Berliner Lustgarten

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.

Monkey in a palm tree (I must be in the tropics, not Germany)

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!