It was a special day in Berlin today.
Today, the 9th November, 2014, marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, the most significant event in German history since WWII and that which effectively signalled the end of the Cold War. To celebrate this momentous occasion, a ‘Lichtgrenze’ (light border) was erected along a 15 km stretch along the border of the original wall, marked by some 8,000 illuminated white balloons; a symbol of peace and light and a stark contrast to the cold, concrete brutality that once stood in its place.
Tonight was not a night to stay indoors, that’s for sure — the entire city was abuzz with people, crammed along every metre of the symbolic wall, ready for the release of the luminescent balloons into the skies. Each one was faithfully accompanied by cheers from the crowd, celebrating the peaceful revolution that took place in 1989. With the Berlin Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra playing at Brandenburger Tor and a stunning display of fireworks concluding the celebrations, tonight truly was a special time to be in Berlin.
This week’s favourite links are:
WATCH: We all need a little bit of colour in our lives don’t we? In this week’s TED talk, artists Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn take this idea to a whole new level. Their story of transforming underprivileged communities by painting entire neighbourhoods with colourful designs and employing the local underprivileged youth to work with them on their project is so very inspiring.
READ: Today’s celebration called for a reflection on Berlin’s divisive past. These photographs juxtapose a number of locations across the city then and now. It’s still so difficult to comprehend how recent this history is.
EAT: We’ve gone a little nuts with kale in our household at the moment. We walked away from Markthalle Neun yesterday with bags of it, maybe a little over-excited to finally get our hands on it. You may have seen it in my green smoothie this morning on Instagram. Unsurprisingly, therefore, this kale pesto orecchiette is now on the menu.
MAKE: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: autumn is hands down my favourite season in Europe. This autumn mobile is a lovely seasonal decoration for the home (or for those with little ones!)
BUY: Living in Europe means that I’m forever looking to the next weekend adventure and, as a result, the importance of good quality carry-on luggage is of paramount importance. Who wants to be stuck at the baggage carousel wasting precious minutes of your fleeting weekend escape? Not me. I’m in need of a new carry-on, and this one has caught my eye.
GO: Late last Sunday night, I returned to Berlin from a work trip to Barcelona. I can’t quite believe that I’ve been lucky enough to visit this city three times in the past year and, whilst I do love it, I am also looking forward to exploring some different regions on my next trip to Spain. Cereal Magazine has ensured that Andalusia, for one, is on the list.
Wishing you a bright and happy week!
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