Snap Shots of Berlin

Gemäldegalerie Museum with bullet holes

 

Vermeer - Woman with a Pearl Necklace

Berlin Wall

 

                                  The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe - 2,711 concrete slabs cover this area

 

Checkpoint Charlie 2010 - former West Berlin

                               Jewish Museum

                                    Holocaust Tower

                Garden of Exile

                                       German food and German beer

 

                                             Berliner Dom

 

                  Bebelplatz - square opposite Humblot University where the first Nazi book burning took place

                                              Schloss Charlottenburg

 

                                                  German President & Wife

               Picasso

                                   Mom's first German Pretzel

                               Mom jumping the wall...

                                           Berliner Dom at night

                                                At the top of the Berliner Dom (glass dome)

                         Ishtar Gate!

                                           Grandpa, what do you think of their outfits?

A Litte Bit of Prague and Munich

Mom and I just arrived back in Germany today after our long train ride. We were so happy to stretch our legs and walk around. So far, I believe Munich is a combination between Berlin and Prague. A perfect mixture. I thought Berlin was modern and, at times, a little too depressing. While Prague was romantic, medieval, and, unfortunately, swarming with tourists. Munich is a city full of charm and history. There is a great blend of old and new. There are various styles of architecture here that range from medieval to contemporary. For example, in the center of the city there are buildings that have clean and simplistic lines right next to ones modeled after old Romanesque and Gothic movements.

Off to the side of the busy town square, there are beer gardens and outdoor farmers markets. Many of the venders sell fresh fruit, veggies, olives, mushrooms, and dried flowers. I love looking at all the different types of food and goods that are offered. It’s interesting to see and compare the items that are sold locally in different countries. For instance, markets in Prague sell fruit, wooden puppets, and home-made candy. In Munich, they mostly consist only of fresh food and nothing else. Surrounding the booths, are outside restaurants that serve local beer. So far my favorite has been dark, sweet beer. Very refreshing. The only problem with these beer gardens are the food. Each restaurant has a buffet consisting of meat, meat, and more meat. That does not go along well with my eating habits. But my grandpa and grandma warned me about this and we did not eat there (thank god).

My mom and I did something very unusual tonight. Probably something that most tourists do not even think of doing in a foreign country, especially a country that does not speak the same language as you. We went to the movies. Yes, you heard me right. We saw a movie that was in German with no English subtitles. One of the main reasons that supported this bizarre idea was due to the fact that all the museums in Munich close at or before 5. Another main aspect was because it actually sounded fun. The man who sold us our tickets thought we were a crazy for wanting to see a movie only in German but I thought of it as a good experience. Luckily, I had already seen the movie before (Letter to Juliette) and wasn't a big fan of it but thought the cinematography was beautiful. It just so happened to be filmed in Italy, so of course it was beautiful. Throughout the movie, I tried to interpret and describe it for mom to the best of my ability. I have to say, I think I did a pretty good job. Not only did she thoroughly enjoy the movie, I ended up liking it even more!

Watching this movie tonight was a big contrast from what we did last night in Prague. Mom and I went to the Czech philharmonic concert. The scores that were performed were full of sorrow, charm, and mystery. All of the composers were Czech except for Mozart. I don’t know much about classical music but after listening to this concert it has made me more interested in it. I truly enjoyed it and would love to go again.

Prague was very romantic and medieval. As I have already pointed out, Prague very full of tourists but if you walk around the city during the right hours it can be very relaxing. The best time to enjoy Prague is in the morning. Everyone and everything is much more calm and subdued.

Although I did enjoy strolling along riverside, my favorite things in Prague were the Prague Castle and the Mucha exhibit. Prague castle is massive, to say the least. It contains a grand Gothic cathedral, the president's home, and many museums. Art Nouveau is a new favorite style of mine. I love Mucha's intricate details, soft geometrical shapes, and movement within his work.

I can't wait to explore Munich more tomorrow. Hopefully I will get a better feel of this city in these next couple of days.

Guten Tag

Guten Tag from Berlin! Currently I am writing this post from the lobby of our hotel "Mercure", which is a couple of blocks from the famous Checkpoint Charlie (formerly known as the border crossing between East and West Berlin). This is just one of the many symbols of World War II scattered throughout this large city. Berlin has surprised me with its modern architecture and stark remembrances of the Second World War. I have great expectations about Berlin that I know will be fulfilled.

