Soulless charm

old new & new old



First time in Hannover. 27-10-2012

just like home

Yesterday me and a couple fellow catalans baked some panallets, a typicaly catalan marzipan cookie that we eat around this time of the year. Although it was the first time we ever baked them the result was amazing. I actually just started liking panallets last year, but now I'm savouring them with a hint of melancholy, which make them even better. It's unbelievable how such flavours can bring back so many memories.

a walk by the lake

 This perfect sun hurts right now, after 5 days of constant greyness...

dining at Fellini's

That germans love italian food is no secret. In Göttingen this is brought to the next level. The international culinary options in the city are reduced to a couple of countries, being Italy the star of the show. Influenced by my mediterranean soul I have found myself constantly craving italian food, good, hearty, old-fashioned italian cuisine. So when I had to choose a restaurant to celebrate my birthday I hesitated for a while but I knew I just wanted to go to Fellini's. This is an extremely popular restaurant in town, and getting a table was a miracle. It has a really nice lively atmosphere, a very laid-back, more southerner, attitude that makes it a very comfortable and welcoming place.

I was so excited to be there that I had the biggest dilema ever when it came to choose my meal, and I hardly ever do that. In the end, I went for the oven baked gnocchi with gorgonzola. It was as simple as it can be, just plain soft gnocchi with the right dangerous amount of gorgonzola sauce, and some more melted cheese on top. It was all about the unique and complex flavour of gorgonzola and I thanked them for not going overboard with the addition of more ingredients.

The desserts were also quite good. Their pannacota was silky smoth, but it was the tiramisu that convinced me. Just to criticize something about it, they could have stuck to the italian way, and avoid the whipped cream and the chocolate syrup. 

Yet again the menu didn't offer full bottles of wine, but they could bring you a rather fancy vino della casa that was really good.

I can just say I was really happy with my choice and that I'm already looking forward to my next visit, this time devoted to try their pizzas, which looked rustic and authentic. 

For a full meal you are going to be paying around 17€, but I have to say it's absolutely worth it.

Birthday present

This was probably the best birthday present ever, aged herbed spanish manchego cheese.

Altona, in & out

Altona station, Hamburg, 16-10-2012

Lost

Today I went for a morning walk making the most out of this sunny day. I walked and walked, and at some point I was lost somewhere in the outskirts of town. I kept walking and ended up in the middle of this field.

Hansaviertel

A birthday morning spent in my favortite part in Berlin.

Only in Germany

For the past two weeks all the stores have gotten all their christmas stuff out, and now you can find all you need to have a proper merry Christmas in October. You can find decorations, cookies, advent calendars, stollens and some ads are already Christmas themed aswell. 

This was amazingly weird for me, but now that it's uncommonly warm in Germany it feels like the silliest thing ever. 

I don't even want to imagine how everything is going to look in December.

Bonanza Coffee

I just had to experience what all the hype is about.

I went, I saw, I drank, I liked.

I do admire the concept but I would have appreciated more explanation about the different variety of coffee drinks being offered and about the making. I think that is the good and long lasting value, offering a good product while educating about it.

Nonetheless I thought the place was really nice and loved sitting outside looking at passerbyes while sipping on my warm and strong black coffee.

Flohmarkt am Boxhagener Platz

Following this amazing Berlin guide we went to the flea market at Boxhagener Platz, in Friedrichschain, instead of going to the old Mauerpark one. We started with some good coffee and a vegan cherry cheesecake at Goodies (also from the guide) and then we walked around the square. I loved this area of Friedreichschain, unknown to me, and that I already want to go back to. We came across another Flohmarkt and in general loved the typical berliner wide cobbled streets with golden-leafed trees on each side. It was a very nice and typicaly berliner way to spend a sunny Sunday morning.

Gegen Against Contra

Neukölln, Berlin, 14-10-2012.

a Sunday walk, NordCampus

Last Sunday morning was a cold and cloudy one, so walking for 45 minutes to the Nordcampus seemed like the best plan ever. I'm so glad I got to see this part of town, this rather dull and unwelcomingly grey part of town. It made me value even more my current living situation and the beautiful city centre. 

Ugliness can sometimes be charming... I guess.

this morning in Theaterplatz

Today the sun was so gorgeous early in the morning, that I changed my daily commute to see how the fall trees were doing. The Theaterplatz looked specially charming so I couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures. 

I'm starting to understand the whole "fall crisp weather" if by 4 degrees celsius we mean "crisp".

Rammelsberg

Loving the horrible pictures my simple digital camera captured down in the Rammelsberg mines, near Goslar.