This weekend we did something I had thought about doing for a while and something on the spur of the moment.

On Saturday, before buying our regular newspapers, we ventured to the zoo area and paid a visit to the aquarium. From the S Bahn station we took the "wrong" way but going the long way around to the aquarium entrance meant we walked around the boundary of the zoo. Unlike Bristol zoo, in Berlin even from outside you can see several types of animals. We recognised elephants and giraffes (who wouldn't!) as well as llamas, donkeys and flamingos. There was even a properly constructed viewing area outside the zoo to see the llamas and it looked as if these particular llamas could not be seen by the people paying to visit the zoo.

The aquarium was pretty good with lots of fish , reptiles and insects (including a mock-up kitchen complete with cockroaches!).

On Sunday we had planned to visit a church we had not been to before and we entered the address into Tom-Tom and got there and parked ten minutes before the service started. Then we realised that the (English) church had moved and a German congregation now met there. Unfortunately, the English church information I had was outdated and we now have the new address so maybe next week. Since we didn't know what else to do we drove over to Potsdam's Sansoucci Castle for a walk. We had been there before but this time explored a part of the garden we had not been in before.

Here's the picture record of the weekend....

Easter drive

Having stayed in most of the easter weekend as we had nowhere in particular to go, I am back to work tomorrow and the sun was shining and there was no snow on the ground this morning, it seemed like as good a day as any to go for a drive.

We set off off firstly for the bunker near Zossen just to discover where it was and it was easy enough to find but we'll actually go in there another day. Then we headed through the countryside, including some snowy woods, to Jueterborg where we had a quick look in the centre of this interesting looking town.

Then it was finally onto Wittenburg. This was where Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the church doors early in the 16th century, having found some discrepancy between what was taught in church and what the bible actually said!

Wittenburg is therefore a very important place for the protestant church and is the site of pilgrimmage for many from across the world.

In the pictures, the 'black and white'church is the church where the nailing of the theses took place.

The very small brick church (with the blue portaloo front and right!) is where Luther was put on trial.





Parish church of St. Mary's

behind the shops

If you take us with you when you visit we can show you a nice Italian restaurant that does very good pork medallions in Gorgonzola cheese sauce!

Switzerland, 35 years on!

Having not skiied for more than five years until I went last moth I have just returned from a nother ski weekend. This time we went to the small resort of Champex-Lac in Switzerland. Denise and I went down and met Steve, and his daughter Helen, from work who had gone there the day before us and came back the day after us. It was Helen's first time on skis so she gave all but the nursery slope a miss.

Champex-Lac

After a warm-up ski session on the Champex Lac nursery slope we headed to the large resort Verbier where Steve and I did some more serious skiing with aches to show for it. I had last visited Verbier on a summer holiday in August 1973.

Verbier

Whoops, back on your feet!

Perhaps I'll just take a rest!

Steve's moment of glory

Move over, my turn at Champex-Lac

Still my go! Champex_lac nursery slope

On the drive back from Verbier to Champex-Lac

Two bits of wood and some white stuff

Somewhat overdue, here are some pictures of my first ski outing in more than five years. Abdi (from work) and I travelled by overnight train to Munich, transferred to Salzburg, transferred to Wrogl and finally transferred to St. Johann-in-Tirol when we donned our ski stuff. A word to the wise - next time take the overnight car train (http://www.autozug.de/) and drive the rest of the way! there was too much wasted time waiting for connections (1 1/2 hours just in Salzburg).
Abdi looking apprehensive as we near St. Johann- what have you let yourself in for!

Here comes Abdi!

It was Abdi's first time on skis (I had to wonder if he had even seen snow before!). It was a good weekend although I would have liked to do a bit more skiing but at least we had each other for company and with a beginner I was unlikely to do anything remotely risky.