On the first day of our arrival, mom and I set off to see the Gemäldegalerie Museum. This museum is known for its collection of artwork by Rembrandt, Caravaggio, and Vermeer. Although all of these famous artists had beautiful works of art on display, my favorite paintings were by artists that I have studied in school. For example, I particularly enjoyed the paintings by Angelica Kauffman and Elisabeth Louise Vigee-Lebrun.

After the museum, we walked all around Berlin. Mom and I walk everywhere we go and we try to avoid taking the German underground or a taxi as much as possible. The best way to get the feel of a city is to spend as much time exploring and roaming around in it. On one of our adventures, we decided to go to Reichstag (Germany’s Parliament). While we were on our way, we stumbled upon The Holocaust Memorial. This is a monument that commemorates the murdered Jews of Europe during WWII. The memorial looked like a sea of rectangular concrete slabs that eerily reminded me of the same size of a coffin. After seeing this, I began to notice a trend within Berlin: there is always something significant around every corner.

When we finally reached Reichstag, the line to go into Parliament and the glass dome was very long. In fact it was so long that we decided to skip that for the day. Slightly disappointed, my mother and I headed back. While we were passing the Brandenburg Gate, my mom and I noticed that it was completely fenced off. There were numerous police men around and we had no idea what was going on. It seemed to us that there must have been a private concert going on in the middle of this famous square. We also noticed that there were two people getting out of a car in the center of the area and were heading in our direction. The man and women talked to the crowd for a minute and then left towards the gate. As they started to walk away, someone in the crowd yelled it’s our president. My mom and I had been in Berlin for less than 24 hours and we had seen the President of Germany and his wife.

Throughout the rest of our trip, we visited the Jewish Museum, the Topography of Terror, and the Pergamon Museum. The Jewish Museum has a collection of photographs, items, and art that describe the history of Jews in Germany. The architecture of this museum is not only famous but also very memorable. The building resembles a lightening bolt and has zigzagging hallways. The Topography of Terror is an outdoor exhibit of National Socialism in Germany during 1933-1945. The museum’s location is where the actual Gestapo (Secret State Police) headquarters were in Germany. Now all that stands there is a small building (full of the museum collection), a large barren area of land, and a section of the Berlin Wall. This site was one of my favorite stops in Berlin. Its chilling stories of Hitler, the Gestapo, and their victims were very fascinating. The Pergamon Museum was full of ancient artifacts from Greece, Rome, and Babylon. This museum physically filled every inch of their rooms with monuments. It had the original-sized Pergamon Altar from 160 BC Greece, the Ishtar Gate from Babylon, and huge oriental carpets draping the walls. The museums in Berlin are amazing and unfortunately, unlike London, not free! But in the end, it was worth every penny.


On sunday we took the train to my other favorite site in Berlin; the Schloss Charlottenburg (aka Palace Charlottenburg). This palace was given to Sophie Charlotte by her husband, King Friedrich I of Prussia, in 1699. Schloss Charlottenburg was partly modeled on Versailles and style was heavily influenced by the Rococo movement. I particularly enjoyed the vast garden, which I would classify as a park. It was full of ducks, trees, families, and rivers. I think it is the perfect place to read and relax in Berlin. I admired it very much and wish I would have brought my book.

So far my trip to Berlin has been amazing and I can’t wait to go to Prague! I will upload some photos from this part of my trip very soon. Many hugs to everyone back at home.

Pictures of London

View from "Club Quarters" looking onto St. Paul's Cathedral

Black & White shot of Big Ben

The Monument to the Great Fire of London - Mom and I climbed all 311 steps to the top

13th century versus 21st century architecture

King Henry VIII apparently made sure his crown jewels were protected

(This photo is dedicated to my Grandpa)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


