Olaf is in Canada for work this week - something I am both jealous of and happy about. I would love to see Canada but I am sure it is still much too cold over there right now and I have had quite enough of that. Besides, I was quite happy to be able to focus on work this week. I am still very busy, but it is a good kind of busy. And things will change in about or week or so. I should finish one my intensive courses and will have more time on my hands - right in time for spring!
Besides being busy, the last weeks have brought lots of fun too. Our Sunday trip to South East Berlin with Nicole and Pieter was very enjoyable, although Köpenick was a lot more boring than we had expected and Berlin's 'Little Venice' was actually ridiculous. Some farmhouses on islands intersected by brooks and streams do not constitute a Venice, not by a long shot. We had approached this trip with a healthy dose of sarcasm and managed to amuse ourselves thoroughly nonetheless.
The weekend after that, we flew over to Liverpool to meet up with Matt. We had wanted to visit Liverpool but that weekend turned out to be the weekend Liverpool was playing Manchester United at home and we had to change plans. We assumed that meant Manchester would be quite empty that weekend and we changed our plans to pay a visit to the capital of the Industrial Revolution. I expected it to be very grey and old and decaying but the city was actually quite nicely done up and the old industrial centre has been magnificently converted into a business area with beautiful apartments in old factories and some very good museums. The Museum of Science and Industry was well worth the visit, as was the Manchester gay district - obviously. The fact that they had recreated Roman ruins and put them on display to show what the Roman remains would have looked like if they had survived, did make me question the sanity of the Mancunian municipal council somewhat, though.
Besides being busy, the last weeks have brought lots of fun too. Our Sunday trip to South East Berlin with Nicole and Pieter was very enjoyable, although Köpenick was a lot more boring than we had expected and Berlin's 'Little Venice' was actually ridiculous. Some farmhouses on islands intersected by brooks and streams do not constitute a Venice, not by a long shot. We had approached this trip with a healthy dose of sarcasm and managed to amuse ourselves thoroughly nonetheless.
The weekend after that, we flew over to Liverpool to meet up with Matt. We had wanted to visit Liverpool but that weekend turned out to be the weekend Liverpool was playing Manchester United at home and we had to change plans. We assumed that meant Manchester would be quite empty that weekend and we changed our plans to pay a visit to the capital of the Industrial Revolution. I expected it to be very grey and old and decaying but the city was actually quite nicely done up and the old industrial centre has been magnificently converted into a business area with beautiful apartments in old factories and some very good museums. The Museum of Science and Industry was well worth the visit, as was the Manchester gay district - obviously. The fact that they had recreated Roman ruins and put them on display to show what the Roman remains would have looked like if they had survived, did make me question the sanity of the Mancunian municipal council somewhat, though.
I rather enjoyed my lamb shank's pie!
The weekend after that, Jen and Kate came over from Milan. Massimo sadly could not join us and was sorely missed. It was great hanging out with the girls though, I had missed them very much. For a very short time, it felt like being home in Milan again...
This weekend, Enrico and Belinda came over from Belgium with Enrico's photography group. As they went around shooting pictures of Berlin, Belinda and I had a lot of time to catch up and go sightseeing. Good food was consumed and fun was had. They left this morning, which means I am by myself again. Good, I am looking forward to an evening of watching movies that Olaf does not want to see. Wuthering Heights and Sense and Sensibility bring it on!!
No comments:
Post a Comment