Berlin Picnic #1

Last time I was in Berlin, while walking through Prenzlauer berg one night with some friends, I ended up in an incredible place. Though it was dark and not much could be seen, there were a few pieces there that added up to one of my most memorable nights in Berlin. A park+ a long stretch of the former Berlin wall freshly painted by many of Berlin's artists + swings= incredible. Coming back to Berlin, I was eager to find this spot again--- this time in the light. So on the first Sunday of our stay here, after checking out several other markets throughout the city, we headed to Mauer Park, to check out their market, enjoy a tasty picnic, and see what the park was like in the day time.

It's amazing what daylight can do for a place--that and several thousand people. As we approached the park I was blown away to see SOOOOOO many people. People everywhere! People bargain hunting in the market. People chilling on the grass with their friends. People performing music for crowds. People gathered in droves watching. People spray-painting new works of art on the wall. A.Maze.Ing.

Jacob and I headed toward the large hill where there were so many people hanging out/drinking beer/picnicking/making out/all of the above, it was difficult to find a spot. Eventually we found one and set up.

This picnic wasn't too different from those past-- wine, cheese, bread, veggies. This time we assembled them into a sandwich. At our last picnic I had over-extended my collapsible wine cup, but lucky for me, Jacob was able to fix it!

As we dined we enjoyed a melange of music coming from every different corner of the park, while many adorable dogs played around us.

After our picnic, we checked out the swings!

And after we checked out the swings, we checked out the karaoke performances that were going on just down the hill in an outdoor amphitheater. Brave souls performed for what must have been nearly a thousand people. Minneapolis needs something like this!



The singer in the video above was actually improvising the song based on audience suggestions--- If I remember correctly they were: Angela Merkel, Rumpelstiltskin, and recycling. If you speak German, maybe you'll find it funny too!

Our picnic in Mauer Park was every bit as incredible as our picnic in the alps. The creative spirit of Berliners was overwhelming and it made us very excited for the rest of our time here.