Well it's going on midnight Berlin time - I'm listening to CCR's "Midnight Special" while I catch up on my blog. I've finally gotten some free time to edit and want to share some of the things I've seen over the last week.
Berlin has many beautiful churchs and the 13th-century Marienkirche or St. Mary's is absolutely stunning. It's set near Alexanderplatz in the former eastern half of Berlin along with the more recent, and quite contrasting fixtures, such as the tribute to Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels.
Soviet influence can still be found throughout the city and the former communist regime became famous for its many utilitarian-type of buildings (shoddy construction and just plain ugly,) but for the most part they are eclipsed by the beautiful statues and structures found all around the city. This nearby statue of Neptune dates to about 1869 and features the Roman god of the sea surrounded by nymphs and sea creatures.
I try to keep my eyes open for all kinds of interesting subjects. This young lady was waiting in line with me to see the Reichstag, seat of the German Parliament or Bundestag. Converse has certainly come a long way from Chuckers, but I like the sparkle-y flowers. Berlin is not necessarily bubbling over with trend-setting styles, it's just that there are so many people here from different places that it's fun to sit back and watch.
The Reichstag houses the German Parliament and now has a glass dome, designed by I.M. Pei. The concept is that the government is now transparent after first the Nazi and then Communist regimes of dictator and authoritarian rule. The dome has a spiral ramp leading to an open-air terrace and a breath-taking view of the city.
It's from this vantage point that Robyn, (my hostel-roommate) and I saw the Berlin Philharmonic burning in the distance. Those pictures will be posted to my FLICKR account later this week. Well, that's it for tonight. Be well, my friends.
1 comment:
Keep up the good work. Everything looks great so far!
Post a Comment