Tag Archives: Poland

#weeklyreview 06/2025

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Again a mixed week

Took Monday off to drive a friend to an examiner for his insurance to assess that he’s not capable of working in his job. He’s got severe ME/CFS, can’t sit or stand upright without passing out in a matter of minutes, has the attention span of squirrel before his brain fog kicks in etc. The examination was originally meant to be 2 days of 4 hours examinations each. But it was clear from the start that he’d not be able to do that. The bloody examiner sit’s in a non-accessible building in the south of Berlin. My friends needs a wheelchair to move around. Of course the building neither had an elevator nor a ramp or something. So it took my friend about 25 minutes to rob in his bum up to the 3rd floor. Yeah… because he can’t stand upright and just walk. And he’s also a bit heavy so can’t be easily carried. And our brilliant health system also does not pay for transport and carrying him upstairs anymore. You’d need three persons to move him, but the default staff on official ambulance cars is only two.

Overall a rather humiliating and exhausting experience for him. I’ll just hope that he’ll finally get’s the deserved payout from his insurance.

The good thing was though, that I 4 hours to roam around in Friedenau and was able to give my good friend Boerge as visit in his new home 😀

A black and white image of an ornate, old brick house with intricate architectural details. The building has a steeply pitched roof and multiple windows with decorative frames. A silver car is parked on the street in front of the house, and leafless trees surround the scene, giving a wintery feel.
Black and white photograph of a large historic building with a tall, rectangular tower and a turret. Bare trees line the street in front, with parked cars and a graffiti-covered truck visible. The sky is overcast, adding a dramatic effect.

Tuesday & Wednesday I was fighting with work bureaucrats the get an exemption for using my corporate USB Disks to free off space on my internal hard disk for experiments mit LLM models. I get the need for rules and restrictions etc. But there must be a way to not prevent people from doing their work. There is all this mandatory security training and tools etc. But I think there should be a way for people to somehow prove that they know what they’re doing and get rid of the usual corporate shackles that prevent you from doing stuff and cripple your expensive corporate hardware.

Baltic Sea

For the rest of the week (which was the Berlin winter holiday week for schools) my daughter and me took off to Usedom island. This time we stayed in Świnoujście on the polish side of the isle.

The weather left room for improvement the first two days with grey clouds, cold wind and drizzle. But that’s kind of what we came for. The sea is awesome at any weather and our hotel had a Spa area where we spent time in the pool and sauna 🙂 I also got a fair bit of reading done on my kindle in the sauna. “The dawn of everything” is really good.

We explored the local restaurants and roamed around the city, beach and piers a bit.

On Saturday we took a trip to the German side and payed Gulliver a visit and had good pizza on the pier restaurant in Heringsdorf.

A hazy offshore oil rig is visible on the horizon, set against a gray, overcast sky. In the foreground, gentle waves ripple across the ocean, and a small red structure, possibly a lighthouse or buoy, sits on a distant breakwater.
A large apartment building with rounded balconies on one end, featuring multiple stories and a uniform facade. The building is situated along a street lined with parked cars and bare trees. A bicycle path sign is visible, and the sky is overcast.
Black and white image of numerous seashells scattered across sandy ground, with some grass visible along the edges.
A bottle of Tsingtao beer and a filled glass placed on a bar table. The background features dim lighting with decorative string lights and blurred restaurant elements.
Black and white photo of a solitary lighthouse with windmill-style blades, positioned at the end of a stone jetty, extending into a calm sea.
A black and white image of a lighthouse tower. The tower is white with a dark stone base, featuring a small plaque and a door accessed by stone steps. The lighthouse stands on a concrete platform by the sea, with a faint view of the horizon line in the background.
A black-and-white photograph shows a solitary figure walking away on a sandy path towards the ocean, flanked by grassy dunes and fenced with wire. The sky is overcast, and the path leads to the beach.
A pile of assorted seashells scattered on a sandy surface, creating a textured and natural pattern. The image is in black and white, emphasizing the contrast between the shells and the sand.
A black and white image depicting a narrow, rocky path leading to a small, white lighthouse with windmill-like blades. The lighthouse stands at the edge of a calm sea under a cloudy sky. A lone figure is visible on the path near the lighthouse.
A narrow, rocky pier leads to a white windmill-like structure at the end, extending into a calm sea under a cloudy sky.
Seagulls gathered on a sandy beach near the water's edge. The ocean is calm with gentle waves under a cloudy sky. A distant breakwater with a red and green lighthouse is visible on the right.
Pathway leading to a beach, flanked by sand dunes with grass and wire fencing. Overcast sky and two people walking in the distance near the waterline.
Moai statue on a grassy hillside under a cloudy sky, with a chain fence surrounding it.
A glass mug filled with hot chocolate on a silver tray with a lace doily. In the background, there's a blurred glass of whipped cream-topped beverage. The tray also has a small white plate with a piece of biscuit.
A pepperoni pizza sits on a white plate atop a wooden table. Additional pizza is partially visible in the background. Beside the first pizza, there are salt and pepper shakers.
A bottle of Asahi beer and a glass with amber liquid are on a dark, marbled table. Next to them is a bottle of Acqua Panna water. In the background, two people are partially visible, one holding a glass. A white napkin is in the foreground.
A person wearing a white sweatshirt cuts a large, cheese-covered pizza with a knife. The pizza, with a golden crust, is on a white plate on a wooden table.
A slice of cheesecake dusted with powdered sugar, accompanied by a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with chocolate shavings, and a small metal pitcher of chocolate sauce. It is served on a white square plate on a marbled tabletop.
Nighttime view of a lively outdoor plaza with illuminated restaurant terraces and string lights. The plaza features modern architecture, with curved buildings and a tiled walkway. A few people are walking in the foreground, adding life to the scene.
A plate of roasted meat topped with arugula, served with roasted vegetables and a small dish of mustard sauce. A bottle of water and a plate of fries are visible in the background, all set on a geometric-patterned table.
A vibrant parrot with red and blue plumage perched on a natural wooden branch, surrounded by a subtle, blurred background of a birdcage.
A vibrant green parrot with an orange beak perches on a branch, set against a blurred indoor background.

