Eat a lot: Clärchens Ballhaus, Mitte

I know it's supposed to be an institution not to be messed with. Berliners are proud of their Ballhaus and it's very easy to see why. A beautiful building in the middle of the middle (Mitte), a large lush garden with pebbled paths, leafy trees to sit under and lightbulb-sized fairy lights. Inside is the actual ballroom, where you invariably end up witnessing a tango dancing class, a wedding party practising waltzes, or, at the very least, a few cute little girls twirling around on the enormous dance floor pretending to be princesses at their debutante ball.

Berlin's outdoor café secrets

It's that time of year when I want to spend every waking sunshiny minute outside. Summer evenings are a doll here in Berlin - there's oodles of stuff to do, from open air cinema's at every corner to free Shakespeare in the park, from barbecues on the Tempelhofer Feld to buying beers at the Späti and drinking them standing on the Hobrechtbrücke. (No, I'm not sure why you'd do the latter either, unless you're a homeless person or a twelve-year-old who won't be served at a normal bar. But there they are, whole hordes of twenty-somethings who think Kreuzberg is the epitome of cool, planted firmly on the bridge to stay, so perhaps it's something that needs trying. Or maybe I'm just getting old.)

But during daylight hours, life is more complicated for those spending the summer in the city. It's too hot, really, to be out in the sun unless you want to end up burnt to a crisp.  So I've been going around my Kiez, looking for places enjoy a bit of dappled sunlight without the meltdown. These are my favourites, in no particular order.

Golgatha, Victoriapark, Katzbachstraße, Kreuzberg: hidden away in Victoria Park, neighbouring the playground and the sports field is beer garden Golgotha. You'd never guess it's there, yet the café's garden is big and lush. There are beach chairs, rocking benches of the type that belong on a southern American porch, lounge sofas and your average wooden picnic benches to sit on. The shade is plentiful, so is the drink and a grill stand will serve you bratwurst sandwiches and potato salad once you've realised you really don't need to be anywhere else.

3 Schwestern, Bethanienhaus, Mariannenplatz, Kreuzberg: Through the restaurant you go, and down a few steps out again. There you will discover the perfect garden for afternoon tea. High treetops to sit under, amazing cakes and table service; Berlin life doesn't get much better than this.

Hüttenpalast, Hobrechtstraße, Kreuzkölln: I've waxed lyrical about the place before, and if their fabulous food is not enough, you'll find their garden is another reason to check the place out. It's very cosy and very quiet here, so perfect for some outdoor working just off the bustling Hermannplatz.

Lavanderia Vecchia, Flughafenstraße, Neukölln: Looking for an al fresco lunch? At Lavanderia Vecchia a three course lunch is served for as little as €8, while you sit under flapping tea towels drying in the wind (a reference to the fact that this used to be the site of a laundry). There's loads of space, the atmosphere is überrelaxt and you'll have a hard time not ending up chatting to the neighbours living in the Hof, as they all drop in to eat the fabulous lunch fare being served on their doorstep.

Hudson's Cakes, Boppstraße, Graefekiez: Not really a garden, merely a cute selection of seats under the trees on the pavement. Yet, to me, the outdoor seating at the wonderful Hudson's distinguishes itself from the numerous others in the city, and not just because owners Katie and Jim are the loveliest people, their food is a joy and their local vegetable scheme admirable. This is also THE place in town to eat tea and scones, with proper Devonshire clotted cream. So there.

One's life in print

Today's Hot Books section on Amazon contains the autobiography of Olympic diver Tom Daley (My Story, Michael Joseph, £16.99). I've often wondered what you need to do to get an autobiography published. The obvious thing would be to have lived a long life with lots of interesting bits in it, and to have accomplished something extraordinary. Like Steve Jobs perhaps, or Charles Darwin, or Keith Richards.

Then again, everyone has a book written about them these days. For comedians it's a way of proving they can be funny in print too. It gives musicians a chance to broadcast their party hardy ways, and the number of girls they knobbed. And as for politicians? They can finally explain what led them to make that one inexplicable decision that changed the country for ever (or got them fired. Or landed them on the cover of the Sun. Or any combination of the above).

So what makes a person ripe for an autobiography? I suppose 'a long life' isn't all that relevant after all. Justin Bieber has an autobiography and he's a whippersnapper. Anne Frank surely had a story to tell even though she was barely a teenager.  So I won't get all hung up on the fact that Daley is only 18 years old.

Daley has accomplished stuff too. I mean, he's up there on the diving platform right now, competing with the world's best. You could argue that winning an Olympic medal would be nice before you actually write your memoires, but then again, most of us never get this far. I'd brag a little too if I were him.

Right then. How about the 'interesting bits' in his life? I would imagine Daley's spent most of it in a swimming pool, going through the same grueling schedule every day, while his weekends were probably spent competing, also in a swimming pool. (I used to be a competition swimmer at an appallingly low level and even I had to spend most of my spare time in a swimming costume, dripping and shivering away. So there, I do know what I'm talking about.) Still, his life manages to fill 288 pages. I don't think I'll be reading them.