We behaved like real Berliners today and spent most of our Sunday in sidewalk cafes or picnicking in the park. We started the morning with a coffee at a sidewalk cafe*, then breakfasted in our apartment** while I assembled a picnic. Then we rented bikes for the day and rode through the Brandenburg Gate (and the hoards of tourists), then into the Tiergarden. We picnicked like champs, then rode the length of the garden, stopping to throw a frisbee and nap in the sun for a while. Then we headed to the Sony Center for a gelato break, which is otherwise a dumb mall but has this strange canopy that I have always been a fan of (pictured above). Our route back took us past the somber and starkly beautiful holocaust memorial.***

Back home again and it was beer o’clock on our balcony. Dinner was snacking on stuff at home (we call it “leftovers tapas” to make it sound fancier), and later we crossed the street to try Saphire, reputed to be the best cocktail bar in all of Berlin and conveniently located a 2 minute walk from our apartment. We sat outside, of course, to watch all the people go by. The cocktails were definitely a cut above, but it made us think that maybe the craft cocktail scene has not really arrived in Berlin yet. And why would it, when beer is cheaper than soda?

In all, a beautiful, sun-soaked summer day.

* Our travels have taught us this: Austrians couldn’t care less about their coffee, Italians are much too strict about the rules (what if I WANT a cappuccino after 11am?), but middle-class Berlin yuppies get it juussst right.

** yoghurt with ALL THE DAMN HONIG we want!

***While I realize that a maze of 2700+ stone blocks with narrow aisles between them does make for an amazing place for teenagers to play tag, I sort of wish someone’s grandmother had been around to slap them for not showing more respect at a memorial.