Lighten up the dark December days with visits to Christmas markets, museums, restaurants, an artist’s studio … And of course all our usual offerings of walking groups, book groups, language groups, and so on!

GET OUT AND EXPLORE

Friday, 1 December Margaret Hunter, one of the artists of the famous East Side Gallery, has just concluded a successful exhibition in London. She invites us to come along for a chat, a glass of wine and a view of her collection.

Sunday, 3 December A visit to the Christmas Market in Spandau– artwork and tasty treats from all over the world in Berlin’s largest pedestrian zone, around the medieval church of St Nikolai. We finish up with a Christmas concert of traditional and international Christmas songs at in St. Nikolai.

Wednesday, 6 December Celebrate St. Nicholas day with a visit to the Christmas market at Schloss Charlottenburg. The Schloss is lit up romantically for Christmas, and the park in front of the castle and the areas of the castle complex itself become a perfect Christmas ensemble.

Thursday, 14 December Kunsthaus Dahlem, especially designed for the needs of sculptors who create huge sculptures, is situated in a lovely garden next to Grunewald Forest. The artistic director
of the Kunsthaus will introduce us to both the critical history of the building and also to current projects, and a young art historian will guide us through his exhibition with paintings by Paul Strecker.

EAT, DRINK, AND ENJOY

Monday, 11 December Enjoy a Spanish evening in Charlottenburg, close to Ku’damm. Alongside a variety of tasty tapas, you will also find a large selection of main dishes and excellent Spanish wines.

Wednesday, 20 December A favorite Berlin experience, recently renovated: the television tower at Alexanderplatz and the revolving restaurant Sphere at the top—now with a view of the Weihnachtsmarkt at Alex, as well as a sweeping view of Berlin, constantly changing as the top of the tower revolves.

BOOKS AND FILMS

Wednesday, 13 December The Biographies book group will discuss Lady Byron and Her Daughters. After a scandal-plagued marriage with the poet Byron in the early nineteenth century, Lady Byron went on to found a school for infants and later the first industrial school in England. At the same time, she was bringing up her daughter Ada, later known as the pioneer of computer science, and Medora, the child of Byron’s sister,

Film Buffs, a WhatsApp group, meets on an ad hoc basis, at times convenient to participants, to go to the cinema together.

STAY FIT WITH WALKING GROUPS

Every Wednesday A walk around Schlachtensee.

Every Thursday A walk in Tiergarten.

CRAFTS, LANGUAGES, AND GAMES

Monday, 4 December English Speakers

Wednesday, 6 December French Speakers

Sunday, 10 December Spanish Speakers

Tuesday, 12 December German Speakers

The Club has multiple Mah Jong groups that play regularly, as well as a crafts group that meets at participants’ convenience.

Photos: Lady Byron, Charles Hayter, National Portrait Gallery, Wikimedia commons

Schloss Charlottenburg, Heidi zu Klampen – Eigenes Werk, Gemeinfrei, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5384016