"This is not a pipe" - but it is a Castle, I insist.

Dear You,

"This", said the Flying Dutchman with a stubborn sub-tone in his voice, "this is NOT a castle!" 

Well - well - well - 

but IT IS! 

This is "Schloß Paretz" - a classicist castle in the little village Paretz (in Ketzin/Havel) which the Prussian King Wilhelm III. ordered to be buildt in 1797 (it was a manor before, so the Dutchman is right too).  

The King used it for himself and his wife as a summer residence when they wanted to be far away from the ceremonial life at the Court in Berlin. 

The interior was designed by David Gilly - it had fine unadorned furniture, made with good craftsmanship. 

Outstanding are the very beautiful(and soon famous) wallpapers which even survived the years of the GDR. (After the Red Army the GDR used the castle for the VFB Tierzucht (= animal breeding). 

Some wallpapers were imported from China, many came from Paris or Berlin,  

painted or printed, 

Schloß Paretz had beautiful castle grounds (after the English model)- a lot of it was torn down after 1945. 

Otherwise I would have liked to show you that - maybe in winter? - on a tour with one of the funny sledges 

- though, come to think of it: maybe today some other iconoclasts might throw this one into a river, so it is safer to choose the chaise or carriage: 

At least we are able to see the church: 

It stems from the Middle Ages, some frescoes are still there, but the church you see nowadays is from 1797/98. 

The contemporaries called castle Paretz "Schloss-Still-Im-Land" - Castle-Silent- in-the Country". 

The charming sleepy village Paretz is still ...silent. ..

But the King and his wife Luise could rest, and play. 

So they had fun - 

which I wish you too. 

Yours Truly, Britta 

Have You Ever Been to Brandenburg?

Dear You, 

you might have wondered where I have been - sorry to write so late - but I was lost in Brandenburg (a joke that only insiders might understand): Brandenburg is the (charming) "waste-land" around Berlin. 

Rainald Grebe, a German comedian, wrote a very angry song about it ("take something to eat with you/ we drive to BRANDENBURG"). 

But I think it is very beautiful, a lot of nature around. 

Huge woods:

and woods with fields (at the moment sunflowers) 

and ripe crops....

                                                   .... and woods .....

         

But they have also many castles, some I will show you next time. 

Till then:  Toodle-pip! 

Yours truly 

Britta 

 

Danish Pastry

Dear You,

today only a short letter from Yours Truly. 
See the little Danish pastry - I walk an extra mile to get them from that baker, have to choose between three different fillings, cherry is very tasty too, as good as this vanilla pud with tangerine - so let's take them all.

I send you the photo because on the plate (which I love dearly - have only two left) the pastries are so tiny - that reminds me of the smaller scale most things were in the past.

Nowadays the cookies have the size of a cow pat - the popcorn comes in huge buckets, size of an elephant foot, and many people swell like balloons.

Take as many of these little delicacies as you want (a man needs at least three), there are more if you wish - but just stop a minute before you take the next - you don't have to scrape your plate obligingly just to make the sun shine tomorrow (that's what the told us when I was a child - a plate not cleaned meant rain tomorrow).

Enjoy your sunny Sunday!

Yours Truly
Britta

This one is for Geo.

Dear Geo., 

on your blog "Trainride Of The Enigmas" you wrote about that haunting experience in your garden, "Pumpkin Demon" (scroll down on the right to reach it, 6 days ago) and I am so glad that Norma was able to take a stunning photograph of it.

I asked you if I am allowed to draw that little monster - and here it is:

Pum P. Kin. 

You might have heard more of his distant cousin - who lives under the name of  Potem P. Kin
- and that says it all... 
Over-zealous he added one "P" too much, sometimes writing it out into Pjotr, claiming that his roots clung to noble Russian soil, (his knowledge of Russian aristocracy is ... erm... a bit weak, and only by  hearsay) You remember when once he tried his luck as an architect? The customers admired the beautiful fronts of the houses - but entering they were not content, too much fresh air...
His newest projects are different versions for Cindarella's pumpkin coach, digital of course.

So, you see, there is a vast difference to Pump P. Kin, who is a friendly and honest creature.

But it is easier to tell about the bad guys!   :-)

Yours truly,
Britta 

Stormy Weather

Dear You,

Look what happened, twice!
The wind smashed the great pot of oleander - the oleander survived (well, he has a long practice from clinging to the centre strip of the autostradas in Italy...) but the pots--- not...

For weeks now we have a very strange wind, hot, it reminds me of the short story of Raymond Chandler, "Red Wind".

"There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge."

To strengthen my jumpy nerves I started drawing again - since I call it "illustrating" I love it more, because that takes away the stress of higher aspirations. I am not an artist as Rachel or Tom or Cro - just an amateur who knows quite well that I paint way to precise, use far too small brushes (but have a good eyes for colour), and as the storm blew me a twig from a plane tree in front of my feet, I used it for "my little daubs", as Miss  Mapp always put it, looking in the hope for getting approval. 

She - not me!   :-) 

I always forgot to ask: Do you draw as a hobby? Or how do you use your creative talent?

