Boat ride on River Spree in Berlin

 A dear friend of ours came down from Hamburg for a couple days during these summer holidays.  She passed through Berlin a few times but never actually saw the places of touristic importance. This time she wanted to see Berlin from the river Spree. What better way of sight seeing than a boat ride! 

So, we bought tickets online for the boat ride a day before, 20 Euro per head; printed them out. On the day of our excursion, we got ready with our picnic lunch, sun hats, comfortable shoes and presented ourselves at the starting point which is near Freidrichstrasse train station.

On a sunny and beautiful thursday, with clear skies, and gentle warm breeze, we started off for our tour of Berlin; as they say, a song on the lips and a spring in the step...

We travelled by Stern und Krisschiffahrt, for the 12.30 pm slot. The boat was filled to capacity and we took our places on the open deck, to take in the sun and have better views of the buildings and sights. There is seating on the deck, below the deck ie. Restaurant area. Food and drinks are available on the boat. The staff comes round to take orders continuously.

 They provided an audio commentary describing where the boat is headed, the monuments on the banks of Spree and a brief history of them, as we passed them. Along with entertainment, the ride was educative too. Those who are yet to master their German, this can be a little bit challenging, as the guide speaks in German only. 

It is a 2.5 hr boat ride and you will see most of Berlin; the fantastic views you will only experience from Spree.  

There is something about water, trees and grass, that the mere closeness of them will soften the rigid lines, add life to otherwise barren landscape, and give motion to the still and listless facades. Contrary to boring and barren landscape, Berlin cityscape is vibrant and full of beautiful and iconic buildings and monuments, most of which we get to see on this tour.

 

We see exterior views of most of the museums on museum island, the Reichstag, and most of the new govt. buildings.

 

  The boat passes under some of the famous bridges ……

 

 

 

Exactly at 3 pm., we were back to the starting point, feeling satiated. I managed to get acquainted with fellow tourists and exchanged news and views ….

It turned out to be an enjoyable 2.5 hrs, soaking the sun, the brilliant skies, beautiful views, grand monuments and great company of my friend.

It was especially pleasant for me as I love water and outdoors. 

 Berlin is bustling with tourists at this time of year. If you are ever in Berlin, please do this tour. It is worth every euro and every hour of your time.

TEGEL LAKE BOAT CRUISE, BERLIN

A boat cruise on Tegel lake - A tranquil experience

Have you been to Berlin? yes? Then you must have visited Tegel Lake at least once. If you are yet to visit Berlin, then this is a must visit spot...

Tegel Lake is situated towards the north west of Berlin. It is sprawling water body, with a lot of arms and a few islands in it too. I had been to the lake front a few times already and watch these big cruise boats take off and comes in with tourists... I never did think I could do it.
Suddenly a friend asked whether I would be interested and I jumped at the opportunity, and set May 1st as the date, since it was also a national holiday here in Berlin.
The starting point of the boat cruise is easy to find and the boat was waiting for us, so to speak. We reached by 1.55 pm and it started at 2 pm.
The cruise was for all of 2 hours and what 2 hours it turned out to be!!!!

 

The tickets were 10 Euros per head. Refreshments were available on the boat at extra charge. They also provided cushions and blanket for those who need them. The cruise boat was in 2 levels, for those who want to sit in shade and relative comfort from sun, glare and breeze; for the more adventurous ones who do not want to miss the view of the sky, birds and clouds drifting past, their deck is an ideal destination. We chose to sit on the deck; I would not miss the sea gulls, white swans or the sailing ships for anything.

 

The route is a meandering line along the coast and sometimes goes between the islands. 

 

One gets to see the lovely lake front houses and sailing clubs and school. Some of these residences have their own docking facilities, others use public facilities. So many different types of sailing boats, motor boats, rowing boats, canoes and speed boats.

As it turned out, it was a perfect day for an outing on the beautiful lake but also with a bright sun and stiff breeze, perfect day for sailing. So we got to see several sailing boats on the lake.

As it is spring, it is lush green all around, with bright blue skies and tranquil waters, spending 2 hours on the waters of Lake Tegel is a true pleasure. If you are anywhere close by don't miss it. 

Salvadordo Mundo Church - Goa

 

It was Easter and we have a ritual of going to a natural spring before sunrise and drinking the holy water from it. Since both Jo and I like the spring and the location of Pomburpa, we headed there. I had not noticed it earlier, but close to the spring, is the beautiful church of Salvador do Mundo church or The Savior of the World church. On our way back from Pomburpa spring, we stopped at the church.

 

It was constructed in 1565 in Serula in Bardez. Perched on a slight height, the church overlooks the river and fields in front.

The designa dn detailing of the architecture is perfect, neither too ornate nor too bland. 

It had three bays and three stories high. It has been beautifully restored and is in excellent condition. 

There are two octagonal towers on either side. The bell is hung in the centre, towering above both the towers.

The morning sunlight streaming through the front door

The church was all ready for a Easter service

The ceiling shows the craftsmanship used in the construction. It could have been a simple wooden  frame. The brackets supporting the beams are beautifully carved. Trellis type wooden above the beams adds such pretty touch!

 

The colourful ceramic tile skirting on the walls adds an old world charm to the church.

 

Through the left side door from the church leads to a corridor, beyond which is a lovely and green central courtyard. This annexe holds the parish residence and other activities.

