We planned our trip to Potsdam for the afternoon to allow us the opportunity to eat lunch at Thai Park and do some errands before we left.
Flea Markets, Banana Hats, and Shoe Repair
The day dawned with a trip to the local flea market where we scored some vintage botanical prints from an old book to frame for the gallery wall, and a continuation of my food tour of Berlin with a visit to Thai Park, the unofficial name of the park where Thai food trucks congregate on the weekends.
We packed up our picnic blanket and took my new straw tote acquired mostly as a photo styling prop, but super useful for its intended purpose as a tote and headed off.
The food trucks were just setting up when we arrived and we enjoyed some mint lime seltzer drinks and deep fried sweet potato balls while we waited for the favored ‘Queen of Pad Thai’ truck to open.
Berlin is very eco conscious (you might need an advanced degree just to figure out the recycling system…). Much of the food and beverages, even from food trucks in the city, is served in real dishware and with actual stainless steel flatware on which a significant deposit is collected and returned when the dishes are returned.
It makes for a much more civilized dining experience…if you know me at all, you already know how I feel about plastic forks! Even the sweet potato balls came in this cute little polka dot bowl!
Once we were stuffed with lunch, we finished errands including picking up our shoes from the local cobbler. This guy can do ANYTHING. I brought my favorite pumps all the way to Germany since I had space in my luggage so he could replace the heel and they now look brand new!
On the way back home with our loot, we stopped for the coveted fried bananas and brought them back to the apartment to eat before heading out for the train to Potsdam.
I did not exactly go to Berlin JUST to get the fried bananas from the banana hat lady in Thai park, but it was up there on the list of MUST DO items!
OMGosh, they are the most fabulous thing! I ate a lot of food over the last two weeks that vied for the title of ‘my favorite’, but these are definitely near the top of the list!
Crispy and caramelized, but not heavy or greasy….soooooo yummy! And it’s a fruit, so we can pretend it’s kinda sorta healthy-ish. Please don’t burst my delusional bubble!
Off to Potsdam
The city of Potsdam is less than a 30 minute train ride out of Berlin and is 1000 years old. Unlike it far less charming namesake in upstate NY, the original Potsdam oozes charm with cobblestones, gorgeously embellished buildings in pastel colors and brick, quaint cafes, restaurants, and boutiques, and a bevy of lakes, gardens, and palaces as it was a residence of the Prussian kings and German Emperor until 1918.
The Dutch quarter of the city has streets lined with fancifully shaped red brick buildings with decorated wooden shutters and a lot of green and white trim. Flowers, sidewalk cafes, and boutiques mix with residential apartments. A textile shop even embellished the bricks over their window with fabrics!
We had our midafternoon kaffe und kuchen (coffee and cake) at a cafe in the Dutch quarter. Kaffee und kuchen is an afternoon ritual in Germany, and one which I am fully in favor of!
We were there too late in the day to get into the palaces, so I’ll need to go back :). But we did spend a bit of time touring some of the “new” (new is a relative term in a 1000 year old city!) gardens around Cecilienhof and Marble House along the Heiliger See (Holy Lake), which were spectacular.
Cecilienhof was built in the Tudor style and was the last palace built by the House of Hohenzollern that ruled the kingdom of Prussia and the German Empire until the end of WWI.
Marmorpalais (Marble House), commissioned by Frederich William II of Prussia as a summer residence, is built of red brick and Silesian marble in the Neo-classical style. The rear of the house has a stone patio right on the bank of the Holy Lake with a spectacular view.
The front approach has formal gardens and fountains and a pair of colonnaded wings with painted frescoes on the walls, marble columns, and painted designs on the ceiling. The trim work on the windows features corner rosettes on the glass.
Someone worked really hard to angle every element of the stair balusters to match the pitch of the steps?! I find it a little disconcerting - they look a little like they’re melting, but you’ve got to admire their commitment!
The folly built to look like temple ruins actually housed the palace kitchen and silver collection and had access to the dining room via an underground tunnel.
The temple ruins folly at Marble House Potsdam houses the palace kitchen
Another folly on the grounds is the delightful Gothic Library, a tiny two story building with spiral staircases right on the bank of the lake.
The orangery on the Marble House grounds contains a central hall that was used for concerts (in which the king apparently played cello), and is flanked on the sides by rooms for the plants. Beautifully maintained (and now public) gardens abut the orangery and the Dutch style brick buildings that housed the servants quarters.
The Orangerie at the Marble House, Potsdam
Graffiti seems to be a national sport in Germany, and even the pretty facades of Potsdam were not immune.
But in spite of the occasional graffiti, the detailing on the perfectly proportioned buildings is magnificent - intricately carved plaster and wood, and spectacular metalwork.
Metal balcony rails almost always have planter holders built into the tops and floral displays add to the fairy tale charm of the city. Even the storm drains have interesting textures!
On way back to the train we stopped for a quick bite and enjoyed the street musicians and some gelato…because, why not?
I’m looking forward to a return visit to this beautiful city to tour more of the gardens and palaces!
