Alltag... My Day Off

So, Monday is my day off. I love it. I try to schedule nothing. If I want to do something I will do it spontaneously, the way I want to do everything that I want to do (as opposed to what you want me to do, which I then want to either be optional or scheduled... I know, I am a nut.) I woke up at 7:00 as usual and laid in bed until 9:00 at which point I crawled down my ladder, yes, my bed at my flat is a high bed, SO WEIRD. So I climb down, and make myself a chai tea, sunflower seed toast, and I know you think I am going to say a soft boiled egg, but I am not. Since it was my first Monday in my new flat I made DRUNK EGGS. My Aunt Marla's best weekend special, scrambled eggs with whatever you've got in the fridge and pasteurized cheese. Naturally we get to eat these like, twice a year. But this morning was one of mine. I read and journaled and prayed by the window and it was lovely.

Then I lazily got ready and headed down to Kurfürstendamm. I know, I know, going West is VERY out of character for me, but I needed to do it before tourist season, I had time and I needed Yellow Cake Mix for a recipe I want to make for tomorrow (St. Patricks Day - I am going to make an Irish Cream Bundt Cake as well as Wednesday when I have dinner with the boys, I thought I would WOW them with a Guinness Pie)... Anyway, no one carries any pre-made cake mixes except for chocolate and carrot. Neither of which I eat. White first, yellow second... Anyway, I'll make mine from scratch, I have no choice. Anyway, when I got to Ku-damm (I was headed to KaDeWe) in typical Berlin fashion there were some fantastic street musicians and I got this shot!

When I came back from KaDeWe, sad and dissapointed I stopped at this new little Deli/Cafe next to my favorite Fischladen (the best fish & chips in town, but they will ALWAYS over-cook your Tuna so you can buy it fresh there but not eat it there, sad). Apparently they are owned by the same people, but one is this posh looking little cafe and the other serves fish & chips. Na ja. I digress. I ordered a Manchego and Fresh Tomato Panini. What I got was a HUGE and DELICIOUS salad with some sort of light mustard vinigarette that I wanted to lick off the plate, and a DELICIOUS and perfectly prepared light and crispy Panini served to me by the nicest, friendliest woman. What a treat.

I ran errands, came home, and unpacked another box in the kitchen. I opened a cheap bottle of Rioja and made myself some truffle pasta with truffle oil, grated a little Manchego on top and sat down to enjoy. Just so you guys don't think I've gone too posh - two things, 1- Truffles are very reasonably priced here, as they are not an import 2- For desert I had a bowl of Cookie Crisps.

I realized today that in the absence of a handful of roommates and the chaos of life, in the still of my little retreat, I am exhausted. Like, WAY more than I can explain. I fell asleep on the train today coming home. I could have gone back to sleep at 10 this morning, I could have gone to bed at 8 tonight and I am fighting to finish typing this blog. I am just toast. I had absolutely no idea how utterly worn down I was or how a high strung I had become with a life full of the constant inundation of people and their energy... Wonderful people and fun energy, but I need to retreat and renew, and I feel like the day after a marathon right now. Totally and completely spent and needing a little renewal. So, I am working on getting it. Today was the first step in that direction. Cheers to me!

Hope you enjoyed the photos! Happy Monday.