Urban Sports Club

Anyone who knew me well in Atlanta knew that my yoga, spinning and walking we’re a big part of my life. I used an app called ClassPass that allowed me to visit hundreds of gyms in Atlanta, even though I usually stuck with the same 12-15 yoga and spin studios.

Luckily, there is a similar app in Berlin, called Urban Sports Club, that gives unlimited visits to studios, bootcamps, gyms and the like. Nice!

Today, I signed up. (For anyone in Berlin who’d like a referral code, please ask.)

Leaving the apartment in the morning, I felt so free and purpose driven. As I crossed the street to the S Bahn, I, along with a throng of commuters, raced up the stairs to just catch the train. I didn’t want to be late to my first class. Going one stop, I quickly walked to the Pilates studio.

{Pilates class}

I greeted the instructor and let her know, all in German, that I was new to the city and didn’t know much German.

She was nice and led me, along with two other women, to the back garden where class would be held on a platform under a tarp to shade us from the morning sun.

I was so excited.

It was great. I could understand quite a bit between the basic German I knew, watching the other students and by watching the instructors pantomimes.

Afterwards, I walked by the little theater, Lichtblick Kino, that had been featured on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, which was only a block away. (Side Note: I am so sad for Bourdain’s untimely passing, so seeing some of the spots he featured on his show has helped keep his spirit alive for me.)

Bourdain’s field notes: Berlin

{Lichtblick Kino}

I then headed home, via the M1 tram that came seconds after I got to the stop, and had lunch with the family.

Since Dave was doing some work and the boys were having a lazy day, I headed out to walk around a bit. I headed south, browsed a few boutiques, walked around the Kulturbrauerei and made my way to Kollwitzplatz, one our favorite neighborhoods in Prenzlauer Berg.

{Bike rental and tour company at the Kulturbrauerei}

{Street foods on Sundays at Kulturbrauerei}

{Movies at the Kulturbrauerei}

I then picked up some bagels for home from Schlomo’s and swung by the BioMarkt (organic grocery store) for a few specialty items before taking the U2 home from Senefelderplatz.

Since Lissa and Glenn were still in town, we made plans and met them at Alois S., a tapas restaurant we discovered last summer. For us, it was a 20 minute walk or scoot. {outside our apartment heading to dinner}

We like it mostly because it has a playground next to it, even though the food is not extraordinary and the service is slow.

{playground at Alois S.}

{another late night out – pic taken at 9:36 PM}

We enjoyed one last night with our friends hearing about their Berlin adventures. It was nice to have folks from Atlanta in town.