The stone plaque commemoration of Consecration

International Women's Day, March 8, 2018

We had started celebrating March 8th. International Women's day, since last year. It was great fun. So, this year, some of us decided to have a celebration, and start planning early. There floated many ideas for entertainment, food etc. Location was to be on the terrace. 
What i liked best about this year's party was that, those who wanted to take up responsibility for arrangements, came forward and put their hands up for different jobs to be done. There was no delegating, asking or requesting people to attend the meetings, and who would do what! One lady took responsibility for arranging the games (2 nos.), another lady for the decorations, yet another was willing to collect the money from the attendees and keep the accounts, One more decided to take care of the lighting, furniture etc. One of the residents is a great dancer, who was willing to teach others, if any are interested, to put up a performance; since no one was ready, she did a solo. 
In the preceding week I was conversing with a few women, and it struck me that I have a few ideas to share. I offered to do a short talk on the subject of women. 
The theme for the party was 'Retro'. Hmmmm.
Boy, did we get busy trying to interpret it and reinterpret? Which look to affect, did we have the clothes and accessories? how do we look in it? questions galore...
However we turned out, one thing I knew was that it would be a blast! we would have fun dressing up and laughing at each other's get-ups. It was a blast!

 

 

 

All the ladies discharged their responsibilities with precision, on time and excellently. Great retro music, great ambience, lively ladies, and a great time was had by all.
Here is the verbatim of my speech:

International Women's Day is annually held on March 8 to celebrate women's achievements. The theme for 2018 International Women’s Day, is, “Time is Now: Rural and urban activists transforming women’s lives”.

On this International women’s day, I want to share a few points that are close to my heart:

1.     Celebrate:

We may be young or old, fat or thin, fair or dark, educated or not, employed or unemployed, rich or poor. But one thing is common to us all. We are all beautiful. Each woman is unique and special. Celebrate that beauty. Celebrate that uniqueness. Being born a woman is a cause for celebration. Celebrate because, this is the only life we have. It is now or never. Donot put off enjoying life today, tomorrow and the day after. Make a list of all your wants and desires and start fulfilling them. Do you agree with me?

2.     Exposure:

Are we getting enough exposure to different peoples, different cultures, and different ways of living? Are we broadening our horizons? Or are we living in our own small worlds, like frogs in a well? If not, the time is now, because, Exposure gives experience; and Experience builds confidence.

Women, we need to be more confident!

3.     Autonomy:

Autonomy is the ability to make decisions about one's own life. How many of us women have autonomy in all the aspects of our lives?

·        Do we have the right over our bodies or is someone dictating who we should marry, how many children to have, how we should look and how we should dress?

·        Do we have the right to the kind of education we want?

·        Do we have the right to a career of our choice? Or who is deciding whether we should work or not?

·        Are we having a right over our money and financial assets? Is someone else making the decisions on money for us? Financial independence is the most important aspect of women’s empowerment.

4.     Sharing:

Share, share, share. I cannot stress the importance of sharing enough.

As women, we need to share our lives with each other. Share your thoughts, share your feelings, share your joys, share your successes, and share your troubles. There is no shame in sharing your ups and downs in life. They say, Happiness gets doubled by sharing, and troubles get halved...

Here is a forwarded message I received several years ago via email. It is about the importance of being connected to other women. I liked it so much that I wanted to share it with you all today:  

It is about sisters....

“A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day,  
drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As
they  talked about life, about marriage, about the
responsibilities  of life and the obligations of      
adulthood,  the mother clinked the ice cubes in her        
glass  thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance        
upon  her daughter        
       
'Don't  forget your Sisters,' she advised, swirling        
the  tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll        
be more important as you get older. No matter how        
much you love your husband, no matter how much you        
love the children you may have, you are still going        
to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now       
and then; do things with them.'
'Remember that 'Sisters' mean ALL the women...        
your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other        
women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women        
always do.'     
What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman        
thought.  Haven't I just gotten married?        
Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a        
married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely        
my husband and the family we may start, will be all I        
need to make my life worthwhile!'   
But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact        
with her Sisters and made more women friends each        
year. As the years tumbled by, one after another,
she gradually came to understand that her Mom really        
knew what she was talking about. As time and nature        
work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman,        
Sisters are the mainstays of her life.    
     

After more than 50 years of living in this world,        
here is what she had learned:  
She says,       
“Time passes.   

Life happens.
Distance separates.        
Children grow up.       

Jobs come and go.        
Love waxes and wanes.        
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.        
Parents die.        
Colleagues forget favours.        
Careers end.  

    BUT.........      
 Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how        
 many miles are between you.

A girl friend is never farther away than needing her, can reach.       
When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you        
have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on        
your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the        
valley's end.     

Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk        
beside you...Or come in and carry you out.     
Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,        
daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers,        
Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended        
family, all bless our life!      
The world wouldn't be the same without women, and        
neither would I. When we began this adventure called        
womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or        
sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we        
would need each other.” End of the forwarded mail.

Finally, let us do our bit to ensure that the future for girls is bright, equal, safe and rewarding. It is our responsibility to pass on the lessons learnt in our lives to the next generation of young women; lessons on - health, men, relationships, work, career, money etc.

Let’s also teach the girls and young women, how to live a life of dignity, how to hold our heads high, how to command respect, how to succeed, and most importantly how to fight back, and how to stand our ground.

All you wonderful women assembled here,

You light up the world.

Keep it going ladies, bright, radiant and shimmering!

Have a great International women’s day!