Komm Mit Mir Fliegen (or Come Fly With Me)

From lush, green Irish countryside to gritty, urban Berlin... 

Immediately after getting back from Ireland the other week, my mum and I turned around and hopped on a flight to Germany for more adventures. And, as if we hadn't seen enough airports already, we headed down to Tempelhofer Freiheit. But this is a bit different to your average airport. Tempelhof operated as one of Berlin's airports between the 1920s and 2008, but is now being reclaimed as a public park.

Tempelhof Airport has rather a mixed and dramatic history. It was an official airfield from the 1920s but the original buildings could not meet capacity and the airport was redeveloped under the direction of the Nazis from the late 1930s. In true Nazi style, it was built to awe and impress, forming part of Hitler's megalomaniacal visions for Germania... In fact, it remains one of the largest buildings in the world today, based on sheer volume.

The original airport building (Image source)

Under the canopy of the 1930s building (Image source)

Another view of the 1930s building (Image source)

Unfortunately, I do have to confess to rather liking the look of it as a building, despite its nasty associations and origins. Thankfully, the history of Tempelhof was somewhat redeemed by its part in the Berlin Airlift, post World War II, when Allied forces flew in much needed supplies to the people of West Berlin when the Soviets had blockaded the city.

It later reopened as a commercial airport but was eventually closed less than a decade ago.

1949 West Berlin stamp (Image source)

Though I must say I'm disappointed never to have flown into Tempelhof as a visitor to Berlin, it is great to see that the site had found such a positive new use, as a public park. I was disappointed to be literally fenced off from the airport building itself on our visit there, but I guess I'll just have to return to Berlin on a weekend next time, when they conduct tours of the interior of the building.

In the surrounding park, the runways remain, as generous paths for walkers, cyclists and skaters.

Away from these concrete strips, you can also enjoy a more shaded, leafy and wild park experience: 

Mama tripping through the flowers 

Me lying amongst the flowers
Shirt: Rokit, London
Culottes: Beyond Retro, London
Shoes: Somewhere in Leipzig, Germany

There's also some wonderful community gardens and art spaces to explore in the park:

It was rather a lovely, relaxing and fascinating place to visit and I'm glad we took the time to stop off and explore it, during our packed-full, busy few days in Berlin. You can read more about the site's history and future plans for the park and see more historic pictures here, if this post has piqued your interest.

Come Away, O Human Child!

Me at Glen-Car waterfall, Co. Sligo
Dress: Hand-me-down from my Mama
Cardigan: Gift from my Mama
Belt: Beyond Retro, London
Shoes: Jones Bootmaker

The Stolen Child

(W.B. Yeats)

Where dips the rocky highland

Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,

There lies a leafy island

Where flapping herons wake

The drowsy water rats;

There we've hid our faery vats,

Full of berrys

And of the reddest stolen cherries.

Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Clew Bay, Westport, Co. Mayo

Where the wave of moonlight glosses

The dim gray sands with light,

Far off by furthest Rosses

We foot it all the night,

Weaving olden dances

Mingling hands and mingling glances

Till the moon has taken flight.

To and fro we leap

And chase the frothy bubbles,

While the world is full of troubles

And anxious in its sleep.

Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

My beautiful Mama, a true faery, at Glen-Car

Where the wandering water gushes

From the hills above Glen-Car, 

In pools among the rushes

That scarce could bathe a star, 

We seek for slumbering trout

And whispering in their ears

Give them unquiet dreams; 

Leaning softly out 

From ferns that drop their tears

Over the young streams.

Come away, O human child!

To the waters and the wild

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand. 

Castlerock beach, Co. Derry

Away with us he's going,

The solemn-eyed:

He'll hear no more the lowing

Of the calves on the warm hillside

Or the kettle on the hob

Sing peace into his breast,

Or see the brown mice bob

Round and round the oatmeal chest.

For he comes, the human child, 

To the waters and the wild 

With a faery, hand in hand,

For the world's more full of weeping than he can understand.

Clew Bay wildflowers

A love letter from Ireland! I spent a few days there with my parents, discovering and falling in love with that wonderful wee island, from whence my father's family harks a few generations back. We stayed in my ancestors' wee town in County Donegal, but also explored parts of Mayo, Derry and Sligo, including a stop at the waterfalls mentioned in the Yeats poem above. It was all rather magical...

Summer Hols

Summer hols, Famous Five style

I'm on holidays! I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to have started my first proper, week-(plus-)long break from work in 10 whole months! And it's jam-packed full of fun and variety too.

I'm off to west-coast Ireland tomorrow for three nights...

Image source

Then to London overnight before heading on to Berlin for three nights...

Image source

Then back home in time for the weekend and a friend's birthday. Phew! Should be good! See you on the other side...