warming up to Berlin

Chance and I met John and his lovely wife Eleanor today in their (and the students’) new Berlin neighborhood, Kreuzberg. It’s a beautiful part of the city, with a lively and diverse feel. Though we spent most of the day taking care of various administrative and technological tasks (it’s always a challenge to get settled into a whole new system of cell phones, internet and ATMs!), we got to enjoy the great fall weather and explore a little of our new surroundings too.

We started out with a walk through the park along the Engelbecken and Luisenstadt Canal.

Like the rest of Berlin, the architecture in this neighborhood is full of contrasts. We admired the Max-Taut-Haus on Oranienplatz, which fits so well into Berlin’s current aesthetic that you might never guess it was built between 1931-33. Max Taut, the architect, was Bruno Taut’s brother. The stately St. Thomas Kirche was constructed in the mid-1860s.

We finished up the evening at Hasir, a delicious Turkish restaurant on the corner of Orianienstrasse and Adalbertstrasse.

The students arrive on Monday, and we’re looking forward to commencing our explorations of this fantastic neighborhood – and the rest of the city – together!