Prater Garten

For the final match of the World Cup, we wanted a traditional Biergarten experience. We went to Prater Garten, just a short walk from our apartment. There were big screens set up beneath tents and televisions hanging from trees. When I saw the salted pretzels and giant pickles, I realized that eating dinner before we arrived was a mistake.

Congratulations, Spain!

Uruguay v. Germany, No. 3

At dinner, I looked up from my seat and felt a surge of gratitude for the precise moment I was living.

Uruguay v. Germany, No. 2

Oh, and about that soccer match: I thought you might like to see the eating part, too.

Uruguay v. Germany, No. 1

My 17-year-old brother is visiting us in Berlin this week. He's a varsity soccer player, and it's especially fun watching the World Cup soccer matches with him. I don't follow soccer at home, but here, it's easy to get into it. Especially when you're out at a pub, restaurant, or Biergarten surrounded by a crowd of cheering, groaning, fist-pumping Germans. I've surprised myself with some heartfelt whoops of my own!

The view

There is a leg that lives one floor up from us here in Berlin. It's the first thing I see when I look out the window every morning, and even after almost two weeks, I still jump a little every time. We have a balcony off of the back of our apartment, and before this heat wave hit, we were having dinner out there every night. I took the bottom shot one night last week at the close of a delicious meal of homemade pasta stuffed with chanterelles (or, Pfifferlinge, as they're called here) and ricotta.

Berlin!

As you've probably gathered from the shorts that Eli has been posting, we landed in Berlin on July 1. I'd say we've fallen pretty hard for this city. We're subletting a lovely flat in Prenzlauer Berg, and we already feel at home. We'll be here for six whole weeks! Pretty darn awesome. Film shots of our first two weeks here to follow, soon.

Berlin :: Day 9

Music - "Julius" by Phish