Berlin at the Start of Summer
field notes: thoughts from the road & a few places we’d send a friend
Slow mornings, open-air markets, and a city stretching back into itself.
Berlin in June doesn’t rush to meet you.
Between rain showers, the sun lingers. Markets spill into sidewalks. White asparagus turns up on every menu like it’s mandatory. It’s warm, but not hot. The whole city feels like it’s in no particular hurry. It makes you wonder why you are.
Coming off a slammed spring market, I showed up in late May with no real itinerary — just a handful of open days and a few (hundred) saved spots in my Berlin guide. I needed to walk more. Write some. Maybe eat well. Nothing complicated.
I had 27 days, almost a month.
What I Noticed
– You can build a whole day around a market, a walk, and a glass of wine
– The best spots are the ones you find by accident, not the ones you save
– Asparagus season is real & very serious(ly delicious)
– Berlin doesn’t try to impress you. That is the attitude.
Where the Time Went
– Mornings at Bonanza: mostly for the routine, partly for the outfit-watching
– A birthday dinner in a cozy corner of Mitte. Let the chef decide, asked for the playlist, stayed longer than we meant to
– A Friedrichshain bookstore with an in-house bakery. Nearly left with two books, settled on a worth-coming-back-for bagel
– Markthalle Neun was overstimulating in every way…still planning to go back
– Patio hopping with my best girl friend — no clear winner, just strong opinions & good wine
– A beach day at Strandbad Wannsee: Berlin’s first real summer weekend. Loud in a good way, sunburn optional
– Post-Berghain rejection turned into a night at Berlin’s smallest disco
– A visit to @effynails. She squeezed me in at her home studio and gave me one of my favorite sets yet (maybe ever?)
– An afternoon in Treptower Park — reading on a picnic blanket & doing absolutely nothing well
– A rotation of hidden cafés and corner restaurants (already saved to the guide)
– A lot of walking. A lot of photos of buildings I’ll probably never post
What this trip was:
Not a vacation.
Not work.
Proof that slow is still forward.
I’ll be back in November, but this version of Berlin gave me what I needed.
Some light, some space, a good asparagus or two, and a few reasons to stay out past sunset.
📍Coming Soon
The Sage Haus Field Guide: Berlin
Cafés, corners, and places worth knowing.
