Moustache - WHY WAIT FOR NOVEMBER?

July 18, 2022. Arnex-Sur-Orb, Switzerland, to Berlin, Germany. 

On the move again, this time back to Berlin by train. 

On the train, from Yverdon-les-Bains to Olten, there was a woman with a dreadful cough. We just hoped that it wasn’t Covid.

This train wasn’t very crowded, which meant we could keep our distance from the coughing woman.

However the train from Olten to Berlin was full and we had to wear a mask – yuk. 

It was a fast train and at some points we were travelling at 250kph but it didn’t seem like it. 

No sooner had we arrived in the capital, we were greeted by the welcoming call of the emergency sirens. 

The sirens are a very distinctive sound in Berlin, so much so that young Brianna can imitate them.

Dinner was at Lemke, a Berlin brewery very near our hotel. 

We had been there before. It’s a beer hall with good food and a variety of beers on tap. 

My favourite beer was a Hopfên Weisse, a Weizenbock IPA. At 7% it was a meal in itself. 

July 19, 2022. Berlin, Germany. 

H, A and B were back in Berlin from Rome and they are now starting to make plans to move to Granada, Spain, later in the year. 

To keep out of their way we are staying in the H4 hotel. It’s in a good location, midway between Hayden and Andrea’s place and the commercial area of Alexanderplatz. 

It’s also not far for us to walk to our favourite eating area near H and A. 

After checking into the hotel the previous night, our first task of the morning was battling the hotel internet.

We needed to get this sorted, as I had work to do and we also wanted to start planning the next stage of our journey.

In the afternoon we were out with Brianna for an ice cream and then some park time. This is always special and there is a range of playgrounds, nearby, that she enjoys.

Having visited Berlin many times since H and A moved there in 2015, we have noticed just how well this part of the city is set up for family apartment living.

Playgrounds and parks are everywhere and some apartment blocks, like H and A’s even have their own ‘child friendly’ space within the complex.

Plus, there seems to be acres of space for bikes – well, we are in Berlin and everyone rides one.

That night we had a family dinner at Metzer Eck, our favourite German restaurant, that’s not far from their apartment.

This is one of the oldest, family run restaurants in Prenzlauer Berg, dating back to 1913.

This was before the two World Wars and the division of Berlin, into East and West, after the second.

It has a very cozy interior, where you are surrounded by antiques and family heirlooms.

The food is traditional German cuisine, served with friendliness and warmth.

Surprisingly, given my dislike for potatoes, Bratkartoffelen is one of my favourite dishes.

This is simply roasted potatoes with fried Spec or pork pieces and roaster onion.

There is an abundance of very good Asian restaurants in the area as well, but we much prefer the beer halls and simple, homely, restaurants like Metzer Eck.

We can eat Asian food at home whenever we feel like it.

 

July 20, 2022. Berlin, Germany. 

It’s a scorcher today, with the temperature getting up to 38ºC. However in other parts of Europe it’s in the 40s.

Even Switzerland.

As I have previously mentioned countries like Germany, the United Kingdom and Switzerland are not built for these kind of temperatures. For one, no one has air conditioning, only heating.

Even the asphalt melts on the roads, as it’s not designed for the heat.

The cities are also much more crowded, with high density housing and narrow streets, that have little tree cover. 

Sadly Brau Factum, the craft beer hall, is in decline.

It was so close to our hotel, that I was looking forward to a pint of their excellent beer before dinner. 

Just like we did in 2019.

However now their hours are limited and the offering isn’t as extensive. 

Another victim of Covid19 I’m afraid. 

Dinner was at the iconic Hofbräu House, which is almost next door to our hotel, then a short walk down to the Spree River. 

It was still around 33°C, so no exertion was needed. 

July 21, 2022. Berlin, Germany. 

Thea needed to visit the doctor for more tests, to see if she was on the mend.

After her appointment in the morning, we had a walk through the Tiergarten to the Brandenburg Gate, while we waited for the outcome of the tests.

Late in the day we returned to get the results – great news, she was on the improve.

