The Lake House minus the house

 It was Exberliner's article that first got my attention of this place but what really got me intrigued was of course a picture a friend posted on Facebook. If her intention was to make one jealous of her whereabouts, it worked, since I was working inside behind a computer on what was the best, if not perfect summers day.

Regardless, Fabrizio and I finally set out to the lake with bikes and backpacks, taking the S2 all the way to Bernau and then google mapsing our way through small town streets and beautifully thick, dense forest. You know that feeling when you haven't seen the sea in ages, and you drive over a mountain and WHAM, there's the big blue stuff. Well, thats kind of the same thing I was experiencing when I first spotted some specks of blue peering through the trees. A small ride further and we were sitting on a small beach costing us 3 Euros , a small price to pay for the ridiculously clear blue green waters filled with small fish. We dove off the wooden pier, backstroked along the lake and nibbled on icy cold chocolate ice creams, in what seemed like the typical summers day.

An easy peasy trip back home, by biking to the Wandlitzsee Bahnhof and taking the regional train to Karow, and then the S2 back into the city, its a small slice of summers solitude barely an hours distance.

South African Snapshots- Part One

Having lived overseas for just over a year and a half, returning back to South Africa and seeing everything for the first time was like I was on some serious psychedelic drug. I suppose it really put the saying "being high on life"to a whole new level.

The most overwhelming feeling was in actual fact the sense of space that surrounded me everywhere. On first waking into my parents living room (which is not big, but most certainly double the size of our apartment), the closest description I can come to is that of being in a museum hall. I suppose the fact that the space I had lived in and been surrounded by on an almost daily basis whilst growing up felt strange by seeing it "for the first time"again. Needles to say, I threw myself onto my old bed with the linen smelling just like home and with fond memories.

On one of the first few days of being back, I casually went to Pick n' Pay, a South African Supermarket, to buy some essentials. I felt completely gobsmacked by all the food options and variety of absolutely everything! I became so used to shopping at  The Netherlands's Albert Heijn and Berlin's Netto, where there is literally just one brand of each item. I must have looked like a tourist with all the snapping away I was doing with my camera and small notes made in my sketchbook. When paying for all my items at the cashier, I felt  absolutely spoiled when a lady (Spongile) personally came and bagged my things. If you may not already know, here in Europe, you have to bag your own things at such a fast pace due to the 'production line' of customers behind you. I was quite traumatized by this experience in the first few months of living in Europe, but realized that all along I was quite spoilt with the service I had in S.A 

What I anticipated most about being in South Africa was going back to Johannesburg and seeing the city I fell so deeply in love with whilst studying there. I never in my life though I would be so overjoyed at seeing Taxi's clog up the city's CBD and hearing their never ending honking. On one occasion, I quickly snapped a photograph of a taxi whilst at a robot (what we call a traffic light in South Africa). The light turned green before I managed to finish taking the photograph, but the starstruck taxi driver  stood still and waited for me to finish taking the picture before driving off. 

The overall energy of South Africa is truly something I cannot explain. Perhaps it's just what I have ever known growing up, or maybe I just love that damn place so much, despite all of it's flaws. One such flaw is a serious lack of funding towards public museums and culture. I visited the Johannesburg Art Gallery ( JAG), to view an installation by renowned South African Artist William Kentridge. The building itself was in absolute deterioration, and not a soul around to view ay of the incredible works despite the museum being free of charge. I realized as we drove out of the museum parking lot and out into the crowded, chaotic and rubbish piled streets of the CBD and Hillbrow, that there are far bigger problems to take care of. If you are ever in need of a reality check, thats most certainly the place to go to.

Johannesburg Arts Galery, Pick n' Pay, Fort Klapperkop, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Maboneng Precinct, Protea (South African National Flower), Braamfontein, Voortrekker Monument, Juta Street, Askari Game Lodge

An eager beaver and beach burn

 After all the rain we had been experiencing the past couple of days (seriously, three days non stop), I leapt at the opportunity to visit the beach on seeing the weather report read anything other than rain.

 

The train from Bergen op Zoom to Vlissingen is about a hour away, and a leisurely stroll to the beach town's boulevard from the station. There was a nice cool breeze blowing,  cooling the day of. This however concealed the fact that it was actually sweltering hot, and as I lay on the beach ( thinking I'm getting a sweet tan), I was in fact being scorched.

 

However,my body's reddened (or lobster like)  appearance didn't last very long. Overnight I managed to become tanned once again after a whole year of missing out on summer and it's safe to say I am no longer a pasty European.

