Zoo (again) and Aquarium and Trains

Benjamin started his 5th no school day with a bike trip to the grocery store with Marty and came home with a HUGE pastry.  He loves his daily bike trips to the store and because the boys like to bike to the store each morning,  I've never done so little grocery shopping.  The mornings have fallen into a nice little rhythm.  Josie wakes up around 6:45.  She takes a 15 minute shower (yes, daily... she has already turned into a teenager!!) Then heads down for breakfast.  Marty and Josie eat breakfast together and then Marty bikes with Josie to school.  Benjamin typically sleeps right through all of this but is up and has eaten and ready to go on his bike right around the time Marty returns from biking Josie to school.  Then the boys head out on their bikes.  Benjamin demands a list each time to put in his pocket although I don't think they ever look at it.  It is SO very nice to have personal grocery shoppers so there is no way I'm going to complain but normally only 80% of my list is purchased.  No worry... they are heading back to the store the next morning.

Today Benjamin did a little reading and then we talked over our options for the day.  Benjamin is a lot like Marty and could honestly stay home all day.  Josie and I are much more similar and would go stir crazy if we aren't able to get out of the house.  So, motivating a homebody to go out and do something fun is not easy.  Today he decides that he will go NOWHERE if Marty doesn't join us.  Marty thankfully agrees because if I don't get out of the house I will literally go crazy.  It is another beautiful day and so I suggest the lake at Schlachtensee again or the zoo... again!  I guess maybe I need to think of things a bit farther afield but we enjoyed both of these outings so much that they both seem worth a revisit.  He chooses the zoo because there were several things that he wants to show Marty (and Josie- but that will have to wait for a weekend)  I really am not much of a zoo person but The Berlin Zoo has to be my favorite.  I don't know if it is because it feel way less crowded (even on a beautiful Friday in August) or if because the animals seem so accessible. I think all of the structures and enclosures seem almost dangerous in their lack of security that you somehow feel more "with" the animals rather than just looking at them from afar.  Also, all of the walls and things seem lower and I can see over nearly everything.

We hop on the bus that goes straight to the zoo from the end of our street but it is pretty crowded and Marty decides we should try to train there.  So we hop off at our local S-Bahn station and take the train 4 stops and then transfer to the U-Bahn and go another 9 stops and we are there.  It probably took just a touch longer than the bus but was much more fun.  Trains are always more fun.  

We show Marty the playground and the petting zoo.  Two of Benjamin's favorites from our Wednesday trip.  Then Marty needs to leave to return home for work and Benjamin and I see a few more animals and then come across this cool popcorn machine.  I had just told Marty yesterday that I was really missing popcorn.  I haven't seen it yet at the grocery store and anyone who knows me knows that it is my all time favorite snack.

So when we see this machine we decide to go for it.  You put in 3 Euro and then a flattened box pops out like cash from a cash machine.  You then open up the popcorn box and place it inside this little window/door thing and close it.  Then there is a clock countdown.  Thankfully there were photos telling you step #1, #2, etc.  I would have had no idea how to work it as all the instructions were in German. Within 2 minutes we have a small box of fresh popped popcorn.  Not the best popcorn in the world but also not half bad.  There were two options: Either salty and sweet or just sweet.  We chose sweet and salty but it was so salty we didn't taste any sweet.  

After awhile we stumble upon the Aquarium.

When we got the annual pass we added on an annual pass for the aquarium as well and I'm glad we did.  It was really well done.  Benjamin had so much fun looking around at all the sea life, reptiles, amphibians and insects. 

When it was time to go I asked Benjamin if he wanted to take the one bus directly to the end of our street or 2 trains and a bus.  He chose the latter.  Trains really are always more fun.  I'm going to miss my little travel buddy when he goes back to school.  Don't get me wrong, I cannot wait until he gets settled into school life here but I will always remember this week with just him home and us navigating the city together. 

And, just like that it is Friday!!  Josie had a great 1st week of school, Marty had another successful week of work and Benjamin and I (mostly) enjoyed our stress-free, easy going week. 

I'm on the back patio writing this blog in the sunshine, seeing my reflection in my laptop while enjoying a beer.  I can overhear Marty through his office window doing the Seattle morning radio show and the kids happily giggling away as they Skype a friend back home.  Life right now from where I'm sitting looks pretty good.  I really feel like I've become a true Berliner!