Mecklenburg - fishing

With a fishing permit, it is possible to fish in some designated areas.

So far, the easiest to catch is pike, always swimming next to the reeds.

Mecklenburg -town visit

Stop at various small towns along the lakes, have a walk around to stretch legs and to buy supplies.
Frankly, the scenery along the canal is not as interesting as the French canal system.

Mecklenburg -Wild life

swift

great crested grebes

black headed gull

These lakes are within protected nature area, the water is the cleanest in the whole of Europe. Birds singing all day long, starting at 4 in the morning！

one night flies

duck couple

geese family

white swan

grey heron

Mecklenburg - Unforgettable scenery

Anchoring at the edge of lakes for the night is one of the best memory of the journey. The clear sky, super calm water and perfect reflection at dawn and evening are gorgeous.

Mecklenburg-Canal boat trip

Rented a comfortable house boat, complete with a double bedroom, bathroom and kitchen dining area, for touring the lakes and canal system in Mecklenburg, north of Berlin (you don't need a boat license to drive canal boat).

The many big and small lakes are joined naturally by rivers, and also man made canals, to connect them for transport in the old day, now mainly for pleasure use.

There are locks in the canals to adjust levels between the water courses. Entering these locks and see how they work is part of the fun of a canal boat trip.

Most lock doors open in the middle, there are also the ones that go up and down.

Berlin-herbal liqueur

Another good old tradition, infusing mix herbs, tree roots, spices and citrus peels in alcohol, some uses up to 40 different ingredients. 
Even though lightly sweetened, there is still a distinct herbal and bitter taste. It is drunk as aperitif before, or as digestif after a meal, to boost liver function.

Berlin-smoked fish

There is a huge varieties of hot and cold smoked fish, with sea fish like mackerel, herring, sardine, salmon; and fresh water fish like trout, carp, catfish, pike, eel, just to name a few.
Cold smoking is done in winter, resulting in salty, hard, but half raw translucent flesh. On the other hand, hot smoked fish are cooked fresh in hot smoke. The fish stays oily, moist and tender, a mild taste and a hint of smokiness.
Served with a big dollop of pretty hot shredded horseradish cream.

Berlin-traditional cuisine

The German are not famous for their cooking, but after a few meals in cafes and restaurants serving traditional cuisine, I start to feel that they are good chef, serving well made and delicious dishes.
Some favorites are: lightly cured pork belly cooked with mix dried fruits and apple horseradish compote, 
braised brisket served with heavy cabbage (they use only the bottom part of cabbage and long cooked the thick leaves, really tasty), 
pastrami sandwich, the cured beef is wonderfully juicy and tender.

Berlin

Some beautiful old buildings here and there, River Spree flowing through the city center, good public transport, however, it is not a place to happily wander around with things to see, it is quite lack of character, or charm, or atmosphere.

Citrus flowers

The fragrance of citrus blossoms is beautiful, sharp fresh and green. I am growing a few varieties in the courtyard and the air is filled with this heady aroma. 

A huge bonus before enjoying the fruits. These are flowering now:

Menton lemon blossom

Menton lemon -little fruit forming

Bergamot blossom

Buddha's hand blossom

 

Mayberry curd

The Mayberries harvested from Blue Honeysuckle are too sour to eat, so I turned them into this purplish curd. Based on the recipe for lemon curd, substituting sour cream for butter.

 

May berry curd

1. Blend 100gm Mayberries with 2 eggs, 3 big tablespoons of honey and a big pinch of salt.

2. Cook at 75˚C water bath for 30 minutes, or at direct heat stirring all the time until just thicken.

3. When cool, stir in 100gm thick sour cream. Keep in the fridge for 2 weeks.