In the afternoon the sun finally came out and people were flocking to the beach for a walk. We saw the TF Line ferries coming in and eventually had really good Sushi at the Hilton Hotel Sushi Bar and Grill.

A bowl of ramen with various toppings, including mushrooms and fish cake, is garnished with a tempura shrimp on skewers. The bowl is set against a dark, textured background with a side dish and napkin nearby.
A bowl of ramen with sliced beef, mushrooms, leafy greens, an egg topped with sesame seeds, and narutomaki. It is on a dark textured table with a neatly folded napkin and a small dish with a piece of sushi beside it.
A platter on a dark marble table featuring assorted sushi, including sashimi, rolls, and nigiri, garnished with an orchid, ginger, and wasabi. Accompanied by a glass of clear liquid, a carafe, an empty bowl, a glass of amber beverage, and a dish with a white napkin.
A serene beach scene at sunset, with the sun low in the sky casting long shadows on the sandy shore. Several people are walking and enjoying the view near the water’s edge. The sky is a mix of soft oranges and blues, with a few scattered clouds. Buildings and a crane are visible in the distant background.
A scenic coastal view showing a narrow path leading to a white windmill-like lighthouse. People are walking along the path, and the calm sea surrounds them under a clear sky with a faint streak of clouds.
A large TT-Line ferry named "Huckleberry Finn" is in the water, illuminated by the setting sun. The vessel is white with blue and yellow accents, and features prominent smokestacks on top. A bird is seen flying nearby over the calm sea.
A sandy beach in the foreground with calm ocean waves. In the distance, an offshore oil rig is visible alongside two ships. The sky is clear and blue, creating a serene maritime scene.
Long shadows of two people on a sandy beach with people walking near the water in the background. The sky is clear and the sea is calm.

Overall a rather relaxing four days at the Baltic Sea.

But there was not a single node on the whole Baltic Sea. I was carrying my T-Echo the whole time to check for any nearby radios. Nothing, nada, zilch.

#weeklyreview 06/24

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This week there were winter holidays for the kids. They got their report cards on the last school day. Both kids still in school doing rather good. So we can’t be happier about their achievements. 🎉

Of course we spent the week in the countryside. Didn’t felt for skiing holidays this year as there doesn’t seem to be much snow in the areas we used to go to anyway – due to climate catastrophe of course!

So I just spend the week working from the countryside doing some light activities with the kids.

Wednesday we went to the cinema with a friends kid to watch the new Studio Ghibli move “The boy and the heron“.

still frame from the movie, provided for personal use by Studio Ghibli, all rights reserved

As expected this was a colourful adventure. Some scenes might be a bit drastic (scary) for young kids, but overall this goes well in line with the previous Studio Ghibli movies.

Much richer, deeper and more fantastic than your Disney movies.


A friend started a blog about 3D printing and asked me whether I’d want to contribute. Of course I want. Even had a small topic to write about: the Z-Offset mystery.

On Saturday we did a day trip to Szczecin, Poland again. Plan was to see the city during daylight, as last time we’ve been there it was already pitch black night.

This plan only worked out partially. The day started very misty in our area. So we checked the weather forecast for Szczecin and that predicted at least partial sunshine for the afternoon. Turned out that was wrong. It stayed misty and foggy and maybe only got worse in the afternoon. We went to the Cafe 22, which is on the 22nd floor of a hotel. Theoretically a nice panoramic view over the whole city. Not on that Saturday. We could barely see the city right down to our feet. The rest was just inside clouds.

this was all we could see from the Autobahn

But we still managed to walk the city a bit a take a look at some beautiful old houses in the city.