Today, we went out to look at the back wall, because we suspected that it would make an excellent suntrap, where we could go to drink our tea on lovely sunny mornings. And around back, we saw an amazing sight: one of the trees covered in many dozens of butterflies! This picture doesn't do it justice. Also a little bird has made its home in a hole in the wall and we can hear the babies chirping.
And all the plants that we put in last year are really taking over - I was also really happy to see a few bumblebees and a few honeybees and a few butterflies, and a myriad of other little insects all busily enjoying the flowers.
All of the life in this tiny microcosmic eden makes me very happy.
And, I'm also happy because my coquette tube tunic is turning out well so far, I think!
Of course, finishing it means frogging the gothlet (my cotton armour garment), which is taking almost as much time as knitting it did. I don't even want to tell you how long it's taken so far, and I'm not done.
I went to Berlin over the weekend for my friend N's birthday. It was a lovely weekend, with a big barbecue on the day itself. I ate more meat over the three days I was there then I do normally in ... I honestly would say in as much as I do normally in about six months. It was good, but I'm glad to be back to my normal mostly vegetarian diet.
Last year when I went to Berlin for N's birthday, I thought that we started the afternoon of the party off a bit backwards, with cakes and coffee first, due to disorganisation, or for the kids - honestly, I didn't know why, but I didn't know it was on purpose. Not until this year, when it happened again - cakes and coffee first, bbq second. It turns out that this is normal, and most definitely on purpose. Not for any particular reason, it's just 'the way it is.' It works for me - I think if we could meld our two cultures together it would be even better - cake to start, bbq in the middle, and cake to finish!
This was the view outside my window, into N's lovely courtyard. It's a council building, and the courtyard is huge, actually big enough to house a decent-sized kindergarten.
Prenzlauerberg, the neighborhood where N lives, is a bit like Shoreditch, in the way it looks and the many restaurants and cafes, and little organic groceries. Way more kids there, though. At the party, I was one of only two people without kids.
On a more dystopian note, I saw some pretty desolate places on the way out to London City Airport:
6 comments:
Oh, I love Berlin, I've got a couple of cousins who live there. The butterflies look so pretty!
That tube top is looking fantastic! Can't wait to see the finished project. Very jealous of your trip to Berlin; can't wait to go there myself.
I really liked Berlin the last time I visited. I actually had an opportunity to go work there, ages ago, and it was a toss-up between there and Dublin. I didn't get too good a feel for the city then, and chose Dublin. It wasn't until I went back to visit a friend of mine (who, coincidentally, lived in Prenlauerberg) that I realized how great a city it was. By then, it was too late...
Lovely that you have the pleasure of traveling to visit friends and just as lovely to come home to your butterflies and flowers. You are very cosmopolitan, J!
I like your idea of "cake sandwich"--- cake bbq cake. ;)
The Coquette is absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful work.
We used to get loads of butterflies in the garden but I haven't seen any this year. Is taht a budlleia that yours are resting in?
I saw a comment you left on travel knitter's blog that you are off to Edinburgh. Look at my blog at http://edinburghlove.wordpress.com/ for some ideas from a locals' point of view and bring your suncreen it's been hot hot hot here ! (but also your umbrella !) Alison
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