The Thai Meadow

The so-called Thai Meadow (Thai Wiese in German) is the nickname for a curious event that started some 20 years ago at Prussia Park in Berlin's Wilmersdorf neighborhood: Berlin's Thai Community gathering and socializing while selling their homemade food on the side. Starting out as a purely social affair with no more than 20 people, with Berlin's Thai Community continuously growing, today Thai Meadow attracts hundreds, if not thousands, of people - Asian and non-Asian locals as well as some clued-up tourists - particularly on weekends. On a hot summer Sunday, the whole meadow is dipped in a sea of colors, covered as it is by parasols under which the Thai ladies seek shelter from the boiling heat. 

Local authorities turn a blind eye to the goings-on, something that cannot be said of some of the many Thai restaurants across Berlin who - fearing competition for their own businesses - were hoping for the local Council to clamp down on it. Luckily, so far it's business as usual at Thai Meadow, and anyone who's into Thai food is highly recommended to give it a try: It's an experience not to be missed! Needless to say, the food alone is worth the schlep to Wilmersdorf, but watching these women preparing and cooking it, is a whole different kettle of fish - literally! You can see how food for these ladies is so much more than mere nourishment -  it's a way of life! Cooking, it seems, is deeply ingrained in them, as they turn a day under their parasol into an event, simply by peeling, slicing, chopping and mashing their ingredients, which are freshly bought (as I witnessed myself) at one of the many Asian supermarkets. 

However, with all that delicious food to taste plus the whole ceremony around it, it's easy to spend a whole afternoon at Thai Meadow, especially as there is also a tea-room close-by, one of Berlin's last that's still in operation, and so time spent at Thai Meadow is stimulation not just for your taste buds, but there's lots of eye candy as well!

... as always, please click on any image for the gallery to open: 

Rüdesheim Square

Undoubtedly one of Berlin's most beautiful, if not most romantic, squares, Rüdesheim Square is located in the staunchly bourgeois neighborhood of Wilmersdorf. But even a neighborhood like that does have its highlights, and next to Preussenpark - or as it's come to be dubbed: Thai-Park - and Paris Street, Rüdesheim Square is one of them!

And just so you know: it didn't exactly take the New York Times for me to realize what a gem this square is. Still, I must admit that I was as surprised as I was thrilled to read one of their articles recently, where they named Rüdesheimer Strasse (the street that leads up to the square of the same name) one of Europe's most beautiful.

No, as someone who lives relatively close by, I've long appreciated the wonders of this Berlin hideaway, perhaps because of its distinct Parisian feel ...

please click on each image to enlarge: 

Rüdesheim Squre is named after the City of Rüdesheim, located in Germany's south, on the river  Rhine. References to Rüdesheim's age old wine growing tradition are evident in the Bacchanalian detail on the entrance door belonging to an apartment building located near Rüdesheim Square. 

Rüdesheim Square and its surrounds are known for their grand period buildings, many of which feature stunningly beautiful details:

The centre piece of Rüdesheim Square is the actual square with its landscaped garden and its impressive fountain at its top end:

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This former phone booth on Rüdesheim Square has been converted into a book exchange, named Villa Libris, where anyone can borrow - as well as lend - books for free (and, of course, without the  additional hassle of having to become a member or anything): 

One of the best things about Rüdesheim Square is its variety of shops, bars, restaurants, organic food stores, and cafes ... there's everything from hearty German (Landauer) to haute cuisine French (Pastis). But there's also an organic bakery (Bio Backhaus), a  vinotheque (Hertz), and even a pet bakery (Königsplätzchen), offering only vegan (!) cookies for dogs, all organic, of course :

Rüdesheim Square can best be reached by underground. It is located along Line 3 - Berlin's metro line with the most beautiful stations -  and even has its own stop: