Lange Nacht der Opern und Theater

The Long Night of Opera and Theatre 


Last Saturday night, we spent the evening going from one Theatre to the next, enjoying what the long night of Opera and Theatre had in store for us! We had heard of this night a while ago, and had been looking forward to it for a while!
It cost €11 for a student ticket, and lasted from 6pm until the early hours of the morning! Having spent a very hot day at the Beautiful airport turned Park, Tempelhof, we were reluctant to leave, not wanting to miss out on the good weather and company.

We started our night at the beautiful, grand Komische Opera house to watch the renowned Italian Opera: Carmen! Having never been to an Opera before, I was curious as to how I would find it, and I am happy to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it! The performers had incredible voices, and the production itself has been modernized to Berlin in the 21st century! The seats in front showed a small screen with a subtitles option which was really helpful, as the singing was in Italian, and the dialogue in German!
It lasted for half an hour, and only a few songs were performed, but I found myself wanting to see more, and I will definitely look into seeing another Opera!




Komische Opera






Our second visit of the evening was to Stage Theater des Westens, close to Zooligscher garten. This theatre was also very big and grand, but had more of a comfortable feel to it, like many of the theaters back home. Tanz der Vampire (Dance of the Vampires) was on here, and the ensemble cast performed a few pieces for half an hour. The first song performed was a German version of "Total eclipse of the heart" , which had us all singing the English version along with it! The costumes were brilliant, and the set was eerie and well made. Again, I found myself wanting to see more of it, as I enjoy musicals anyway,and think it could be an experience to watch a Vampire one in German!





Stage Theater das Westens Berlin


Konzerthaus Berlin was by far the grandest Theatre we visited Saturday night. The interior was beautiful, with several big chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling (see pic below). Here, we listened to a Berlin orchestra play music pieces by the composer Handel. The music was relaxing, and they played very well. Again, the piece was short, and I did enjoy the music, however I cannot see me enjoying an hour performance of just music.




Konzerthaus Berlin

I really enjoy the Lange Nacht der Opern und Theater, and I think its such a good idea to allow anyone to watch any kind of performance, whether something they enjoy or something that is new to them in one great night! I would recommend this night to anyone who enjoys a good and cultured night out, even if you are unsure, it might surprise you! i never thought the Opera would be for me, but now I think I will definitely give it a go!

The 58th day!

Today marks 58 days since we arrived in Berlin,and I cannot believe that 8 whole weeks has passed! I remember the first day we arrived, and despite how tired we all were, we had 3 months ahead of us to live and work in a busy and wild capital city!

I know they say time flies, but I never thought it would fly by as quick as this! Fortunately, we did a lot of sightseeing and the usual "tourist" things in the first month, so we do not have too much to do before we leave! With only 4 weekends left, we need to think about what else we would like to see and do before we have to go!


Last week I met a friend at Treptower Park, and after a long journey of changing u bahn lines (due to repairs, closures etc) I arrived at this big beautiful green Park by the river!
We were fortunate to have the good weather on our side, and could walk along the river and take in the views! It is such a peaceful place but I can imagine big crowds gathering on weekends to relax and maybe have a bbq when the sun is shining! As close it was to the city, the peaceful setting was enough to make you forget that you were in a city as busy and loud as Berlin!
The weather appears to be improving, and the sun is out most of the day, its such a shame I can only enjoy the view from the office!

http://www.visitberlin.de/en/spot/treptow-park

The food is just as good out here, and I have never eaten so much bread, cheese and cake in my life! None count towards my 5 a day of course, but they are too good to turn away!
 One Sunday afternoon a few of us ventured to Mehringdam to try the famous kebab, known for being the tastiest in town, so we were eager to try! After queuing almost an hour, we tucked in to a big portioned kebab which only cost €2,90! The kebabs were fresh and filling as promised, however Im still unsure if it was the best I have tasted here, and will think twice before queuing again to buy one!

I  have been planning what to do before I leave, and I know I would like to visit the National History museum and perhaps the Pergamon museum, as I have heard great things about these two from Germans themselves, so its should be worthwhile! I am so grateful that I get one day a week off from work, as it gives me the opportunity to sleep in and then do whatever I fancy for the day!
Added to my list is a visit to lake Wannsee, the old Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and to find out more information on Lange Buch nacht ( Long book night) which should take place in May!

This Saturday, we are going to Lange Theater Nacht which is a night of as much theatre and Opera you can watch and enjoy within a few hours! I cannot wait! We have yet to watch a theatre performance out here, and the night offers such a diverse range of artists, it should be an interesting night!

http://www.kulturprojekte-berlin.de/






Treptower Park

Froschkönig Berlin

Frogs, Films and Friends!


