The swissmiss family made it to the land of the alps, safe and sound, with a little detour through Berlin first to visit close friends. We got to share V+J's last days (and minutes) as 'almost parents'. The morning we took off to the airport, they took off to the hospital, cause V's water broke. Whew! And now they are proud parents of a healthy little girl called Mila! Hooray!
Speaking of babies: V+J live in the incredibly baby-populated area of Berlin called Prenzlauer Berg (fomerly part of eastern germany). I thought our neighborhood in brooklyn (cobble hills/boerum hill, carroll gardens) had a lot of babies, but oh boy, it's nothing against this hood. It's complete stroller central. And yes, you see a bugaboo here and there but most young couples here seem to prefer a brand called Teutonia. Interesting.
G and I couldn't get enough of the eclectic playgrounds in this area of berlin. They are far more elaborate, diverse and more 'natural' looking than the ones we have in brooklyn. Natural materials (stone, grass, sand..) dominate the picture. Some of them make me crinch as I keep seeing 'danger zones' but overall they look more like green oases in the concrete jungle of a city.
During our visit, we also had the fabulous opportunity to be part of the new store opening party of Parkhaus. I am completely in love with their seat pads for all the design classics out there. (Eames chairs etc) I couldn't find them on their site, I guess they will be uploaded shortly. You might be able to spot some on the above picture. Next time you're in Berlin, make sure to stop by!
Berlin is high on our list of cities the swissmiss family could imagine living one day - right there competing with seattle and vancouver!
More to come from the swiss alps in the coming days. Just so much for now: The swissmiss family is house swaping with a swiss family from the deep country side. We get a big giant house with a view on the alps, they get a 2 bedroom in brooklyn with a view on the empire state building... Everyone seems happy. Hooray!