 

Brief non bullshit friendships

Nataliia and I met in a somewhat unconventional manner, although in this day and age I suppose it is all the more normal.

 

I had recently relocated to a new town, of Bergen op Zoom in The Netherlands, and because I got Thursdays  from work off, was wanting to meet up with a local for a bike ride, or perhaps a coffee in one of the cafe's. I had sent out a few simple messages on couchsurfing and awaited responses, but not thinking much of it.

 

I received an email via the website the next day from, none other than Nataliia, who is originally from the Ukraine, and was at the time living with her Dutch boyfriend in the town. She, however, was not one of the recipients I had sent a message to, but had sent talmost the same message to me, wanting to meet for a coffee, or a chat. There was something about the situation that gave me a good feeling about this, and so we met up the following Thursday. We continued to meet up every week, at the same cafe' and had grown close in the matter of a few weeks.

 

She has since then moved away from Bergen op Zoom, and is currently living her dream of seeing Paris and travelling the rest of Europe. Although our friendship was short lived by her departure, whenever a Thursday approaches, I think of her fondly...

Berlin, you son of a bitch

I mean this term in the absolute best possible way, that Berlin, you may just be the best place I have been to. There is something about this place that just does something to you. Of course the people I met and the things I did may influence this considerably, but the entirety of my time in this city consisted of a no bullshit Berlin.

No more words can really describe this place, so I will keep the rest for myself, sorry folks...

kreuzberg canal // wohnzimmer café // bauhaus archive museum // mauer park beauty in the spring// glory whole  kaffeehäuschen // lovers at a protest in front of brandenburg gate  // mauer park childishness in the spring // deep chill at adalbertbrücke // jewish museum // lichtpark // selfie time at the bauhaus archive museum // kaffee pause // portraits at  my good friends café journale

ANTWERP TAKE TWO

I managed to fit in a sneaky bike ride to Antwerp from my new town of Bergen op Zoom this past weekend. It's a mere 38 km by bike and went by somewhat quickly (it takes about 2 hours along the bike paths) . The bike ride on my journey back was a different story though. Biking against wind is not an ideal condition in my eyes and I suppose you could say I am still recovering from the trip. Regardless, I feel quite chuffed at the few photos I managed to take of Antwerp in full swing of spring

START SPREADING THE NEWS

So with all the drama and hype everyone usually places on getting around New York City, I managed to easily navigate my way from Newark airport, to the front door of my sister’s apartment in Lower Manhattan.  Having taken numerous means of transport in Paris, Barcelona, Holland, and Belgium over the past 7 months, New York was but a mere piece of cake.

After a long sleepless flight and a 4 hour Opera show at the MET the previous night, my day only began by 11 (as all my days seem to go whilst travelling it seems). I casually took the respective metro lines (have I mentioned how much I love the Metro?) to where I had to be and admired the greatness that the Metropolitan Art Museum and The Guggenheim had to offer. I braved the ridiculous minus degree weather (and my equally ridiculous down feather coat) to stroll through Central Park and purchase a famous New York City hotdog to somewhat warm myself up.

My Friday morning got off to a better early morning start and a full day ahead, although in all honesty, much of the day's itinerary had only been thought out that morning. I reminisced at the 9/11 memorial, gawked at the Statue of Liberty, and suited up in Wall Street (whilst getting lost somewhere in between). For the most part, I really wasn’t that hungry or even peckish, but I simply couldn’t resist trying all the American candy I had heard and seen so much of. Twizzlers were by far the most disgusting, with a taste and texture similar to that of soap and Tootsie roll visually resembling something along the likes of..er poop. Hershey's Candy Bars and Reese’s peanut cups were by far the tastiest of the lot.

After much debate about where we would be spending our Friday evening, we opted for the cosy bar around the corner from the apartment. The whole thing felt very New York as we had to wait outside on the sidewalk for a table whilst passer-by's complained. Like something out of Sex and the City!

The Saturday morning miraculously presented us the warmest weather since I had arrived,  and we made full advantage of it by using our Citi-Bike passes to head to Brooklyn Bridge. It really is like something out the movies, all the people jogging, walking, biking and pushing strollers. Everything except seeing two lovers meeting halfway across the bridge. Our mornings adventure was followed by watching a real Knicks basketball game at Madison Square Gardens. We munched on popcorn and kept our eyes peeled for any celebrities seated in the front row.