On the train back to Berlin

A moving experience

The keenly awaited trip back to Ottawa to take ownership of the new house finally came around. As we prepared to leave the apartment at the start of the journey we seemed to have plenty of time to get to the train station. However, as it often does, those spare five minutes dis-appeared in about 30 seconds and so it was at a fast pace we set off to the train station. We got to the station as the train heading in the southerly direction pulled in and we knew that gave us only a minute until our north bound train pulled in. We raced as much as we could, having to go down one flight of stairs and up two with all our luggage and buy Denise's train ticket before we could board the train. After the first flight of stairs a passing man offered to carry one of our cases for us and so he did, he did not need to insist. We somehow got to the platform, bought and validated the train ticket with just seconds to spare before our train closed it doors and pulled out with us aboard.

When we got off the train we had to catch a bus and we were only halfway across a three lane in each direction road, on the median when the bus appeared! Fortunately the driver saw us on the median and waited a few extra seconds at the bus stop to give us time to complete the crossing and board.

The flights themselves were pretty routine although we did get some awesome views of Greenland from 35,000 feet. We tried to spot some polar bears but they would have had to be pretty big for us to have spotted them although the snow and rock of Greenland seemed only just beyond our reach.

southern Greenland from 35,000ft.


Due to high winds in Munich our flight across the pond was delayed and the knock-on effect was that we missed our next flight from Toronto although we were put on the next flight after ours which was only an hour later.

The house closing was routine although when we went to the house for the walkthrough we were dis-appointed that it obviously wasn't quite ready. There was still a lot of dust around (everywhere) and some things were not complete such as cabinet doors missing but, by the time we left, the final clean up was at least under way.

The builder explained that there had a been some minor problems and we were glad that at least we didn't have a removal truck outside waiting to unload.

We came back on Friday and although some of the minor jobs had now been completed, there was dust everywhere (again!). It turned out that the building inspector had instructed the builder to put more insulation in the attic. They had done so but someone had not made sure the attic door was closed and in fact it was slightly open. Hence when insulation was blown into the attic a good deal of it came straight through the attic door and through the house. That evening the cleaners were back again! Again grateful that the main move was not scheduled until Saturday.

Saturday was clear and sunny though cold but the work of loading the truck with things from Daniel and Gill's as well as our storage unit and moving it into the house kept us warm enough. Thanks to all those volunteer helpers, you earned your pizza!
Hallway Basement


Kitchen and second bedroom


from Lounge to Dining Room



Who's got time to take it easy?
There's work to still be done!

We got everything out of the old house and most of the storage unit cleared and into the new house after a fashion in time for a cuppa towards the end of the afternoon.

Most of the rest of the time that week was spent organising the house, constructing a very large (4' x 10') storage shelf in the garage as well as installing a garage door opener and getting the last few things out of storage.

We did fit in a flying visit to Moises and Lolita in Markham which including catching up over dinner in the CN tower restuatrant. The trip down took longer than planned as there was a snow fall all day. Traffic on the 401 was heavy and slow although at least there were no accidents in the westbound direction though there were several on the eastbound side that necessitated completely closing the highway in that direction.

CN restaurant with Moises and Lolita


Hope you enjoy the pictures, more to come later.

Did we blink?

Our last blog talked about getting Christmas cards written and sent as Christmas was rapidly approaching. Now it is rapidly dis-appearing!

We spent a good ten days back in Bristol and the surrounding area. Christmas day and Boxing day were at Nanny and Grandad's house (along with Bev, Matt, Emma and Carl).

Most of the rest of the time was spent shopping or hanging out with the other clan. That included a 'blow-off-the-cobwebs' walk around Corton Denham which naturally included a stop at the atmospheric 'The Queen's Arms"!

Just to show that we did actually do some walking here a few pictures on the beautiful countryside and one of it's inhabitants.

Having arrived back in Berlin on 31st December we were surprised at how many fireworks the Germans let go all evening and well into the New Year. It was like being in the blitz!

This morning, 1st January, we got up to find it snowing and by the time it finished about an inch had accumulated so we went for a walk and took a picture near the apartment complex little shopping area.