Saturdays in Berlin

Last Saturday’s gay parade in Berlin has gathered the entire city – some were willing to participate, others were enjoying the spectacular show.  Having found some pictures from the event in my news feed in the evening, when the parade was over, I was a bit disappointed to have missed another Berlin’s way of artistic self-expression; a response of the civil society to some totalitarian states and political heavyweights (no names, no poking fingers into certain politicians…). 

On the other hand, one can’t be in two different places at the same time anyway and my day was already scheduled with another important “event”. Saturday is our traditional market visit day, our FISH day e basta; a day, when we head to Kollwitzstraße to treat ourselves with the grilled mackerel and the most delicious, of all that I ate in Germany, potato salads. 

One of my first Saturdays in Berlin, having come to the market, I spent at least 5 minutes choosing one out of four, apparently different, but identically looking raw fishes to be grilled. The German names of the fish didn’t tell me anything, so it took me a while to decide. It was, indeed, one of those "awkward moments" when you do understand that it doesn’t go about buying a house for the lifetime, but just a fish choosing for a lunch meal, and yet, you can’t make a choice. Since then, the market brunch is mandatory in our Saturday program, and it takes me just a second to order a perfectly tasty grilled mackerel with potato salad.

The Kollwitzstraße Market is open on Thursdays and Saturdays, but the Saturday’s assortment range is always wider, and besides the “must have” household’s products, such as fresh meat, fish, vegetables, you can buy here such ESSENTIALS as: cocoa beans, 20 different types of mustard (with rosemary, with orange, chili, etc.), sesame seeds, walnut oil, handmade lavender soap, orange tree and nice clay pots, and lots of other important stuffJ.

When the weather is nice, people come here to the taste the food, talking to the sellers, wondering around and this pleasant bustle brings much of excitement in the lazy Saturday’s mood. 

But there are Saturdays (as the last one) when the sun comes out for 5 minutes, just enough time to lure out of your home (naively wearing summer shorts and sunglasses), and then hides behind the clouds, leaving you with an endless cold drizzling rain. Then your major excitement is to make the short runs from one tree to another, hiding under their crowns; as for the long conversations, like “What do you have in that green jar?” with the sales people, they lose all the attraction for both sides. In days like this, even the sellers’ dogs give you the accusative look from under their counters, as if to say, "Guys, go home, I want to go home too").  So, you have nothing, but to obey... dogs, never give bad advices :).