Thursday, February 21, 2008

Berlin is bear crazy!

My mission for today was simple: apply for a tax number- it's a long and mostly un-interesting story, so I won't bore you with the details. After successfully completing my mission, I went for a walk around the neighbourhood where my Finazamt was situated. Orientating yourself in Berlin is not so complicated: all you have to do is keep an eye out for the Fernsehturm. Walking towards the TV tower will bring you to Alexander Platz, which is basically downtown. So even though I was unfamiliar with the neighbourhood I was exploring, I kept an eye on my favourite tower ever, and I knew I would not get lost.
I love exploring unknown areas, because you are bound to fall on something interesting, and today was no exception. As I made my way towards a church that looked worth a picture, I came across a bear pit!!!! You read right, a bear pit, in the middle of the city, next to a church and a children's playground. But the best part is that there actually was a bear in the bear pit! (In the excitment of finding a bear pit, I completely forgot to take a picture of the church that led me there in the first place, how typical!)
Let me introduce you to Schnute, Berlin's official City Bear. Schnute was born on January 18th, 1981 and lives in the bear pit with one of her daughters, Maxi, who was too shy to come out today. The two bears live in this pit all year round. The pit is surrounded with water, although in the winter, they remove it, as brown bears don't actually go into water during the winter. I have to admit that although I enjoyed looking at Schnute, there, in the middle of Berlin, I also felt a bit sorry for Schnute (and for Maxi). Their living area is not very big and it must be boring for them to be stranded there on that island. But maybe it's better than being in a zoo? I'm not sure.










Berlin is bear obssessed!


3 comments:

Valsis said...

Pearl !

This is crazy. I'm not sure how I feel about it, it is sad indeed. But the bear sure looks cozy. I want to give it a hug so badly. Schnute.
Excellent reconnaissance work !
xxx

rfm said...

I found this: http://www.turkishcookbook.com/
and thought of you! There's a recipe for gözleme in the archive and lots of other yummy dishes. I'm glad you came over last night. Sorry it was sort of chaotic! Plans for tonight?

krackenburg said...

Poor little guys! That really is a tiny pen! I don't know if it's better than being in a zoo, because if the space they have in the zoo is big enough, I think it can be comfortable for them. The large animal pens at the Zoologischer Garten depress me, though.
When I was a little kid in Bergen, there was penguin tank in a public park. :)