Yours truly, 

Britta

Intoxicated by the smell of limes

photo Britta 

Dear You, 

These days Berlin smells like a heavily perfumed woman - the lime trees flower and their honey-sweet smell comes into every room - wonderful!
I'm glad that I am here at this time! 

"Frau Toni" is a perfume manufactory in Berlin as you know, because you once asked me which perfume I wear, and other than my friend Hildegard I do not keep that as "TOP SECRET". So you know that I use No. 37 - "Violet" - which was the perfume of Marlene Dietrich - and is not half as heavy as it sounds.
(By the way: this is in Germany the only perfume that contains violet - you have to travel to Paris to get one from Serge Lutens)

And this "Frau Toni" has also created an air freshener (perfume for a room - which I normally detest) that is called "Berlin" - and is limetree-flower smell in a bottle - heaven!

Outside I often see bees or bumble bees that lie on the ground - if you bend and listen carefully you'll here them bawl songs as

                      "Let's go for a drink, forget it from now,
                       Put it behind you, I think it's your round.

                       Cause you're my mate and I will stand by you,
                       You're my mate and I will stand by you...." 

Right Said Fred - so help that little totally pissed little mate on a place where no-one might trod upon it...

Yours truly, 

Britta

Stairway to Heaven? (Does anybody remember laughter?)

photo Britta 

Dear You,

Yesterday I had an appointment with my dentist. 

I must show you the flight of marble stairs quite typical for the Bayerische Viertel, the Berlin quarter where I live - oh yes: of course there is an elevator when you reach the first floor (er - yes - that's where the railing ends! And should I better use "if"? If you reach the first floor? Don't worry: a doctor is in the house...) 

I might have told you (have I? I learned a very valuable lesson there a few days ago) that my fitness-studio still offers only a third of the work-out places: so my dentist offers me a good training. For free! 
No problem for a fit person as I... 

Unnecessary to mention that the elevator is - locked down. 

A dentist can not easily treat patients who are wearing a mask over their mouth :-) 
Another valuable lesson here: We have to trust each other. 
(When my sister was five, the dentist in Bremen sent her home - she refused to open her mouth...) 

But I am (almost) grown-up: 
I gave him a big smile. 

And smiled even more when I heard: "Everything is ok". 

Almost lost my glass slipper when I hurried back down! 

Yours truly,
Britta 

PS: The house where I live is a bit similar, but luckily there are only three marble stairs till you reach the little elevator. 
Our stair carpet is brown, not red - and can you imagine: a thief silently robbed all the brass poles - up to the 4th floor! Nobody noticed... 

By-effects of the lockdown

photo: Britta 

I read Rachel's post and answered this way (added here a bit):

"Many friends, including me, feel odd these days, Rachel (as you write: only sometimes).
One word, should I describe my feeling, is "UNREAL".

The many pretty trees (I love them!) in Berlin help to get that impression: you walk in a street and the light is green - as in a fishtank.. :-)

Unreal, because everything fades a bit, loses colour (only a bit), the sounds become muffled (or are not there).
I never had one, but to me it seems like a global depression: we are waking up in the middle of the night, worrying about the world of thousand things, monkey mind active like hell...

A feeling, that the world around us is still THERE  but covered in a ball of cotton.

There, but in some distance (might I make an educated guess? 1,5m distance?)  

The world is THERE (of course, and will be there long after us), but my feeling signals: it is not really HERE, the world.
Query: maybe I am not really here?


I love fairy tales more and more. I feel like Snow White in her glass coffin - I am alive, but sort of sleeping.  Want to disgorge that poisoned apple.
Feel thin-skinned. Vulnerable. Prone to tears. Unreal. Locked in <- That word describes it nicely, I think. 

Or even better: locked down.

Well - I'll drink a tea now. Might start to read Wilkie Collins again: "The Woman in White".
Or "Wild Sargasso Sea" by Jean Rhys - or Jane Eyre - all locked up women...

Song in the background: "Wake me up, when it's all over..."

Summer Solstice and Midsummer Madness

You might wonder about this photo - I took it in Noordwijk where I saw that the evening sun in my back was mirrored in the window of a holiday apartment.

As to solstice: the Flying Dutchman mentioned it quite often last month - and I always reacted a bit annoyed: Why mention it NOW? Why not wait? What do you want to express with it?
(I learned that the Dutch fear darkness - darkness in "full" daylight, I mean - and right they are, too many grey clouds can get you down. BUT: why think about that when the sun is shining brightly?)

I am not a paragon of patience.
My friend Christine tries to teach me for years (she is a paragon of patience!): "Don't cross the bridge before you reach it!" 

And though I am a great midnight rambler (to be exact: I ramble at three o'clock in the morning, heavily trying to puff up many balloons of worry - and I have a lot of breath!) I can abstain from worrying about the rhythms of the year.

I love spring, I love summer, I love autumn, and yes: I love winter too.
I see qualities in each of the seasons and do not want to miss one.

Tom is polishing his silver candlesticks. He is prepared. The Flying Dutchman is that too.
I - honestly - lit the 5 candles on my candlestick every day when I eat dinner.
Paradox: I make that moment special by something I do every day.

Though I confess: I break out in spots if I hear another mentioning of "Achtsamkeit" = "mindfulness" (a whole industry is thriving on this) - of course I enjoy when people really enjoy things -- but spontaneous please, not "holy" (if you get what I mean).

PS: Where is the Druid, the blogger Heron, by the way? 

Outlander.

Today I did something VERY unusual for me - to be honest: I think it was the first time ever. 

A friend of my friend Anne had told me that I MUST watch a TV series, MUST!  

She is Scottish, I didn't know her, but liked her, thought "MUST? I?" and when I heard "Outlander" I thought: No way - Fantasy is absolutely not my cup of tea. 

Later I bought it, stacked it away, didn't watch it, almost forgot it. 

But today I suddenly thought: "Well - might have a look." 

(It was a sort of Scottish day - rainy... And now so stormy, that I cannot upload a trailer or a photo...) 

You must know that I am a great fan of Scotland, and to the surprise of everyone I even love bagpipe music (normally you can make me mad with many sorts of music - I hear like a bat and really suffer). 

Well. And there I sat. And stared. 

And fell in love immediately, without any sign of forewarning. 

Well - I only saw the first episode - but I think: "Louis, this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." 

Better late than never.    😂 

Fata Morgana 2 - more photos than text

photos Britta

Here you see "the back" of the Charlottenburger Schloss 

A baroque garden, beautiful and well-kept borders - here it seems a bit unkempt...

Normally the bridge is painted in beautiful red 

Huge! Flowering soon. 

 

(How can I delete it?? Only the photo - I love the statue of the Alte Fritz, our King. )

I do hope they don't mess up his pedestal (as with Churchill's statue), or even dump him into the Spree...

The front of the Schloss 

I have just this photo from many, many years ago, a class trip from Bremen, where I come from, to Berlin - then I stood with some pals of mine here and look at him, "Der Große Kurfürst" ---

The Schloss is well protected: 

and now you will understand, after seeing a third of it, why I missed it so very, very much. 

fin

A Fata Morgana - Revisited (1)

photo Britta 

So long it was forbidden ground for me - the lockdown draw a railing around my mobility - I could only go where I could - go. Felt like sitting in a golden cage.

Almost every day I walk about 10.000 steps - but that would be not enough to reach the Charlottenburger Schloss - Google map said: 2 hours walk to and fro - but then I wanted also to walk in the beautiful baroque park!

The Schloss became a symbol, a Fata Morgana, almost an obsession.

Yesterday, which was warm and the air was filled with the intoxicating smell of flowering lime-trees, I got plastered by that.
Got reckless (in a very cautious way: took my unsightly anti-virus-mask - I do have beautiful ones from van Laack, almost an accessory, but they are not so effective), took all my courage into my gloved hands,
- and for the first time since February I walked into the Berlin version of Hades, the underground:

photo Britta 

As you see: not many people here! (I chose a time when people don't have to go to work).
I did not enter the nearest entrance, U Wittenberg Platz, because there is the luxury store KaDeWe, which is open by now and visited by many tourists. I also avoided the next stop, "U Bahnhof Zoo" (a very very bad station even in normal times, and a traffic junction, and a junkie junction..) but of course had to walk a long way to the (hopefully) "more harmless station" Ernst Reuter-Platz.

Only three stops later I was there - "there" means: again a very long walk through Charlottenburg (which I used to visit an acquaintance - the goldsmith Anne Rink - often a costly chat - yes,  yesterday too :-)  - meaning: I had to run back to a bank... and then back to her - but I wanted a symbol of my new freedom.

Then I had to recover from that, which I did by visiting one of my favourite cafés, Café Reet;

... they have the most wonderful Tarte mousse au chocolate - which is not fat, I always wonder how they do it - it slightly crumbles in your mouth in the way cracknel crumbles, but very softly.
Thus strengthened I walked on.
And felt a bit like her:

Minerva - or Athena - a statue created by the Dutch sculptor Bartholomeus Eggers (*1637 in Amsterdam, died 1692) - which stands now in the Charlottenburger Schlosspark.

                               Pallas Athena: goddess of wisdom, strategy and combat. I love her!

(to be continued)

Elderberry (sambucus) for a trial

This is my first try with the new blogger version. 

You see one of the sweet smelling elderberry flowers I photographed in the Netherlands. 

I love elderberry - 

in Germany it was a sacred house-tree. We call it "Holunder" which refers to "Frau Holle" - a figure in Grimm's fairy tales who shakes up the eiderdowns (then it snows on earth), but cares about other housework too. And can become very angry if you don't do it well: look at the fairytale "Frau Holle". 

I remember the scent from my earliest days: my grandmother (the red-blooded one) had a pergola with climbing roses, and behind it stood an elderberry tree. 

I love elderberry cordial, become sick when I eat blue elderberry soup (part of the little stems are poisonous) and haven't tried "Holunder Küchle" yet, where one big flower is covered with pancake batter (hopefully without those myriads of black lice elderberry is prone too!) and then deep-fried. 

So: still something to discover. 

As there will be on the new blogger version, I think. 😀