Froschkönig is a Literature and Piano bar hidden away in the backstreets of Berlin. It has become a weekly event for most of us, as every Wednesday they show an old black and white silent film with  a live pianist playing along with the film!
I didn't know what to expect when I first went, as I had never seen a silent film before, and did not know what to expect. Its only a small bar, but its cosy, especially if you go with friends a little earlier to grab the comfy sofas!
 I wasn't expect it to be as packed as it was, and it can be tricky to find a seat, but the crowd is nice and the staff are friendly and make you feel at ease.
The first time we went there, the only thing that put me off was how many people smoked, and seen as it is only a small place, the smoke was lingering and it started getting on my nerves.
I dont have a problem with smokers and I realise that you can smoke almost anywhere in this city, I just dont like it when smokers dont seem to think about non smokers who have a problem with it being blown in our faces!

The second time we went, only a few people were smoking and we were sat close to the front so it did not bother me as much and I could enjoy the film!
"The Navigator" was playing the secodn week we went, and we all really enjoyed it. Its an old black and white comedy starring the infamous Buster Keaton! The story was simple but funny and light hearted, and we all left in such a good mood! 
The piano is a great touch, and the melody always goes so well with the film, and I am always impressed that the pianist can play for over an hour without any sheet music! Its a great (and cheap) way to spend a Wednesday evening, as there is no fee, but you are expected to contribute a little at the end of the night!
I think this is a great place to check out, even if you don't think its for you, just give it a try! Its definitely a different way to spend your evening, and you may surprise yourself and enjoy!




Image: Buster Keaton in "The Navigator"


There are other events on every week e.g live music and literature evenings and there always seems to be a good crowd there!


To check out the program, location and info on the bar take a look at this link:
http://xn--froschknig-berlin-5zb.de/

SODA

SODA BAR- BERLIN


So. Seen as we are in Berlin, we thought it would be nice to do something for Easter, something diferent! Going for food/sightseeing was not an option, so we decided to spend Easter Sunday at the Osterfeuer in the Kulturbrauerei at SODA Bar Berlin! It had 20 live djs playing and had 3 floors full of R n b,hip hop,dance,electro and 90s music! It cost 12€ to get in, which was good for the whole night, considering we spent almost 5 hours there!

We started the night at the main building, which looked like an old warehouse with its high roof and old bricked walls! They had a live band playing on stage, and we didn't realize until the second song that it was Karaoke! The atmosphere was really uplifting and exciting when we got there, i couldn't wait to explore!

I spent most of the night going from room to room, and surprisingly liked all of them! Personally, I am not a big electro/dance or even Rock music fan, but i really liked what was playing! The rooms were packed full of people, but we still managed to find room on the dancefloor! They had new music playing, and oldies i had forgotten about but still managed to sing along!
The only downfall were the drink prices, 8€ for a vodka red bull! Just the one please! The shots were not too expensive but I'm glad we drank before going, otherwise we would have spent a fortune there!

We lasted until the early hours of the morning,and decided it was time to go when I knew a kebab and my bed were calling me! The club was definitely worth paying 12€, and I would go back again! The website is good and shows they have Ladies nights at SODA where entrance is free before 11!

Definitely worth a visit, and I think if you're in the right mood, this place will suit everyone and anyone!



Link : http://soda-berlin.de

Brunch daahling!

Sunday brunch,anyone?

For the past two Sundays a few of us have met up before 12 in the afternoon, to enjoy an all you can eat buffet at a reasonable price! We have been to the same restaurant in East Berlin twice now, as we know what it offers (and they say stick to what you know),but there are several around Berlin that offer the same. It's so nice to meet up on a Sunday, and not worry about what to eat/buy for one day a week!

The buffet seves hot and cold food such as bread rolls, ham, cheese, scrambled eggs, peppers,chicken, fresh fruit, cereal and so much more! It costs €7,90 for the buffet and you can eat muh as you like including desert, if you can fit it in of course! It costs more for drinks but it's not expensive, and the coffee/hot chocolates are delicious!
 It's always packed there an we have been lucky both times to get a table, however the square where the restaurant is located, has many other places offering a Sunday brunch a little less/more, but I'm sure they  are just as filling!

I recommend "Sunday brunch" to tourist and locals, as it such a nice break from cooking for one night, and if you pace yourself and take your time, you won't want or need to eat anything else for the rest of the day!