Weather is treated unfairly. If you like to talk about it, you run the risk of being labeled B-O-R-I-N-G. But I am always intrigued by weather and the noticeable way it shapes the psyche of a place. It’s hard to imagine the grunge era taking root in in Seattle without its dark damp winters or the simultaneous slowness and spiciness of many tropical places of the world without the heat and wet air and the plant life that flourishes because of that.
Though I prefer mild weather, I’m particularly fascinated by the charming fervor with which cities that tend to have disagreeable weather approach pleasant days. For example, here in San Francisco, it can be depressing when the city is swallowed up by July fog knowing that 30 or so miles away, it’s 30 degrees warmer. But when the fog peels back and the temperature raises a few degrees, you know everyone will passionately take to the streets and parks and the city’s energy will be electrifying.
After having much of the first two thirds of my Berlin trip dominated by rain and a chilliness I wasn’t prepared for, the last portion of my time in Berlin was mostly filled with brilliant sunshine. Berlin seemed like a different place than when I first arrived and I loved seeing the recognizable way the city celebrated the turn in the weather. During those last few days, the sun lit up the Berlin scenery as well as the Berliners:
Kids jump with excitement as a man creates giant bubbles in Alexanderplatz.
The reflection of sky and clouds on a high rise building.
A great scenic spot along the River Spree.
Alexanderplatz and the Fernsehturm (television tower), one of Berlin’s most recognizable structures.
A bird perches on a sign in a garden at a business in the Rixdorf neighborhood of Neukölln.
A Trabant, a GDR era car parked on a street in Neukölln.
Strange items for sale at a used goods store in Neukölln.
Gründerzeit era buildings in Neukölln.
A pile of cobblestone to fix a portion of a road in Neukölln.
A cast iron post in the Richardplatz, the Bohemian village center of the Rixdorf neighborhood of Neukölln.
A wrought iron fence in Rixdorf.
We picked up sandwiches at an underground station (many of them conveniently have decent quick eateries inside) and sat by the river to have lunch.
The character of the Berlin Cathedral seemed very different on this lovely day than when I saw it on rainy days earlier in my trip.
Groups of friends gather on the lawn in front of the Berlin Cathedral.
A mother and baby take a moment to enjoy a pair of street performers.
Tango dancing by the River Spree.
Museum Island and the TV tower in the distance.
A man sets up tables of used goods at Museum Island.
Vintage cameras for sale.
Catching a moment of sunset light on the exterior detail of the Martin-Gropius-Bau building after viewing a photography exhibit inside.
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