I had been hearing about the merits of Grunewaldsee for some time, but it wasn't until überlin wrote this post that I made up my mind we had to go - and soon. So once the weather finally looked like* it might be amenable for such a trip, we packed into the car and headed across town with the hopes of giving Bailey something to replace the swimming pool and great big ocean we left behind in California.
After a brief rainstorm upon arrival that threatened our commitment to this outing, we headed into the forest under relatively clear skies in search of this oft-talked about dog lake. But first, we encountered a retriever hell-bent on retrieving - a 'stick' that was actually more of a small tree. We watched and laughed at his determination for awhile, Bailey thoroughly confused since in her mind sticks are made for whittling down to toothpicks rather than carrying proudly. After what we had just witnessed, we continued on, eager to see Bailey's excitement at this new place so clearly dominated by all that makes dogs happy.
Upon first seeing the beach, Bailey raced ahead of us, straight down to the water where a large group of dogs were already running, swimming and playing with each another. It was like a doggy playground, a secluded forest and lake just for them. Bailey eagerly resumed her favorite water game of fetching the stick - which she only does in water, on dry land, forget about it - her eyes gleaming in anticipation of every throw that meant she got to dive back out into the water.
In addition to watching our dog have the time of her life, Grunewald was a treat for us as well. Like so many other green spaces in Berlin, it's a place to get lost in the trees and the quiet, forgetting that the big city lay just outside of its borders. On a hot day, it's a paradise of shade and cool water for both its two-legged and four-legged visitors.
* This is almost always impossible, as Yahoo weather will say overcast while it's bright and sunny outside or even leaving one's apartment in decent weather doesn't guarantee that alternating rain, pounding hail and hot sunshine won't confound the weather report for the length of the journey, as it did for us the day of this outing. Oh, Berlin weather...
Aw, looks like a great time.
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