Elections: Berlin-style

I know it's the hottest day on record, I know it's the middle of the World Cup and Germany is surprising even itself with it's own performances...but there is actually something more important right now.

Germany has to pick a new President. Well, better said - the Federal Convention has to. Politicians from the German Parliament and representatives from the states will cast their secret ballots on Wednesday, June 30. The two prime candidates for the election are Joachim Gauck (backed by the Greens and SPD) and Christian Wulff (put forward by CDU/CSU and the FDP).

The election is necessary after the former German President Horst Köhler resigned on the 31st of May, following controversy about his statements regarding the German army.

Party like it's 2006?

It's the silly season! Not only did the whole city rock to Christopher Street Day on the weekend, but everyone else dressed up and headed out to watch football too. Supporting your team at home on the couch with a packet of cheezels is so passé these days. Public viewing is the new black. Incidentally, here at Euroblog, we still don't have any confirmation as to whether the expression "public viewing" is actually English. We don't really care to be honest.

This week the water-cooler talk (or should I say, "smoking room talk"?) is all about football. I do wonder though how things will look if Germany get's knocked out of the World Cup on Wednesday night. My German friends assure me that there is simply no way that this can possibly happen. History does confirm that the Germans have never gone home from the World Cup after just the Group stage. Time to press those thumbs!*

(*For those that don't know: that's the German equivalent of "cross your fingers".)

Hanging tough

The East Side Gallery down near Ostbahnhof has been back in full swing now for a while. It's renovation was part of the city's "20 years since the Berlin Wall" celebrations. I drove past there yesterday and couldn't help but notice - while photographing it at 50km/h - that the murals on the wall are almost devoid of graffiti.

Six months into it's new life, and no vandalism? That's almost unberlinian. Is this a new demonstration of respect from the Berlin street art community? Has the city run out of spray cans and marker pens? Normally something like this would be destroyed within weeks. Tags, stencils, stickers - you name it, they'll beat it.

Anyway, I'm impressed people - resist the urge.

Hot in the city!

It's the same story every year. We all whine about how cold it is in Spring and then suddenly: Berlin turns on the warm weather, and everyone starts complaining about how warm it is. Well, I'm not saying a word. Bring it on I reckon. Tomorrow it's going to get even hotter - 30 degrees! ACHTUNG: Close the schools, attend to the elderly!

But seriously - if you can, it's time to hit the water right now in Berlin. Either in Kreuzberg's favourite Prinzenbad, in a paddling pool at a Strandbar beside the Spree River or even by heading out to the Tegel Lake for a spot of dive bombing, like this crazy local above.