In Kensingtion Palace's gardens




















The National Gallery














Parliament & Big Ben

                Westminster Abbey

One of my favorite shots

                                            The Erechtheum Caryatid - originally from the Acropolis in Greece

The Buddha - from Burma

                                           On my way to the Tate Modern Museum with my favorite tea

Andy Warhol "Gun" - Acrylic and silkscreen canvas shown as a symbol of power

Andre Derain "Henri Matisse" - oil on canvas

                               St. Paul's Cathedral - a shot I had to sneak because no photography was allowed

A Foggy Day In London Town

It's about midnight here in London, England and it is my second to last day in this beautiful city. Our hotel room, at Club Quarters, allows us to have a glimpse of St. Paul's Cathedral (aka where Princess Di and Prince Charles were married) out of our window. London is full of history, diversity, and energy. Where ever I explore, I see monuments, museums, and old statues. Everyone here either seems to have an accent or speaks another language. The streets are never quiet and if they are, I always manage to hear bell chimes off into the distance. Basically, London seems to be a perfect match for me.

Each day I always visit a local tea shop called "tea" and order a new flavor. So far I have had peppermint, Moroccan mint, yellow golden oolong and black rose. On the day I ordered black rose, I asked the nice server which of her black teas were the best. (I wanted to taste true English tea: strong and black) Her reply was "Are you sure you want black tea? Men only order that." I looked at her and said "In that case, what do the men usually order?" She gave me several options and I picked out black rose. It sounded feminine yet powerful. When I first tasted the tea, I burnt my tongue, of course. After I let my mouth cool, I took another daring sip and discovered that it tasted like very strong coffee. I tried to counter balance the bitterness with a couple packets of sugar but it was hopeless. After drinking it for awhile, I got used to the taste and enjoyed it.

During the four days I have been in London, my mother and I have gone to the theatre twice. Once to see Chicago and the other time to see Oliver. Both musicals were amazing and enchanting. Chicago was dazzling and very seductive. My mom pointed out a funny aspect of it though, all the British actors were trying to do an American accent (because obviously the show takes place in Chicago). After she told me this, it was quite comical at times to hear the native-born actors try to push aside their proper, crisp English accent and try on a blunt, rough American accent. Besides that, the singing and the dancing was amazing. Oliver was charming and surprisingly dark. It was the first time I had ever seen this musical, and I was shocked about how depressing it was. There was prostitution, murder, violence, and poverty. Here I thought it was a child's musical but it was filled with very mature content. The children actors were very talented and cute. I think that helped lighten up the play.

During the day, I have roamed around the city and visited many museums. Unfortunately, my mother is working during the day and that leaves me to be a lone-ranger. As I have told her many times, I prefer site seeing and exploring with a companion but it is nice to be on your own once in awhile. I have been able to absorb the English culture more by thoughtfully listening and observing the people around me (or what some may called "people watching"). So far I have discovered that almost everyone smokes here, enjoys a good drink, and appreciates history. All the men are dressed very stylishly or what we call in America they have a "metro" style. Its a nice change to see men not look sloppy but wear nice tailored suits. Women on the other hand, either wear fashionable high-heels or elf-like shoes. Of course there are some in-between but that is what the majority of what i have seen.

Many of the museums and sites I have visited are the Portrait Gallery in the National Museum, the National Museum, the Tate Modern Museum, and the British Museum. The Portrait Gallery contains over a 1,000 portraits and is surprisingly sponsored by BP, the same company who has leaked tons of oil into our gulf at home. A couple of my favorite portraits are of Queen Elizabeth I and of Jane Austen. The National Museum is comprised of various artists from Van Gogh to Turner. The Tate Modern Museum is filled with artwork from surrealism, realism, post-impressionism, cubism, futurism, and expressionism movements. A few of my favorite pieces I saw were created by Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollack. The British Museum had the most eclectic art in all of the other museums I had visited, which may account for why it was my favorite. This museum's collection spans over two million year of human history. The collections included work from Africa, Asia, Europe, and America. My favorite exhibit was comprised of Asian Art. Last quarter at Cal Poly, I took a Buddhist Asian Art History class and loved it. At the British Museum, I was able to put my knowledge to the test and truly enjoy looking at pieces of art that I have previously studied.

My first week of my travels have opened my eyes to new and exciting cultures. I feel truly blessed I can experience all of this now and so far I love it all. Hopefully I will keep this blog up to date but for now I miss you all at home and I hope you have enjoyed my first post!


Hannah


p.s. i will post pictures as soon as i figure out how too :)