Hi Berlin!

When I got home and looked at this shot, it gave me a little chuckle. It sort of looks like that statue is waving, right? (Or is it just me?)

It''s always good to start Friday on a lighter note. I hope you've enjoyed this tour of the Berliner Dom. I still have a few more shots that I'd like to show, but maybe I'll wait for another time as two weeks of the same thing is probably enough. Hope you've got some interesting plans for the weekend. I might be traveling somewhere since my German class doesn't start up again until Tuesday. Until then, have fun!

The saint and the telespargel

Sadly as the weather conditions were so poor, the outside walk around the Dom was closed. I did do the indoor walk though and got some nice views from the windows. Unfortunately, they distort the images a bit, but I do think the haziness adds something to this shot. What do you think?

The crypt

The Berliner Dom houses a fabulous crypt where many of the Hohenzoller's (Germany's royal family) are buried. I had a great time wandering around and looking at all of the sarcophogi - most of them are really ornate!

Unfortunately, most of my shots didn't quite turn out as the lighting conditions were quite poor. But here is a look at Friederich Wilhelm, The Great Elector's final resting place. His tomb was less ornate than the others, but to be honest I prefer this simple style, it seems more dignified. For more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs.

Former details

Here are some of the architectural details I was speaking about in yesterday's post. These column toppers once graced some part of the church, but were removed after damage during WWII. Details like these always look good in black and white to me, hope you agree!

Mural in the Dom

There is also a small museum inside the Berliner Dom that gives a bit of history of the building itself. Models and pieces of the original building (presumably removed after damage during the war) make up most of the collection, but there was also this wonderful mural. I am often too impatient to read the German signs, but from what I can gather this is a reproduction of a fresco by Peter von Cornelius. Apparently, King Frederich William IV commissioned Cornelius to paint a series of frescoes for the royal cemetery (similar to the cemetery in Campo Santo in Pisa), but it doesn't seem that any of his planned works were ever carried out. In any case, I found this piece interesting, the colors are very rich, although I wonder who is being buried. 

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I get a little break from German this week, so hopefully I will have more time to take pictures. Don't forget to stop by Monday Mural to see more murals from around the world!

Looking up

Here's a look at the cupola inside the Berliner Dom. It was such a beautiful place to visit with exquisite details and paintings. I love the bright colors too!

Snowy Dom

Here's a look at the Berliner Dom from outside. It does look lovely with a small blanket of snow! When the weather is good, you can walk around the outside of the Dom. But since it was cold and slippery, the outside walkway was closed and I only got a view through the windows. It was still worth the visit though, and maybe a reason to go back!

Happy Friday! I'm glad the weekend is finally here. I had some health problems this week, but they're finally clearing up. I'm going to see a few more apartments this weekend and probably play some golf. It should be a fun one. Hope you have some big plans too!

The climb

To access the Berliner Dom, you've got to make your way up a short flight of stairs. They were pretty with the little bit of snow on them in late January and luckily not too slippery!

Glowing

There's a lot to see inside the Berliner Dom, but I thought I'd skip right to one of my favourite parts of any church - the candle offerings. Although I'm not really a believer, I always light a candle whenever I visit a church in memory of my grandmother. I hope she can see the light from heaven and know that someone is thinking of her. 

Each of the candles also has a little mini-sign on it showing an artist's rendition of the Dom. If you'd like to see more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs. There will be more of the Dom tomorrow.

Chilled bathers

These bathers can be found on the Museum Insel, that's the Berliner Dom in the background. I will show you some pictures from inside the church tomorrow. It's definitely worth a visit if you're in town, but unfortunately visitors have to pay an entrance fee.

Graffiti mural

I found this selection of graffiti murals in the Monbijou Park - yes I do spend a lot of time there. 

Although these are really works of graffiti, I rather like some of the messages, this one especially! Hope your week is off to a good start. For more murals, take a look at Monday Mural.

Chilled benches

It was a bit cold for sitting outside last week, but things are better now. The snow has all melted, although it's been replaced by rain. I still like that these benches were pristine when I saw them. 

