Berlin in Winter

 Winter has officially ended in Berlin according to the German Weather Service, and the sun is shining on the river Spree.

Spree on a spring morning

The winter was in fact unusually mild -- just cold enough to form ice on the Spree for a day or so. The local coots took the opportunity to walk on water.

Coots on the ice

 The outdoor markets continue in Berlin even in the winter, and people come out to shop.

Winter market at Nassauische Str.

 The street at our building looked particularly bleak.

Bartningallee in winter

But the Arminius Halle in nearby Moabit offered a sheltered place for people to have a drink of something warm and even a few pastries.

Arminius Halle in January

On a winter walk in Kreuzberg, I saw this marvelous graffiti on a student hostel. The face of the Cardinal comes from the Gemäldegallerie.

Kreuzberg (a Cardinal looks on)