I´m back in my childhood. I feel like a small child quite keen on small wild animals, babies, cakes and cookies, hand-made dolls, bambies and old Hollywood Christmas songs. I remember the film "Benjamin Button" with Brad Pitt and I feel that way: as if the clock needles go backward. Strange, no? I enjoy the smell of cinnamon, clover, peppar, cardamon, ginger, double-cream, pines and glogg these days. So good old memories with all those who are no longer here; so sweet family Christmas traditions from my country and so wonderful past Swedish holidays too!!!

It will be a very lonely and quiet holiday this 2020, but there shall be more holidays to enjoy next year and the following years as well.

As I am not at home, I imagine that I light the four Advent candles in mi heart and I fancy a tall Christmas tree with all the vintage glass-lights we used to hang in my childhood home during the 50-ties and 60-ties. They were wonderful light garlands! Each light was a different figure: a Santa, a snowman, a candle, a street-light, a Rudolf, a cookie, a train. And I shall imagine my own green tree with the names of all the ones I love and all those I remember, written on some beautiful golden tags hanging from every branch.

Ps: this doll is from a hand-crafts boutique I visited in S:t Petersburg, Russia. I thought it matches perfectly with these holidays. I am very childish these days and I love small dolls and hope to see some snow in Uppsala on the 24th!!!

May you have a peaceful 4th Advent this Sunday.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Welcome to another Berliner corner which I am fond of and fortunately discoverd by chance!

It was kind of unexpected, ´cause my plan in the summer afternoon was to watch the classical German silent movie "NOSFERATU" by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (1922). It would be shown on an open-air garden. But it began to rain. Just there, I saw this wonderful place and I came inside so as to dry myself.

It was it´s name that first attracted me: " 3 SCHWESTERN" !! and to my surprise, it had a kind of past-church atmosphere.

Here you shall dine in Kreuzberg´s oldest building from 1846 where sisters of the Bethanien-monastery used to dine. Beautiful! It is rated with 4.3 stars. And though it used to be a monastery, it´s a quite informal place to be; with a wonderful big, green garden where you can sit during summer and eat the almost typical German plain food.

3 SCHWESTERN - $$ 4.3 stars - Mariannenplatz 2, 10997, Berlin

From Berlin´s Hauptbahnhof (the Central Station in Berlin) take train S5 until Ostbahnhof; then Bus 140 at U-Mehringdamm until MARIANNENPLATZ. Then walk for 2 min.

Instagram: @3schwesternberlin

I MISS YOU, SISTERS!

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It may be difficult to find, ´cause there is so little publicity for this restaurant/coffee shop. They don´t need any advertising; always full of happy customers who are locals coming back again and again. On top of the entrance door you shall see just a big and shaggy "G" (i.e: Goldberg) and nothing more!!

GOLDBERG BAR CAFE RESTAURANT $$ - at the corner of Reuterstraße 40 and Pflügerstraße, NEUKÖLLN - two blocks from the famous Landwehrkanal (take U8 -underground that goes from Wittenau to Neukölln)

Berlin is not quite my kind of city, though I must admit her surprises and corners are mostly awesome, cosy and original. Berlin is totally bohemian, shaggy and sometimes chic in it´s own way, quite dirty and you are constantly reminded of all the pain and suffering from her recent past history.

The spirit of Berlin is poor and hungry (you shall see people eating twenty-four/seven everywhere! Both winter and summer!). There has been much hunger, death and destruction here and the city survived divided in two different worlds from 1961 until 1989 by The Wall.

I know: you shall discuss with me, if you have been in Berlin as short-term tourist ... Berlin is in fashion; Berlin is interesting; Berlin is a great centre, but I am always back there for long periods of time and have curiously investigated almost every site I could (not necessarily the classical tour-sites, but the REAL Berlin). Therefore, I can affirm that Berlin is a "HEAVY" place!

Up here you see Golbergs´restaurant and coffee shop which I highly recommend if you are looking for German food, good beers and a wonderful staff. The style indoors is typical for a nonchalant Berliner and almost empty vintage 30-ties salon. You may read the daily press, chat with your neighbour table and sit for hours with your laptop.

At Golberg I had the best ApfelStrudel, choco cake and first dishes to match with beers in all Neukölln.

Goldberg, I miss you!!

KEEP IT SIMPLE