Winter Picnic in Berlin
Everyone seems to be against 2020, but I think it has brought moments of wisdom and stillness. It has been a chance to reconnect with my perception and, most importantly, nature.
As Berlin shifted towards lockdown 2.0 early in November, we visited the overlooked forest surrounding Alt-Tegel. I say forgotten because most Berliners probably know Tegel from its airport. Still, only a few know where you can find Alexander von Humboldt’s resting place alongside the rest of his family inside a magical forest.
One of the first things we saw upon our arrival was a man practicing the art of Chinese calligraphy using water from the lake.
Schloss Tegel and former residence of Alexander von Humboldt. His family's descendants still live there today.
Cute barn in front of Schloss Tegel
Kevin had been reading The Invention of Nature, so it was pretty fascinating to visit a place where Humboldt and other thinkers had probably walked the same paths we were hiking today.
Alexander von Humboldt's tombstone was buried with his family.
Kevin observing the tombstones
Graveyard is facing directly the Schloss Tegel
“Dicke Marie” or “Fat Marie”- nicknamed by the Humboldt brothers- is said to be from 800 to 900 years old.
Lake plans rarely happen outside of summer, and I know that, had there been no other plan than to go for a walk, we would have missed this magical evening showing the last colours of autumn at its splendour. If there’s anything that I am learning this year, it is to find beauty in the overlooked places.
The beautiful autumn light setting and two Berliners like us, who found themselves strolling outside of the city
Since all the restaurants and bars were closed we prepared a little snack for when the hunger kicked in. This little picnic tradition, usually reserved for the warmer seasons felt like another shift that this pandemic has brought into our otherwise busy routines. I found this place so much more enchanting than I thought I would and I wondered how many little pockets are surrounding the city that we have ignored or overlooked for other, glossier plans.
Maybe now, it’s their time to shine.
“Insight into universal nature, provides an intellectual delight and a sense of freedom that no blows and no fate of evil can destroy”
