Templehofer Park

Today Marty, Benjamin and I biked down to the S-Bahn, hopped on a train, transferred to another train (all with our bikes in tow) to Templehofer Park. This is the old Templehof Airport that was turned into a huge public park.  The history behind this airport is really quite intriguing.  Leave it to the Germans to make something very cool out of something that isn't being used anymore.  I've never really seen anything like it.  We biked all over the place - down runways and around the entire old airport.  It was nearly empty.  Granted it was Thursday midday and most people are probably at work or school (don't ask why Benjamin is not in school yet!) but still it was so quiet and empty here that at first we weren't sure if we could bike on the old runways.

It was virtually empty.  We all had a SO much fun.    I remember going to empty parking lots to try to learn to drive or ride a bike and this was an empty parking lot times 1,000.

No motorized vehicles anywhere.  There were cool, open fields, several dog parks and an enormous, public gardening plot.  In addition to biking,  people were flying kites, jogging, roller blading, skate boarding, doing walking lunges.  There was a  were a few runway-side restaurants and cafes.  Really, so very cool.  We will definitely be back.  Hopefully with Josie.  She would love it.
This was the airport used during the Berlin Airlift.  Also, quite fascinating.   I've said it before but it is worth saying again. We are walking, or in this case biking, over some amazing historical places.  And the Germans, in their German way, have preserved it in useful and non-intrusive ways.

We were all hungry from all the bike riding so we decided to stop at one of the cafes for lunch.

As usual, the way home seems much shorter and more direct than the way there. 

Some kisses and photos for the way home. 

Josie and I make plans for me to meet her after school because she realizes she needs a couple more school supplies.  I ride my bike to school and wait for her.  It takes her a bit longer because she has decided to use some of her "lunch money" to buy an after school snacks  She walks out with a pretzel in hand and is just buzzing with energy and is so talkative about everything that has happened that day.  

I'm realizing that if I don't catch her right after school she doesn't like to talk too much about it.  I think I will make excuses to meet her after school at least a few days a week.  It is a special time for us without the boys around.  Notice all the bikes?  And this was after most kids had already come and left with their bikes.  It is so cool how most kids bike to school.  I think it must be why her backpack is half the weight it was in Seattle.  Teachers must realize that kids are biking or busing or training and definitely walking much longer distances with packs on.

The food/lunch situation at JFK is pretty amazing.  Not only do they have a lot of better and healthier options but they also have plenty of time to eat their lunches.  For the past few days she has been getting a margarita pizza.  One day she bought herself a lemonade and today she also bought a salad to go along with her pizza.  Kids are pretty self sufficient.  I'm not sure what most kids order for lunch but Josie is on the healthier side.  She told me today that she has put a once a week sweets limit on herself and that the lemonade counted as her sweet for the week.  We, as parents, can put a daily and/or a monthly limit on their "chip" which is a bauble/token type thing that hangs from a key chain that each student is responsible for.  No idea how Benjamin will handle this new found freedom if he attends.  They sell doughnuts and a lot of other sweet things too. Josie is amazed that some kids just eat all bad stuff and teachers don't have any control over what they eat. 

On the bus on the way to the school supply store two girls start talking to her and asking if she is new and if she is in 5th grade.  They introduce themselves and ask Josie if she is liking it so far.  Makes me happy to know that there are some nice, outgoing girls at school.  When we return from getting school supplies two girls are walking down the ramp from the school and they both smile and wave and say hello.  Josie does the same.  Warms my heart to know she is already making friends!!