2015 is here and everything has a sober look again. All is fresh, the christmas-feel is almost gone, definetely no more christmas markets and one has to really think hard about the next reason to feast. The cool thing about Kreuzberg is that no reason is neccessary to raise the next glass, L´Chaim is the motto, life and its weirdness is celebrated constantly.

The idea of christmas is all about modesty and inner reflection. Isn´t it funny how we all do the contrary? We spend sick amounts of money and fall into gluttony. Then for the new year many of us conclude resolutions and try to do what we actually should have tried for christmas. Therefore a nice and long walk in the neighborhood is a good step in the right direction. We go for walks and runs quite often, but the New Year´s Walk is always something special. It´s like a greeting towards the new time episode, towards other people out in public who walk about for the same reasons, towards buildings, bridges and things that are still standing and will hopefully be doing do so for some time. We take a walk to see the familiar around us, we wish all of those unknown people and things a happy and good new year, we wish to see them around next year as well, we wish everyone and everything a happy gliding along in these unsteady times. In short, we want to see if everything is still the way it was before we went to bed after the big mind cleansing fireworks, because we want most things to stay the same, or, in many cases we want things to improve and become better.

So, with that in mind let´s take a walk and see...

Crossing the bridge into Friedrichshain. Signs of the night before.

Berliners and visitors may be trying to make it better next time

by taking with them what they brought (Ok, I know

what you think and I´m just kidding).

Berlin is a huge experimental field of architecture with all its good and bad sides.

This is a very nice try and it may stay ´til next time.

Molecule Man and the so-called Treptowers over in

Treptow as seen from Friedrichshain. 

Unbelievable empty space in the middle of town along Stralauer Allee in Friedrichshain. I wish Berlin could keep a lot more beautiful wasteland for progressive public use, instead of selling it off to speculators who will most likely cut off access to the Spree River. I want to see this area again next year, not in the form of glitz, but with a nice innovation that´s so typical for this town.

Looking from Treptow into Kreuzberg. To the left the famous Hoppetosse lounge club boat (the New Year´s Eve party on board is still underway until Jan 5th). As some of us will remember from childhood, it´s named after the even more famous ship of Pippi Longstockings father. The owners should take a little more care of Hoppetosse if they want it to stay afloat a little longer. Straight ahead the wreck of the "Dr. Ingrid Wengler", a boat with a highly interesting history (all in German):

 Dr. Ingrid Wengler,  MoPo 2007,  Tagesspiegel 2010,  Der Spiegel 1994,  Facebook,  Leerstandsmelder

The Molecule Man by American artist Jonathan Borofsky facing Friedrichshain. He will be around for a while.

The bigger picture. Looking from Treptow beyond Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain, into Berlin-Mitte. This is quite a view that I would like to enjoy for many more years. A few of Berlins landmarks can be seen from right: Building of Universal Music and Deutsche Grammophon, Alexanderplatz TV Tower, Oberbaumbrücke, the yellow cars of the famous U 1 line, in the background the towers of Red City Hall and Old City Hall, between the chimneys the domed roof of Berlin Cathedral.

Back home in Kreuzberg at the "Freischwimmer" floating Bar and Restaurant. This has to stay forever

(not just because its so conveniently down our street).

Two bridges connecting Kreuzberg and Treptow with people enjoying the late sun.

Between the two bridges on the right is our building. A forever candidate too.

And yes, I want the balloons there next year.