a duck whistle. Of course all the singing was in German - apart from one chorus of one song, although Annika had to point that out to me because I'd stopped paying attention to the lyrics and just enjoyed the music.
I was trying to find a sample of the music and came across this video from the gig I was at. It's the second band that played, Polkageist. Go to about 2:30 and then 5:40 to get a sense of the energy.
I began the day at yet another cafe. This time it was a case of walking around Prenzlauer Berg and finding something that looked good. I ended up walking to the Mitte neighbourhood and into Marketta. There was no English menu but still quite busy. I took that as a good sign. I ate my breakfast (more bread) at a large communal wooden table next to a toasty fire while reading my book. Now that is how to start the morning.
The tour started at 11am and our first stop was the Turkish neighbourhood, Kreuzberg. It wasn't long before we were walking down Oranienstrasse, which I visited on Tuesday. Our guide, Penny, pointed out a lot of things I didn't notice before and gave me the background on things I had seen. The tour was a mixture of education about graffiti and street art (they aren't the same thing), checking out some great pieces around the city, visiting some galleries and even an African beach community, YAAM. The latter was due to be closed down the day we visited. It's a waterfront property and money trumps what the community has going on there. I was surprised it was still open when we were there given the impending eviction.
The below picture is a funny story. The artist, El Bocho, has done his own take on a Czech cartoon called Little Lucy. In the cartoon, Lucy loves her cat. In the street art, Lucy is always trying to kill her cat. Bocho has gone so far as to hang up stuffed cat toys in a noose around the city.
The tour finished up at the alley Annika took me to on my first day in the city (what are they odds) and after I enjoyed my first taste of currywurst from a stand in Hackescher Markt.
I used the rest of the afternoon to expore Prenzlauer Berg. Even though it was a little chilly, it's a great time to visit the city. There are trees everywhere and they look gorgeous with their orange and yellow leaves.
After a stop at another cafe, I jumped on the train again. When I was in Paris I saw an exhibition of Helmut Newton's work at the Grand Palais. His photographs are not to everyone's taste so I won't be surprised if you Google it and wonder what the hell I see in it. But I loved what I saw in Paris. What I forgot was that Newton was from Berlin, before he fled the city (he was Jewish). The Museum of Photography here was built by the Helmut Newton Foundation. It features an exhibition of Newton's personal belongings including condolence letters to his wife, June, and documentary footage of Newton at work. The footage was different to what I saw in Paris.
I caught the train back to Prenzlauer Berg and had a German dinner of schitzel and roast potatoes followed by apple strudel before meeting Annika at Kaffee Burger, a music venue down the road from my hostel. Friends of hers were playing in a band. The music is described as "gypsy pop" and to give you an idea of what that entails, the instruments used by the two bands we saw included a clarinet, accordian, trumpet, double bass and a duck whistle. Of course all the singing was in German - apart from one chorus of one song, although Annika had to point that out to me because I'd stopped paying attention to the lyrics and just enjoyed the music.
I was trying to find a sample of the music and came across this video from the gig I was at. It's the second band that played, Polkageist. Go to about 2:30 and then 5:40 to get a sense of the energy.
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