Morfeus wrote:
The new main station is spectacular. One can have different opinions if it is great architecture though. For sure it is worth to see and take a few images there. In the moment it is not really surrounded by anything.
In my opinion there are millions of much nicer places to meet and have a coffee, (...)
I suspect a train station is about the worst place for that. I'm prepared for anything and don't mind going a bit with a bus or the S- or U-bahn.
First of all, the booking is confirmed, we pay where we meet them, and so please everyone have 75 Euro cash ready I am still trying to get one or two others interested, but so far two potentially interesteds have conflicting plans already. Whatever, if that is what it costs, I will do my best to enjoy it anyway. I bought a flash today, my first in about 30 years (not even a built-in!), and so I might experiment with that in the meat factory.
I am all for a nice cafe somewhere in a nice quarter. You are right that since we will likely end up in Prenzlauer Berg in the evening, we could go somewhere else in the morning. Perhaps there is something nice or historic somewhere in Mitte? There is the original Einstein café on Unter den Linden, or some nice ones on Oranienburger Straße, and nearby, such as in Auguststraße, the gallery street. We are only four, so we will fit everywhere
Friedrichshain is also nice, but similar to Prenzlauer Berg, but smaller.
I would vote for Oranienburger Straße, as it is a very interesting street and the synagogue may be an interesting spot too. Museumsinsel is around the corner, if Jonas wants to see it. Cafe Einstein is full with tourists, crowded and loud. I don't like it at all and I think a smaller and quieter place would suit us better.
We'll stay at a typical hotal area I think close to Kurfürstendam, at Albrecht-Achilles-Strasse. S- and U-bahn may be Lehniner Platz or Adenaurplatz for example.
As I said, I'm not sensitive at all when it comes to where we decide to meet, or say goodbye. When visiting other cities I enjoy going by public transportations, and walking of course.
Hackesches Höfe... I think I recall that place. Is it like a block where you can visit shops at the inner courts? I think I have been there looking at Art Novou or Jugend style tiles.
I think the same as Heinz; a smaller more quiet place where one can sit for a while not making the owner wanting us to leave too fast would be fine. Is there sucjh a place somewhere around Oranienburger Strasse or Auguststrasse?
I don't know if I can be much online tomorrow, will leave the house for the train to Berlin in the afternoon and I think Jonas is also leaving home tomorrow morning so we should agree on a time and place to meet on Saturday morning.
Carsten, do you know a nice coffee shop around Oranienburger Strasse where we could meet?
Jonas, would you like to PM us your mobile phone number? I do have Carsten's and Philippe's and they have mine.
I have been to a couple of cafes in that area, but don't know any of them by heart, so perhaps we can just meet somewhere easy, like right in front of the Synagogue, with its golden dome? What time would you all like to meet? 8.00 is possible for me, 8.30 or 9.00 is easier, but I will go with the flow.
I got PMs from Jonas and Philippe, they both arrived, so we are ready for the big day tomorrow! The plan is unchanged, we meet at 9.00 in front of the Oranienburger Straße synagogue.
Another highly enjoyable day has come to an end, and in addition to philber, Morfeus, Jonas B and myself, Lurker X decided to join us. He will decide if he wants to come out of lurking at his leisure, but having another Nikon fan in our group added a lot of interest to the equipment-side for myself, since all the others were Canon/NEX owners. On the topic of equipment, Philippe bought a Contax G 90 I had picked up without having a camera to put it on, and I simultaneously received a refund from my Contax 35-70/3.4 purchase (there was a scratch on the rear), so I have bought the Zeiss ZF.2 28mm f/2 I have been watching on eBay for a couple of months now. It should arrive here in the next week sometime.
We started by having breakfast and walking around the Oranienburger Straße area a bit, and then drove to the Fleischfabrik, where we spent the next nearly 5 hours. Super-interesting place, and I think we all thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that all are interested in taking another UrbEx Phototour with the same tour company. I have asked when the next Heilstätten am Grabowsee tour takes place, since they mentioned that there are two possible dates later this year. It looks from their website as if they will be 27.11 and 11.12 but I need to confirm this. Everyone interested please post your interest here, so that we can estimate the number of participants. Note that at some point we will have to pay (in advance), so posting interest here should be closely followed by clearing the weekend in your calendar and examining flights, if relevant. We will try to decide on one of the two as soon as possible, maybe even this week. Note that both these dates are Sundays...
Anyway, Lurker X has requested anonymity for the time being, but you may see photos of the rest of us here. We will start posting our shots here, in small groups of 3-4 photos per post, and going roughly in sequence through the day, rather than mixing it all up. Probably it will be until Monday evening before it really gets going, although I might post a photo or two tomorrow night.
When I get a moment, probably also tomorrow night, I will post a map of our day, like last time.
Here is a gentle start, to let the others get home and process images. These are from a building being renovated on Oranienburger Straße, close to Tacheles.
I am still trying to get one or two others interested, but so far two potentially interesteds have conflicting plans already. Whatever, if that is what it costs, I will do my best to enjoy it anyway. I bought a flash today, my first in about 30 years (not even a built-in!), and so I might experiment with that in the meat factory.