After that we had a celebratory drink at Kaschk, a coffee and craft beer bar serving Brlo. It also has good wine. 

And the wine was cold, unlike the offering from the Hofbrau House the previous night. 

It was then to Khushu, an Indian restaurant, for dinner. We had been here in 2019 and it was great. 

History repeated itself. 

July 22, 2022. Berlin, Germany. 

Now Thea had the all clear from the doctor, it was time to plan the next stage of our adventure. 

As we can only spend 90 days in Europe, we will now head to the United Kingdom. 

That night dinner was with H, A and B, this time at one of our favourite Thai restaurants, Anjoy. 

We do occasionally go to one of the numerous Asian restaurants in Berlin.

July 23, 2022. Berlin, Germany. 

It was a Saturday and H and A weren’t working, so after coffee at The Barn, our go to spot in Berlin, then the market and two playgrounds, we had lunch at H&A’s.

Then in the afternoon another coffee and two more playgrounds. 

Brianna loves her playgrounds.

The evening concluded with a light dinner at Schankhalle in Pfefferberg. 

We discovered this restaurant, bar and brew pub, that’s very close to Hayden and Andrea’s apartment, in 2019 – it was good then and still is. 

 

July 24, 2022. Berlin, Germany. 

Avocado on Toast at Kaffee Käthe for brunch.

We have been here many times before, as their take on this Aussie favourite is worth returning for.

Their coffee isn’t that bad either.

Then later in the afternoon, it was an Ice cream for Thea and a coffee for me. Then a slow walk down to the Spree and Museum Island.

There were still Ukrainian flags flying on many of the buildings, a constant reminder of Putin’s ‘Special Military Operation.’

It’s summer in Berlin and nothing seems to be open, especially the Craft Beer bars. 

So many of these places are privately owned and those owners go on holidays during, what they see as, the quiet period.

Pity about the poor tourists visiting Berlin.

That night we went to Tsomi, a Georgian restaurant, for dinner. We had passed this place a number of times and really wanted to try it.

Especially after visiting Georgia in 2014.

July 25, 2022. Berlin, Germany. 

Another warm day, this one in the mid thirties.

We spent most of it getting ready to move on Wednesday. 

There was clothes washing at the H and A Laundromat, followed by a playground visit with Brianna.

Late in the afternoon there were thunderstorms and heavy rain, with the temperature dropping.

That night we went to an Italian restaurant, near our hotel, and were given a table looking into the kitchen – we were very close.

It was like watching ‘Master Chef’ live, while having dinner. 

Normally we eat outside but we wanted to stay dry, so opted to move in and their wasn’t much space left, so that was the seat we were offered.

July 26, 2022. Berlin, Germany. 

It was a quiet day planning the next steps, then a park and playground excursion with Brianna in the afternoon.

Our last dinner, before heading to Britain for a couple of months, was at Hayden and Andrea’s.

July 13, 2022. Barcelona Spain to Arnex-Sur-Orb, Switzerland.

Another country today, this time to catch up with Denis, my mate in Switzerland. 

Denis had also missed the wedding in Italy, so this would be a good time to talk bullshit and relive old times. 

A common pastime of old farts. 

In the morning the lifts in our hotel in Gràcia weren’t working, so I asked to get someone to help us with the bags. 

When we got to the lift we discovered they were working again. 

The trip to the Barcelona airport and check-in was very smooth, as was the flight to Switzerland. 

Vueling performed well, even the disembarkation was handled in an orderly manner –  yet again. 

We found the railway station, within the airport, and booked our tickets. We weren’t due to catch the train until 14:05 hrs so we had some time. 

We then got some lunch. 

Two very small ham and cheese rolls and a glass of wine. 27SF or just over A$40.

Our short stay in Switzerland isn’t going to be cheap.

However we aren’t paying for accommodation, which will be a saving. 

 

July 14, 2022. Arnex-Sur-Orb, Switzerland.

After a chatty night with Denis we had a latish start to the day. 

Even Switzerland was feeling the heat of the European summer, so we weren’t about to exert ourselves too much. 