It's Friday again! Hope you have some nice plans for the weekend. I'm going to play cards with friends on Saturday evening and see Hertha (the local football/soccer team) play on Sunday. It should be a fun-packed weekend.

PS: Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Dahlem dorf

Here's a look at the Dahlem Dorf U-Bahn station in the evening. The line 3 is my favourite - all the stations are cute and individual like this one!

Another Ampelmann

Here's another Ampelmann Cafe near the Monbijou Park. I find the big hat so funny and cute, I couldn't resist getting a shot of him. And don't worry, it's not actually cold here in Berlin anymore. The photos I've been showing this week are from the end of January. For more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs.

What's wrong with this picture?

From a distance, this looks like a typical winter scene here in Berlin. However, if you take a closer look, you'll see something is terribly wrong!

This man was walking around in shorts and flip flops on a cold snowy day. I think he must be Canadian!

Happy bird

I found this little yellow guy under a bridge in Monbijou Park. He reminds me of the UB5000 yellow birds that I used to see all around Toronto. Perhaps a trend is starting here in Berlin as well. I'll have to keep an eye out! Until then, you can see more murals at Monday Mural.

Homey details

So, the househunting this weekend was not super fruitful. In the end we only visited one apartment. It was a really nice one though. It was in an old building that still retained some of the "charming" features of yesteryear, like the stained glass in this door.

Here's a better look at the door in situ. This is the living room and those French doors lead to the dining room. I really liked this apartment, but it didn't have a proper guest room and that's a must have for me. Although this place probably won't work for us, it's still nice to see what's out there. Hopefully the right place will come up soon!

Looking up at the Mahnmal

I've featured an autumnal view of the Holocaust Mahnmal back in November, but this is the kind of place you can go back to a thousand times and always get a different picture. It was cold and gray on my last visit, but that was somehow fitting. Although the design is simple, I find it quite moving. I'm sure this won't be the last time you see it on my blog. 

The weekend is finally here, hope I haven't started it on too much of a depressing note. We haven't been househunting for awhile, maybe it's time to take a look at a few more places. Do you have any big plans?  For more skies, visit Skywatch.

Tucked away

This may not be the right weather for it, but I can imagine those two benches tucked away under the trees as a nice place to sit and contemplate during the warmer months. I found this beautiful snowy scene in the old Jewish cemetery in Mitte.

Stolpersteine fur die Rosenthals

Sometimes it pays to look down. If not, you might miss these commemorative plaques or Stolpersteine that remind us of the former residents of many apartments and homes around Berlin. The Stolpersteins are a private initiative that began in Berlin, but you can now find them in many other European cities as well. For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

Figures in the snow

These figures outside the old Jewish cemetery in Berlin are a memorial to the Jews who died in concentration camps. This work was originally intended for display at another memorial site in Berlin, but finally the figures found their rightful place outside the old cemetery in Mitte. It is the work of the German artist Will Lammert.

The figures are roughly sculpted, but I think it gives them even more poignancy. I spent some time here looking into all of the faces. This was a tragic point in human history which I hope will never be repeated.

Mosaic peace wall

I found this beautiful mosaic mural on a recent tour of Berlin. This mural stands on a street known for its historical diversity. Berlin's first Jewish cemetery is nearby as is a landmark Protestant church and a Catholic hospital. At one time in the city's history people from different faiths lived together in this neighborhood.

The work is part of a worldwide CITYarts Pieces for Peace project. You can read more about it here. And you can see more murals at Monday Mural.

Reflections in a cafe window

Something about this scene really appeals to me. Perhaps it's the arched doorway and window. Or maybe it's the sad Christmas tree that still hasn't been picked up. Or it could be the bright yellow of the building. I'm guessing it's some combination of all these things! Hope you're having a fantastic weekend. For more reflections, take a look at Weekend Reflections.

February theme day: Entry

I suppose this could be an entrance or an exit depending on how you look at it. In any case, I was exiting the castle courtyard and while the dog was entering it!

It's once again the first of the month and February's theme is "Entry". If you'd like to see more interpretations of the theme from around the world, visit the CDP website.