Last week was our 13 year anniversary (eeek!), so to celebrate we packed up Olive and her friend Edna, and headed to Grünewaldsee for the day. We’ve been there a few times and the Hundestrand is one of our favourite places to go in Berlin. You can let the dogs off the leash so they can frolic with their furry friends while you chill and eat guacamole like a boss. Below are a few iPhone snaps of the day – dog pervs, enjoy!
Pfaueninsel on Wannsee is an idyllic retreat from the hustle and bustle (and broken bottles) of Ringbahn-bound Berlin. At the end of the S7, a short bus ride and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it ferry trip transport visitors to a lush little island covered in flowers and stalked by brightly-feathered patrols of peacocks. This designated UNESCO World Heritage Site was originally created as a testament to Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm II’s favoured mistress, and it seems the romance of the place is infectious – even my parents were caught holding hands as they strolled under a leafy canopy! As ever, Slow Travel Berlin have painstakingly record the history of Pfaueninsel, which means we can leave you with our impressions of the place – i.e. the pretty pictures!
Photos by Zoë Noble Photography
Our recipe for a perfect Berlin summer day:
1. Take 1 dog. We recommend a Bully, but any dog will do.
2. Add 1 blazing hot Berlin summer day.
3. Stew in a airtight S7 train. Time may vary, but our lump of dog took 50 minutes to cook through.
4. Leave to cool for about 30 minutes (or as long as it takes to walk from Grunewald to the “dog beach” at Grunewaldsee Hundestrand).
5. Arrange your other ingredients on a picnic blanket. We recommend wine (white or rosé), bite-sized chunks of fruit and veg and assorted dips.
6. Sprinkle your dogmeat with water to keep from drying out.
7. Mix well with other dogs.
8. Enjoy. Guten Appetit!
Papaerk says: It looks such a nice place…what a find !
This is fantastic! Thanks so much for the tip. Bailey has been a panting mess in this heat. We used to take her to the Rhine when we lived down in Hessen, but had yet to find a substitution for that here. She’s gonna be thrilled to be able to swim again!
Also, lovely photos, as always.
Also a great spot for those of us who wish we had dogs and want to live vicariously through everyone else’s pups. Love Olive’s face in that first pic of her.
James Glazebrook says: GET A DOG!
I’m excited about Social Media Week Berlin (24th – 28th September), for three good reasons: 1) social media is both my job and my private life – and the reason I can’t always tell the difference between the two; 2) this year’s schedule is full of even more awesome than last year’s (read my highlights here); 3) oh, and I was part of the Advisory Board responsible for putting it all together (see my biog and moody photo here). Here are my personal picks of what is shaping up to be a very special week here in Berlin. All events are free, and open to the public (although you do need to register), so I’ll see you down there!
MONDAY 24th SEPTEMBER
Social Media Week Official Opening Party @ Fluxbau (event info)
A no-brainer this one, with free drinks (the Nokia-sponsored Social Bar will give away beer, wine or long drinks, depending on which of three hashtags is most popular at the time), views of the Spree and a performance by an Italian band touring all the European Social Media Weeks: Gardens of Alibis woooooo. Friday’s closing party should be something special too – silent disco, anyone?
TUESDAY 25th SEPTEMBER
Network Awesome @ Naherholung Sternchen (event info)
No more information on this yet, but if it’s half as awesome as Network Awesome’s cleverly curated YouTube videos, it should be Fucking Awesome. Par example, here’s a collection of their head-bangingest, mind-fuckingest heavy metal videos:
Yellow – The Movie Screening @ Naherholung Sternchen (event info)
The cast and crew of this neo-Gallo horror shot right here in Berlin will explain how crowdfunding made it happen, before screening the gruesome short film itself. The movie’s been shown at Film 4 Fright Fest in London and other festivals, and is already picking up rave reviews. I’ll be down the front, hiding behind my box of popcorn.
WEDNESDAY 26th SEPTEMBER
Collaborative Consumption @ Naherholung Sternchen (event info)
People from companies such as Gidsy and Wimdu put their heads together to address the important business of using technology and human ingenuity to develop new ways of sharing, lending and exchanging time, skills and resources.
Beer Tasting @ Naherholung Sternchen (event info)
Need I say more?
I Wanna Dance with Somebody… in Chicago! @ Naherholung Sternchen (event info)
Berlin’s own Paulo Reachi (Tresor) goes up against a Chicago DJ as their sets are simultaneously broadcast in both cities. To get you warmed up, here’s a playlist from Reachi’s Airdrop Records, including the likes of Soul Clap.
THURSDAY 27th SEPTEMBER
Berlapthlon – The Berlin based Heptathlon @ Naherholung Sternchen (event info)
I’ll be taking a break from the day’s hardcore gaming/business content for the appallingly-named, but fun-sounding Berlapthlon. Don’t know if I’ll be taking part in what sounds like a silly sporting event to rival the Slowlympics, but I’ll certainly be there to witness the following activities:
1) Chess (10 minutes)
2) Table tennis
3) Find and eat a vegan currywurst
4) Swim in a lake
5) Bottle opening
6) Bottle collection
7) Get into Berghain
FRIDAY 28th SEPTEMBER
Tod und Social Media / Talking Death @ Design Akademie Berlin (event info / event info)
Both are in German, but I might test my language skills at the closing, and potentially most interesting, sessions of Social Media Week 2012. The first is a talk by Jörg Eisfeld-Reschke of ikosom.de, who is then joined by a journalist, founder and an academic for a discussion about what happens to us – on Facebook – after we die. After all that Deutsch and death, I’m going to need a drink!
For the full Berlin schedule, go to SocialMediaWeek.org. If you were curious about what’s happening ALL OVER THE WORLD on Social Media Week, check out these curated guides:
Social Impact
Food
Mobile
Fashion
Sports
Photography
Gaming
Crowdsourcing
Jobs & Job Seeking
D-I-Y and Arts
Global Curator Don Tapscott’s Guide
SMW Founders Ultimate Guide
Lovely pics and i bet all concerned had a lovely walk!!
Shhh, don’t tell everyone how lovely it is there – it’s our secret in Berlin! haha – lovely photos as always
Black and white is a brilliant solution to gray days. Lovely photos!