photo: Neil H / CC.
When I travel to foreign continents and get asked where I am from, my answer is often: “I am from Europe”. I never really thought about what this means until the Brexit vote. It’s not that I don’t want to say that I am from Germany (because whoever asks is probably going to demand a more precise answer anyway and I will give it). It’s not a lack of national pride; it’s more a sense of international unity within my own continent. I am happy to be German, but I am proud to be from Europe. Being born and raised in an isolated country like the GDR, the sense of freedom after the reunification was amazing.
I grew into an adult benefiting from the bond that the European countries had formed with one another after being in conflict for centuries. For me this became the status quo. I could travel, study, live and work in all of the other countries without problems, which many of my class mates actually did, going to France or the UK after school. When many of the countries even started to share one currency it became even more united. Going to Madrid or to Rome over the weekend to visit friends or just have a good time, this no longer felt like taking a vacation in a foreign country. It felt like something else…
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by Frank | Stories, Travel
Because Berlin is proud to be a city popular among expats, it never ceases to display a wide range of international approaches to things. The same goes for design and today we’d like to introduce Granit – a unique Swedish lifestyle brand that aims to help you organize your life so that you have more time to enjoy it.
This simple yet ingenious idea dates back to the spring of 1996, when Anett Jorméus and Susanne Liljenberg decided to open up a store specializing in functionality and storage. Their offer quickly expanded from interior decoration to products like bags, accessories, stationery, and even deli items. Read on to find out what makes their products stand out and where can you find them in Berlin.
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by Michalina | Shops
This past weekend I had the pure pleasure to celebrate Midsommar in Sweden on a beautiful estate in the countryside near Ahus. We’ve all heard of this holiday here because of all the Swedish people living here and the Germans generally being quite into Swedish things. For the Swedish this is really a big deal, it’s like the next big thing after Christmas. It was my first time, and considering how amazing it was, I hope it won’t be the last time.
The Midsommar Weekender was initiated by Absolut, and knowing how elaborate their events are from previous ones (see here and here) we knew we were in for a real treat. The three day affair pretty much incorporated all the traditions of Midsommar, including flower crows, maypole dancing, a big lunch banquette and outdoor games. Mixing it with what Absolut does best – cocktails, concerts and great parties – it turned out to be pretty spectacular weekend. We totally want you to start celebrating Midsommar here too, so to wet your appetite we brought you some photos from this lovely weekend in Sweden.
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by Frank | Party, Photos, Travel
photo: Bryan Ledgard / CC
Did you know this upcoming weekend is Midsommar? It’s the famous Swedish celebration where people dance around a pole with flowers in their hair. But it’s much more than that, it’s actually the second most important holiday in Sweden after Christmas where all the family and friends come together to eat, drink and celebrate.
This year I will have my very first Midsommar experience because I will follow the invitation of Absolut all the way to Åhus in Sweden to participate in their Midsommar Weekender. I’m expecting a lot of flower crowns, flying ribbons and of course lots of vodka shots.
But you don’t have to be in Sweden to celebrate Midsommar. It’s actually being celebrated all around the world. And since the Berliners love all things Sweden we thought we compile a little guide to Midsommar in Berlin for you guys. Enjoy!
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by Frank | Party, Stories
Liisa Riski, Finland
When it comes to fashion the Germans are a bit unusual. The Italians, they proudly love their Italian fashion. The French love to wear the designs from the runways of Paris. And the British, they admire their traditional British brands. But the Germans, they prefer something other than their own labels: The Germans turn their heads to the Nordic countries for style. And it’s basically been like that since I can remember. Germans, and also in particular the Berliners, are just obsessed with fashion from Sweden, Denmark & co. While that is on the one hand quite sad for the German brands that nowadays avoid the local Fashion Week and rather show their collections on foreign runways, it’s a total win for the Scandinavians who – for us – seem to be the essence of style.
The Nordic Fashion Hub that takes place at Bikini Berlin Concept Shopping Mall from June 28th til July 2nd 2016 is now bringing us some more of this coveted design from our European neighbors. In a temporary fashion exhibition in the ground floor of the mall you will be able to see the new collections of 15 labels from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The selection really shows the bandwidth of Nordic design that ranges from their signature minimalism over classic feminine looks to bold and eccentric designs. After the jump we want to show you a preview of the participating labels and of the exhibition at Bikini Berlin. Come by tonight at 19h for the opening reception or visit the Nordic Fashion Hub on the following days.
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by Frank | Fashion
The thing I love most about Sweden is the St. Luzia holiday where the people hold a procession headed by a girl wearing a crown of candles. Every year at my Birthday the Swedish embassy celebrates this beautiful traditional festivity and I’ve enjoyed it quite a few times. So, I was delighted to be invited this year by VisitSweden to get to know the two biggest cities Gothenburg and Stockholm a little better. During my trip I took a bunch of photographs which somebody at VisitSweden seemed to like so much that they wanted to put them into a book. This book is beeing presented this Sunday at Fluxbau with a small concert of Saint Lou Lou. More information about the event after the jump.
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by Claudio | Travel
If you ask many people in this city, nothing exists in the North from Berlin. They are already suffering under the Nordic weather that we have here and would never even in case of an emergency want to go further North. Coming from the South I was always fascinated by the North. It could be that there are some viking and rural fantasies playing a role there. When I visited Sweden last week I was kind of surprised how quiet and idyllic the whole scenario is. A bunch of bloggers and me where chosen to discover Goeteborg and Stockholm. Some new discoveries from the land of delicious cinamon rolls from a Berlin perspective and some photographic impressions afte the jump.
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by Claudio | Stories
photos: Jens Wernscheid
There are bands whose names you never really noticed, but their songs have long been favorites on your playlist. That was the case with the Amplifetes. In anticipation of the concert I was surprised how many songs of the Swedish band I already knew without having consciously heard the name of the band before. The highlight of the evening was certainly when the ceiling decoration, that probably had come loose by heat, flew as a giant mass of black balloons over the crowd and danced with the people. A wonderful evening with beautiful music and beautiful people thanks to the team of Qubique. As a start of series of side events under the title Design Meets Music, there are certainly more good nights to be expected. More impressions after the jump.
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by Claudio | Entertainment, Music, Party
Scandinavians just do it better. In terms of music at least. A nice addition to the playlist is certainly the bearded nerd elektro-pop band called The Amplifetes. This couple of Swedish guys are rocking Berlin on Friday at Heimathafen Neuköln. Since we don’t want to enjoy them alone we are giving away 2×2 tickets for the concert. For that just leave a comment on the raffle on our Facebookpage. Good Luck! Flyers and a video after the jump.
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by Claudio | Music, Party