It’s so dry in Switzerland that they have imposed water restrictions. 

Who said that climate change is a hoax?

Afternoon tea at the Restaurant Chalet du Surchet, then we had a short walk, along the hilltop near the chalet. 

As you would expect from the Swiss countryside, the views were spectacular.

We then drove around the area to get a better look before heading home.

That night’s dinner was at The Toucan Restaurant. 

Located in an old farm building and offering local food and wine, this is an institution in Arnex and we have been there a number of times before. 

With the weather being so warm, we ate outside, in their large shaded terrace area, as did everyone else.

This is unusual but so is the climate at this time.

 

July 15, 2022. Arnex-Sur-Orb, Switzerland.

It was another unusually warm day in Switzerland.

Denis is a fan of art and we always seem to gravitate towards a museum or gallery when we stay with him.

Today was no exception and we decided to go to Lausanne to see an exhibition of Art Brut.

I won’t even try to explain what this art form is, but rather I’ll cheat and copy the the introduction that was on a poster near the entrance.

‘What is Art Brut?

Art Brut or Outsider Art, is made by self-taught people who often live on the margins of society, either as rebellious souls or as beings that are impervious to normative and collective values.

Among them are prisoners, residents from psychiatric hospitals, eccentrics, loners and outcasts whose creative expression exists for itself without any concern for public criticism or what other people might think.

They invent their own creative space, seeking neither recognition nor approval. 

Totally original in their chosen means and materials, utterly singular in their creative process, they produce works that are untainted by artistic tradition.’

As you would expect, from this description, the exhibition was somewhat of an eye-opener and very left field.

The term Art Brut was created by the French painter Jean Dubuffet (1901-1985).

He was also responsible for gifting the museum, that housed this exhibition, to the City of Lausanne.

It was opened in 1976.

Dubuffet also donated much of the art featured in the show.

We then drove to Lake Neuchatel (Newcastle) for an afternoon drink at Terrasse du Pécos. 

It was then a walk into Grandson, a beautiful village that was also on Lake Neuchatel, where we had another brief walk around.

 

July 16, 2022. Arnex-Sur-Orb, Switzerland.

While Australia has been going through a cold spell, the temperatures in Arnex have been in the 30’s.

The interesting thing about the type of heat that Europe is is currently experiencing, is that nowhere is designed to handle it.

All the homes, public buildings, restaurants and cafes have heating, not cooling.

Now the hot spell has spread to England and in some places the temperatures are expected to reach the 40’s. 

We spent the afternoon with a couple of Denis’s friends by Lac Léman, near Lausanne.

It was great to get views of the city from over the lake.

 

July 17, 2022. Arnex-Sur-Orb, Switzerland.

Rather than staying in Arnex during the day, we felt it was best to get into the mountains.

At least the temperatures were bearable there.

So the drive this afternoon was to Le Pont for a coffee.

Then on to Châtel (Altitude 1,432 m) for a walk to the viewpoint for a pre dinner snack, which included a rather tasty wheat beer, at Restaurant Châtel.

Denis is a real ‘tooth’ and always has been – it’s impossible to fill him up.

And now, the same can be said for Thea as well, who’s appetite certainly wasn’t abating due to her current medication.

We toured more local villages on the drive back to Arnex.

Over the years Denis has taken us through many of the villages around his home in Arnex and they all seem to have one or more of Martine’s relatives, the Morels, living in them.

I suggested to Denis that when the locals marry they need to get a DNA test, just to make sure they’re not marrying a cousin.

This was our last day in Switzerland, as we would be heading back to Berlin tomorrow.

 

The main reason we were in Berlin again was to catch up with Hayden, Andrea and young Brianna. 

We were there for Brianna’s birth in 2019 but Coronavirus (COVID-19) put a stop to any return travel. The other reason was the wedding of my mate Rob’s son Cam to Fran early in July.

This was planned to be in Rome in 2020 and had been postponed, again due to Covid.

The family had been invited to Rome for the celebrations and this was a great chance to get everyone together.

Our first three weeks was spent with H, A and B, with only this excursion to Große Wannsee.

Not having been to Berlin since 2019 we noticed a lot of difference. This was mainly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On a day trip into the city we were surprised to see that one side of Unter den Linden, the road that houses the Russian Embassy, was blocked off and guarded by German police and armoured vehicles.

There was clearly a fear that the embassy could be attacked by pro Ukrainian supporters.

Support for Ukraine was everywhere, with flags flying from many buildings, including public ones.

Another thing that surprised us was the German’s attitude to the Australian lockdown during the pandemic. They were shocked to hear how severe it had been and many felt that it was infringing on our ‘Human Rights.’

We did try to point out that it was for the benefit of the society as a whole and to many Australians that outweighs individual selfishness.

Another shock was the rise in the cost of living.

It was much more expensive to live here than it was back in 2019.

Even before we embarked on this trip, I had decided that architecture was something I’d missed. As we wandered around the streets of Berlin, I was richly rewarded with an abundance of architectural sights.

Just simple apartment buildings, that had survived WW2, were a delight to see again.

Also as a result of the pandemic, the government introduced a monthly €9 train ticket. This was designed to stop people using their cars and therefore valuable fuel. As far as I was concerned, this was the only positive to come out of the Ukrainian war.

June 12, 2022. Berlin to Große Wannsee, Germany.

Coming into Berlin we flew over Große Wannsee, a lake area to the south west. So we decided to visit it on the train and utilise our €9 monthly train ticket.

This was the only touristy style adventure undertaken during our first stay in Berlin.

There was a long sandy beach on the lake with small, two seater, beach seats and a tiny section for the nudies at one end. 

There was a €5.50 entry to the beach and it was crowded.

After visiting the beach on the lake we had lunch just near the entrance to the Berlin-Nikolassee Station. This station, built in 1909 and designed by Fritz Bräuning, is noted for it’s prominent Neo-Gothic entrance.

We then walked from Nikolassee to Schlachtensee. There you could swim and sun bake for free.

If you really needed to spend money, then you could hire a canoe or rowboat or go back to the Große Wannsee.

It was then back onto the train for our return trip to the city. 

 

Beermats, as we know them today, were developed by Friedrich Horn, a German printing and board mill company in 1880.

Before that they were originally developed, to not only absorb spills but to cover the beer and stop insects from drinking your precious ale.

A practice that can still come in handy today.

Once they were made from absorbent board and printable, they became an advertising tool.

As I have mention, in a previous blog, collecting beermats has become a hobby, as they remind me of where we have been and what beers were on offer.

I have noticed, over the time, that overseas beermats now have many marketing uses. They are a great way to get attention for a brand, raise issues and even to tell history.

The Scottish craft beer rebel, Brew-Dog, uses their mats to tell the story of their carbon neutral approach to brewing and also their 50/50 sharing of profits with their staff.

Something that may have been forced on them by the mis-adventures of their founder James Watt.

Budweiser Beer by Budvar, in the Czech Republic, tells the world that their beer is the original Budweiser, not that crap copy from the US

While Scapa Special, from Swannay Brewery, in the Orkney Islands, at the very north of Scotland, has taken a historic approach and featured the 1919 scuttling of the German fleet at Scarpa Flow.

Here in Australia, the availability of beermats seems to be in decline and certainly those that are around are not putting the medium to it’s best use.

Like any advertising, they cost money, but they are certainly an engaging marketing tool that can bring recall to the brand.

Have you ever watched a flock of seagulls when there is ‘human food’ to be had?

They may live in a community but it’s a community where the individual rules. 

They are self serving. 

They always put themselves above their cohort. 

If there is any chance that another gull might get to the food first, or even be in a better position to score, they take over. 

With this individualistic approach to life, I can’t help but see similarities with parts of the American culture. 

Many in the US put themselves above the community. They regard their own needs as more important than those of the group. 

The louder I squawk the more attention I get. 

This attitude seems to parallel a certain US president of recent times. 

