Saturday, April 6, 2013

134 Invalidenstrasse, Berlin



That’s my address for the next six months.

And, oh, how happy I am!

I have left behind my lair in the Nollendorfstrasse, midst the cafés and the leather shops, which has been my Berlin home in recent years, and I have crossed the city to ‘Mitte’, not far from where there used to be an infamous wall.
Having decided some months ago on this move, of course, I had to actually find a little place in which to live. From New Zealand? But my friend Paulie (thus christened to distinguish him from Paul GB) took up the challenge, varied his occupation from muso to estate agent for the nonce, and came up with … what?

Well, as we drove in from the airport I was a bit alarmed: the whole area around here looks like Christchurch after the earthquake. I think they must be putting in a new U-bahn line! But suddenly the works ceased, Nordbahnhof station (a very useful place) appeared, and a vast blue and yellow barrack proclaimed itself Number 134.

Up to the first floor … and … oh wow!  This place needs some new publicity photos. I never dreamed from those on the web that it would be so fine!
Instead of my old studio, I have living, dining and bedrooms, plus an enclosed terrace, a huge kitchen, a delicious bathroom with megashower .. the whole equipped with everything a man could need.
Paulie had added sweet little primulas on the windowsill, sunflowers in the bedroom, and got in my favourite foods … and drinks … PGB had brought my suitcase, abandoned annually in his basement … it was all quite perfect, and jetlag or no, in 24 hours, I am unpacked, installed, the ‘office’ is set up and I am ready to ‘receive’.









Its Saturday 6 April, 10am.  I left Gerolstein 3 April, 2pm.
And here I am, sipping my freshly brewed coffee, breakfasting on brown bread, Irish butter and smoked salmon, and pondering on what, if anything, I need to go and buy to complete my new home.
Dishwasher tablets. Oh! Where’s the iron? Don't Germans iron?

Olli comes for coffee .. Paulie for dinner .. the Berlin swing has begun … watch this space!


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