I love adventure! A day trip to Berlin

FB and I are safely back from our day trip to Berlin. Berlin is such a big city and I know we only got to see the tip of an iceberg in one day... but it was still an amazing day.

We strolled the northern part of the city in the morning, had a lovely lunch with Michael, a creator of Michael Sans Berlin then got lost in the Turkish quarter of the city (south eastern part).

Our strategy was to stay as far away as possible from any of the tourist spots and explore some of the neighborhoods where real people are living. We had very little agenda so no guidebook... but a few recommendations from our friends and followed our intuition to see where we were heading. Some streets were hit and miss but we stumbled upon a little corner, a shop, a tiny cafe... that just felt so "right" by accident and that was such a treat!

I love adventure!!

I hope you enjoy some of the snapshots from our trip:)

"We only feel the resistance of the chain on our feet... when we move forward."

After we finished our stroll through the flea market, we wondered around the neighborhood for a little while. For us, a city shopping has been one of the most difficult activities to do with our little Roo so we definitely wanted to maximize our day:)

I loved this small quarter nearby Feldstr. train station filled with many shops run by independent designers. Oh... I love people who make things happen! (either by designing and creating products, sharing what they believe in or curating amazing shops with their unique point of view!!) I love the visual, tactile and emotional contrast between this neighborhood and the Eppendorfer neighborhood. It's so nice to get to know the multiple dimensions of the city as it unfolds itself in front of my eyes.

I couldn't help to pick up one super cute hat, made and designed in Hamburg by Rotkäppchen designs shop. With this unpredictable weather in Hamburg, I know it will come so handy. 

A stenciled quote on the last photo loosely translates as, "We only feel the resistance of the chain on our feet... when we move forward." (referring to the prisoner's chain) 

Flea market, German style!

We had a day outing to the central part of Hamburg city yesterday. Our first stop was at a weekly flea market in the area of Feldstr. It's a small local flea market with some people selling furniture, clothes.., odds and ends household items.

We were away from our little Roo for the first time (as two of us together) so of course... all we could find was little something for her.  We ended up getting a small animal necklace for her and nothing for ourselves... :)

p.s. we heard that flea markets in Belgium are amazing!

Stepping in the city of Hamburg, Eppendorfer Neighborhood

This is my 4th visit to Germany and I have taken my solo trip to the city of Hamburg for the first time!

It's so funny how a city starts to feel like it belongs to the special part of our life when we really get to know it better in a personal way. I also love that I can pretty much go anywhere by public transportations and foot and enjoy a cup of coffee and cake (literally) at every corner of the town. Now more than ever..., I wish we had this culture in Los Angeles.

I was able to hit three stores in Eppendorfer neighborhood. All very distinct, inspiring and beautiful. Aside from being constantly nagged by city bicyclists (because I didn't realize how the bicycle lane worked until much later of the day), I enjoyed strolling the town... breathing much needed fresh air in the midst of persistent jet lag! 

Johanna Schultz:
I love a well curated vintage store... especially if I can only find some of the items here in Germany and they are eclectic! I could bought a whole store if I had more space in my suitcase. It was a good educational experience to understand what type of vintage/antique items that might be available in the city and the price point since we are planning to have a flea market adventure on this Saturday!

I did score the green canvas/leather vintage bag! It was used as a lunch box in Swiss army. The owner of the store said.... maybe in 1920's. LOVE the leather hinge, a structured look and the combination of materials. It is an inspiration for some of the future Baum-Kuchen original product:)

 

 

 

 

Milchmädchen Design

On the same street as Johana Schultz, there was Milchmädchen Design, a select shop full of handmade products mainly from Germany and European countries.  The owner was so sweet... helping me to pick some of the items in English.  I love the airy feeling of the store. Clean, simple and so easy on eyes.

   

Mutterland

The shop name translates as "Mother Land". It's a cafe, artisan food shop (many are "made in Hamburg" products), and a source of inspiration. They have the most amazing breakfast, lunch and cake selection with organic and local foods... No German (maybe European) city walk can be complete without a little stop at a cafe... and this was my pit stop for a refill. Homemade plum tart and a cup of coffee.

And check out their shelving system! I have been thinking of the pop-up shop display ideas so this was really refreshing to see!