Happy Easter!

The Arcades in Potsdamer Platz always go all out when decorating for the season, whether it be Christmas or Easter or anything in between! I found this beautifully painted egg in the shopping center a few weeks ago. There were also many beautiful plants on display, like these hydrangeas, that were from the gardens of Sans Souci.

I will be boarding the cruise ship today and sailing back from the New World to the Old. It should be alot of fun and very relaxing. If I ever get over my lazy-itis, I may post some shots on my travel blog. Until then, I hope you have a fantastic Easter and that the Easter bunny brings you lots of chocolate and yummy treats.

Insane!

"Insane - Crazy - Unbelieveable", that's what this plaque at the open air memorial and exhibition on Bernauer Strasse reads. Bernauer Strasse was a border crossing from the DDR into the French sector of West Berlin. This plaque memorializes the reaction of East Germans who crossed over into the west on the evening of 9 November 1989. Crazy times, indeed! For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

Bench and boat

A bench and some kind of boat at a local playground in Dahlem. It doesn't look quite so inviting to me, perhaps there aren't many children in this neighborhood anymore.

Black bird

Although this work is signed, I was unable to find any information on the artist or this particular piece of work. I found this simple, but striking mural in the inner courtyard of a building in Prenzlauerberg. Unfortunately, I didn't note the exact address, but I really like this mural - probably because red is my favorite color and I love birds. But I hope you find it nice too! For more murals, visit Mural Monday.

PS: I'm going to be away for three weeks. I have set up some automatic posts and I hope to comment a little while I'm on the road. Hope you will enjoy Berlin in my absence!

Stempel

The inside of the Tränenpalast was actually dismantled a few months after the fall of the wall. In fact, until just a few years ago, the building was privately owned and was used as a concert venue. I suppose the city realized the importance of the building and bought it back. I'm glad they did because the exhibits are really interesting.

This is the "private cabinet" you would have to pass through in order to leave the DDR. The border guards were highly trained in facial recognition techniques. In old German passports, the photo was always taken at an angle so that one ear was visible. Apparently ears are a very good way of identifying person. In a video interview, one of the former guards reveals some of the methods used to determine whether the person in a passport photo is really the person standing in front of him. It's all quite interesting, I am just waiting for some out of town visitors so I can go back! 

Looking out

I showed you the outside of the Tränenpalast or Palace of Tears awhile back. Now here's a look from the inside out. It's too bad the sky wasn't a bit bluer, but perhaps the monochrome tone fits better to the mood of this place where so many sad farewells were made. It's Friday and I'm linking this post to Skywatch.

 

Olympiastadion bear

I actually have quite a little stock of Buddy Bears to show now. I found this colorful guy at the Olympic Stadium when I went to see Hertha play recently. Unfortunately they lost, but I still had a good time and got some good pictures! You can read more about the meaning behind this particular Buddy Bear here.

You're welcome!

I'm not sure if this cafe wants to be welcoming or wants to thank its customers... or both! In any case, I like the name. I also love those three arched windows and the contrast of the yellow building and the green shutters. I actually took this photo back in January, but failed to showcase it, so please forgive the snow. I promise it's not around anymore. For more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs.

Brecht

I finally made a visit to the Friedhof Dorotheenstadt to see the burial site of one of my favorite dramatists, Bertolt Brecht. As you can see, his grave is actually quite simple in design, I suppose he would have wanted it that way. Now I've just got to see a show at the the theater he founded - the Berliner Ensemble.

Realistic graffiti

I found the website of the artist who created this work, but no information on the work itself. Apparently Maclaim travels to cities across Europe to paint what he calls the "finest photorealistic graffiti". I'm not sure I agree with the "finest" part, but I've certainly seen worse things on some of the walls of Berlin. What do you think of this work - fine or not so fine? 

Monday's here again! Hope you had a great and relaxing weekend. For more murals, visit Monday Mural.

Cherry snow

You'll find these benches on the square across from my new apartment. Those benches look fantastic with the beautiful cherry trees in bloom above them. Unfortunately, the blossoms don't last long, but the "cherry snow" is so pretty! I'm sure this won't be the last time you see this scene, I hope to show it throughout the seasons.

Looking out

Remember this place that I showed you back in November? Pretty soon, I'll be moving in! Although we didn't get the first apartment that we saw, another unit came up in January and after a lot of hard negotiating we were able to come to an agreement. We sign the papers today, but won't be moving in until the end of the summer as a lot of renovations are needed. It's very exciting though and the view you see here is from my new living room balcony. I'm sure this won't be the last time you'll be seeing this square on my blog. Happy Friday!!!

Konigstadt

This type of brick facade is very typical for buildings found in the old eastern part of Berlin. I rather like the color and design, it's only a shame this one has been attacked by taggers. After searching online, I learned that this building is used as a youth center. You can see some pictures from the inside here.

Tuk Tuk

Last Friday was my last day at the Goethe Institut. A few other students in my class were also leaving the institute, so we decided a dinner was in order. One of our fellow classmates is Indonesian and recommended TukTuk - I'm glad he did!

I had Balinese style tofu with tomato sauce (photo courtesy Der Kua). It was quite tasty, but there were lots of other things on the menu that sounded good as well, so I wouldn't mind going back. Until then you can see more signs at Signs, Signs.

April theme day: Triangles

Potsdamer Platz is one of my favorite areas of Berlin to photograph. Although it hasn't really taken off as the city centre planners had hoped for, I still think it's a great area to walk around and enjoy, especially if you are interested in modern architecture.

A new month is upon us and the theme for April is triangles. I hope you enjoy this triangular building on Potsdamer Platz. For more interpretations of this month's theme, click here.