Krumme Lanke

Since the weather has been unusually warm (around 32 degrees Celsius), there is no better way to cool down than to go to the lakes that are around Berlin. On the edge of the Grunewald, there are a series of lakes, where some of the more well-known include Krumme Lanke, Schlachtensee, and Wannsee. On the weekends, the city Berliners go about as far into the country as they dare to go for a swim.


[Krumme Lanke]

With Paula, who just got back from a two-week school trip to Greece, and Mary, a new guest student living with them, I went to the Krumme Lanke. Although we had our bathing suits on, I didn't expect to go swimming. Since Annie lived around Krumme Lanke, I had been there before and didn't remember seeing any swimming areas. When we got there, it became apparent that the whole lake is open to swim in. Any part of the bank that isn't taken or closed off can be your own little personal beach, without the sand, and you are allowed to swim, paddle, or float around in the lake as much as you want.


[Paula in the water]

Although I wanted to sit in the sun, those spots were in the premium, so we took a sort-of shady spot where it was easy to get in the water. Paula jumped right in and threw Charly (her Beagle) right in with her. He didn't really appreciate it and kept trying desperately to swim to shore. Once there, he rolled around in the dirt... I guess to try and get dry.




[Charly rolling in the dirt... which ended up landing him strait back into the water, since then he had to get clean again...]

Eventually I got in too, but it was pretty cold with a gooey bottom.


[Paula and I in the water with two kids we met. Basically every time we are out with Charly, kids come up and want to play with him. I guess they just know that he is a really friendly dog and can do basically anything to him and he will never bark or bite]


[And Charly splashing us all trying to escape again]

There were really a lot of people there; basically every spot that you could lie on around the lake was taken, and the lake was full of adults swimming from one side to the other, kids splashing around, and people on rafts enjoying the sun. It would have been amazing to just have a raft to sit on out in the middle without disturbances...


[Paula and her new guest, Mary]


[Paula and me]