This may seem a radical statement, however the result of the recent referendum proves it. Given that not one state voted in favour of indigenous recognition and only the ACT voted in favour. 

It’s not the average Australian that’s to blame but rather the Labour party and the ‘Yes’ Vote’s total lack of communication skills. 

They simply didn’t articulate the argument for the change. 

In contrast the Liberals and ‘No Voters’, understanding this failure, came up with a one line statement that grabbed people. 

‘If you don’t know, vote no.’

Politicians should understand that the average person needs simple explanations, not complex rhetoric. 

‘Joe’ or ‘Julie’ public don’t have the time or the inclination to wade through pro and con arguments.

They want it to be kept simple and that simply didn’t happen. 

To many, my headline that ‘Australians appear to be fundamentally racist’ might seem extreme and inflammatory but that’s how the world has viewed the result. 

The vast majority of the international press articles I have read, expressed a very negative response to the referendum’s outcome. 

For a nation that prides itself on it’s multiculturalism, this is a shocking result.

 

I found this notice above an old biscuit making machine at Brunettis, a restaurant and coffee house in Carlton.

If you read the copy, you will discover it’s all about Pietro Berto. Yes, the machine has a name. He immigrated to Australia, from Italy, in the mid 1950’s.

Now this was about the same time as many Italians came to Melbourne and settled in the Carlton area.

As well as bringing biscuit making machines, more importantly they introduced the Espresso machine to our way of life. And it was from there that Melbourne’s coffee culture was born.

This resulted in Melbourne being voted the World Coffee Capital in 2022.

Carlton has a rich Italian heritage, that is further brought to life by this charming snippet of history.

You will find the words for the notice here:

PART OF BRUNETTI’S HISTORY

Hello “Ciao”

My name is Pietro Berto, I was born in Vicenza Italy in the 1940’s.

At the age of 10 I travelled to Roma where I settled for a while and worked in Bar Santa Chiara, near the famous Pantheon. Here I helped make many delicious sweets, enjoyed by many tourists and locals.

At the age of 16, looking for new horizons and wanting to share my skills, I travelled thousands of miles by ship and migrated to Melbourne, Australia. I worked in various “Pasticcerie” in Melbourne, but finally settled here at Brunetti. I have been responsible for all the delicious almond biscuits you have enjoyed over the last 30 years.

I am now in my 70’s and have recently retired, but don’t worry I have passed on all my recipes and skills to my son, Pietro Jr. who will continue my legacy. Between you and I, the young generation are excellent in many things, but they just lack the toughness of us old guys.

P.S I love having my photo taken so #brunettiselfie and I can share it with all my friends!

Also don’t forget to try Pietro Jnr’s Biscuits!

On Tuesday February 8th, 2022, the composer John Williams turned 90.

Now that’s an incredible achievement within itself, however the amazing thing to come from William’s life was the legacy of movie soundtracks that he created, especially during the 1970s and 1980s.

Soundtracks that not only help us recall the movie but also the time in our lives that they were screened.

He also helped to immortalise some of the new directors who commissioned his music. George Lucas and Stephen Spielberg are just two.

In 2012, Spielberg stated that: “John Williams has been the single most significant contributor to my success as a filmmaker,”

The movies Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Superman and E.T. The Extra Terrestrial defined a cinematic era.

Other movies, especially the James Bond series that started in the 1960s, used the then currently famous songwriters and performers to write and perform their theme songs. 

Goldfinger, 1964 and Diamonds Are Forever, 1971 are both by Shirley Bassey. Live and Let Die, 1973 by Paul and Linda McCartney and The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977 by Carly Simon, are some I recall.

On reading about John William’s 90th birthday, I searched Spotify for a playlist.

That night, over dinner, we were transported back to another time in our lives.

It’s amazing where music can take you.

 

I discovered these signs leading to, and in front of, the public toilets in the St Collins Arcade on Little Collins Street, Melbourne. 

They not only indicate that there is a convenience nearby but use the universally accepted graphic to point out exactly where it is and where you need to go. 

This is the first time I have ever seen this done – it’s very clever.