Heirlooms

I found these beautiful heirloom tomatoes irresistible! They were found during a recent trip to the Marheineke Markthalle in Kreuzberg.

Sweet, sweet coffee

There was something about this scene that caught my eye. I will have to go back and give Gizmo's a try the next time I'm in the neighborhood. It's Wednesday and more signs can be found here.

Egyptian influence

You'll find some visitors from North Africa in the Langhans Hall inside Schloss Bellevue. This room is used to receive visitors and where new ambassadors are formally received. 

I hope you've enjoyed this short tour of the Schloss Bellevue. If you're interested in seeing more, there is a brochure you can download here.

Dresden from the Left Bank

This painting of the Elbe in Dresden is by Italian artist Bernardo Bellotto. It is on display in the President's office in Schloss Bellevue. While each President has some freedom to decide which works will be displayed throughout the residence, this is one of the permanent works.

On the ice

We had such a long cold spell in Berlin this winter that some of the smaller lakes were frozen over. I took the opportunity, along with many other Berliners, to walk across the lake. Though I wish I had dug out my ice skates, the ice was nice and smooth for skating (and it's faster!). It's Friday and you'll find more skies at Skywatch.

Golden room

This is the grand ballroom where state dinners are held. At one end of the room is this beautiful, golden painting; the other end has a similar piece with more pinkish tones. Both were grand pieces of art which fit the room. They were painted by German artist Gotthard Graubner.

Crystal

One of the beautiful grand chandeliers from inside Schloss Bellevue. Unfortunately, none of the original furnishings or decorative items survived the war. Luckily other palaces and museums from around the country have loaned items from the period.

A look inside

The Schloss Bellevue has only been used by Germany's President since 1994. During the divided years, the President worked at the Hammerschmidt Villa in Bonn (the former capitol of West Germany). The palace was originally used as a hunting lodge by the Prussian royalty. It suffered quite a bit of damage during WWII, but luckily was preserved.

Today the President of Germany has his offices here. He also hosts state dinners and other events for foreign dignitaries onsite. Each elite visitor signs a special page in the guest book. The President of Slovenia had just visited a few days before I was there.

Schloss Bellevue

The Schloss Bellevue is the building where the German president works and hosts visiting foreign dignitaries. I was lucky enough to be invited on a tour of the building and grounds recently (it is not open to the public) and I saw his personal study and the many rooms he uses for entertaining. Stay tuned for more!

March theme day: Black and white in color

A look inside the Bundespräsidialamt in Berlin. It's the working place of the German President (not to be confused with the German Chancellor) and his staff. I believe this shot lends itself quite well to this month's theme, a color shot that looks like black and white. For more interpretations, take a look here.

PS: I'm also posting more regularly on my travel blog. I recently took a three month adventure through Southeast Asia.