Nivea bear

Another bear sighting! This one is in front of the Nivea Haus on Unter den Linden. It's Wednesday and you'll find more signs here.

The people's thread

I recently found this craft shop with its colorful facade and funny name. Unfortunately, it was closed when I stopped by, but I hope to get back and see inside. Hope you had a great weekend. Don't forget to stop by Mural Monday! 

Living together in perfect harmony

If tea and coffee drinkers can come together, that's already a step towards world peace. I must admit, I love a good paper shop and this one looked very intriguing. It was just closing the evening when I happened past, but I will have to come back for a look inside. Don't forget to stop by Signs, Signs.

Der Platz

A few Sundays ago I made the trek to the Lidl at Inssbrucker Platz, only to find it closed. That particular Lidl was famous for being one of the few supermarkets that was allowed to open on Sundays. I don't know why it's not open anymore, but I ended up going to a store at Sudkreuz train station where I had to wait 10 minutes outside because the store was overcrowded. On the positive side of things, I did get a nice shot of the S-Bahn sign and the crest. I'm linking up with Signs, Signs.

PS: There's more of beautiful Colmar on Halcyon Travels.

Spirals

I just love photographing spiral staircases. Luckily, Berlin has no short supply of them! This one has a special touch of elegance to me and I think it looks great in black and white (even in color, it didn't look much different). I'm linking up with Tuesday Treasures today, stop by to take a look at more interesting things from around the world.

PS: There's more Alsatian glory at Halcyon Travels.

Ideas

Every good museum ends with a tour of the gift shop. But don't worry, our tour isn't over yet! I just wanted to showcase this quote from Humboldt himself for Signs, Signs.

Sweet stuff

The last stop on our cafe tour is the Süsskramdealer. It's a cute and quaint cafe/sweet shoppe located inside an old cigar shop. I've passed by many times and always wanted to give it a try, so I finally went for a visit recently with a friend.

 

In addition to hot drinks, they also serve cakes, sandwiches and salads. I guess you can already guess what I had... chocolate cake! 

I'm not very good at denying myself the little pleasures of life. I'd definitely come back to this cafe, it's not so far from my home and I really liked the unique atmosphere. I hope you've enjoyed this week of cafes from Berlin. Happy weekend!

Reflective rump

A quick look back at yesterday's window. I couldn't resist this rather naughty view of one of the mannequins! Hope you enjoy the myriad reflections in his bum. You'll find more of them at Weekend Reflections.

It's been an interesting first week at the new job. Working really wears you out, but it makes the weekends even sweeter. After almost a year in our apartment, we're also finally having our housewarming party this weekend. I'm cooking a Thanksgiving feast, so that's going to be a lot of work, but a lot of fun too!

Another window

Originally, this was my choice for the December theme day, but I liked that pink bench so much, I changed my mind. These black and white mannequins grace the window of a store on the Ku'damm that's going out of business. It's a little sad actually, as I have been shopping there ever since my first trip to Berlin back in 2005.

PS: Don't forget to take a look at Halcyon Travels for more from my trip to Israel.

Holiday windows

 To be fair, the Käthe Wohlfahrt shop is a year-round Christmas shop, but they still put in an extra effort at this time of year.

I especially loved this display of all sorts of Santas, Father Christmases and Weihnachtsmanner. I could take them all home! For more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs.

December theme day: Shop window

Berlin has so many wonderful shops and most windows are decorated for the season now. Despite that, I couldn't resist showing this unique tailor-made jeans shop window. The combination of the funny shop name, the bright colors inside, the reflection and most of all that bright pink bench makes for a perfect shot. Hope you enjoy it!

Today is my first day on the job. I hope working won't cut into my blogging time too much! Don't forget to check here for other variations on this month's theme.

Coffee, cake and more

Who can pass up the offer of coffee, cake, lunch AND magazines? Okay, I admit I've never partaken from the magazines at West Berlin, but their coffee is good. And look what's in the window - another bike! For more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs.

Berlin landmarks

I found this funny mural on the wall of a bakery at the Rathaus Steglitz S-Bahn station. I love how Berlin's most iconic landmarks have been depicted in bread - from the Baguette Brandenburger Tor to the Doughnut Welt Balloon. Pretty funny stuff! A new week has begun - get your weekly mural fix at Monday Mural.

August theme day: Bicycle

Berlin is a city chock full of bicycles and bicycle riders, so I was very excited about finally having a monthly theme with lots of possibility. I found many more "traditional" bike shots, but this crazy display caught my eyes a few days ago on Schloßstrasse in Steglitz. I have no idea how or why someone hung these bicycles on the streetlamp, but there they are! Another mystery for the ages.

Hope your August is off to a good start. If you'd like to see more bicycles from around the world, click here.

Arcades

Found along Karl Marx Allée - this was once the fanciest shopping area of the DDR. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot for sale and what was on offer was typically unaffordable for most people. I do like this facade though, even if that's all it is really...

Two kings

The third king must be in another window! Happy Three Kings Day or Epiphany (whatever you like to call it). Only fourteen more days until I have Internet at home.

KDW gate

If you get up early enough, you can see the gate in front of the famed KDW department store. Once it opens its doors, the gate disappears. Too bad, because it's quite ornate. It's Friday - hope you have some nice plans for the weekend. We are hoping to move into our apartment before Christmas so I predict a "working" weekend, but at least there's a target in sight! And don't forget to visit Good Fences.

The doll parlour

I just love those old-timey shingle signs! You'll find the "Doll Parlour" in Berlin's Nikolai Viertel. For more signs, head to Signs, Signs.

A couple of wedding dresses in Wedding

If you're looking for a second-hand wedding dress, why not take a look in Wedding? I couldn't resist snapping this shot when I was walking through that area of town recently. The sign, however, appears to be out of date. I am pretty sure this is not the Bar Einrichtungen (Facilities Bar, whatever that means!). For more signs, head to Signs, Signs.

PS: If you enjoy Berlin 365, please take a moment and like the Facebook page. You'll find a direct link in the sidebar on the right or you can click here.

Stamp shoppe

We're back to Karl Marx Allee  the onetime showcase of East Germany. In those days it was still known as Stalin Allee and it was the grand boulevard for those that lived in East Berlin, with lots of fancy specialty shops. Most of them are gone now, but the facade of this old stamp collecting shop remains - a relic of the past. For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.