A rainbow

I recently found this mural while wandering through the streets of Kreuzberg. I love the message and the bright smiles on the children's faces. It makes me smile too! It's Monday again and you'll find more murals at Monday Mural.

Floral bench

A look back at the beautiful rhododendrons in my neighborhood. I just love these small gardens you can find on almost every corner. It's a great way for the public to enjoy the beauties of nature.

Happy Independence Day to all my American readers!!!

Living together in perfect harmony

If tea and coffee drinkers can come together, that's already a step towards world peace. I must admit, I love a good paper shop and this one looked very intriguing. It was just closing the evening when I happened past, but I will have to come back for a look inside. Don't forget to stop by Signs, Signs.

Cherry benches year three

The cherries on the square have not been nearly as beautiful as last year or the year before. But I suppose that's a byproduct of an unseasonably warm winter - these trees were almost in full bloom back in January! It's shame though, they can be really beautiful.

April theme day: Beauty of simplicity

Though spring has officially started, it doesn't look or feel like it here in Berlin. Despite the low temperatures and cold wind, I have to admit there's a certain beauty in the bare branches of this tree and the gray sky. I just hope things will change soon, a bit of warmth and some blue skies can do wonders for your golf game.

A new month is upon us. For more examples of the Beauty of Simplicity, take a look here.

Waiting

These lovely benches have been placed in the hallway leading up to the synagogue as a place for visitors to rest before the service. I just love those arched windows. Tomorrow I'll show some of the graves, hope you'll come back!

Have a seat

Once guests pass through the heavy doors into the former bunker, they are welcomed for a short presentation before embarking on the guided tour of the Boros Sammlung. The tour groups are small, only 8-10 people, and very informative.

Once the presentation was over, we followed the arrows to the first room. More to come tomorrow.

Park tour

We're back to Ernst Thälmann Park. It is actually not the prettiest of places, there was a lot of graffiti and vandalism, but I managed to find some nice things to show you during my stroll. These round benches must be popular during the summer months.

 

The pond and the vegetation around it was also really pretty with all the autumnal color in the trees and being reflected back.

And a last quick look at the leaves in close-up. Hope you've enjoyed the park. You'll find more reflections at Weekend Reflections.

PS: Don't forget to take a look at Halcyon Travels for more from my trip to Israel.

December theme day: Shop window

Berlin has so many wonderful shops and most windows are decorated for the season now. Despite that, I couldn't resist showing this unique tailor-made jeans shop window. The combination of the funny shop name, the bright colors inside, the reflection and most of all that bright pink bench makes for a perfect shot. Hope you enjoy it!

Today is my first day on the job. I hope working won't cut into my blogging time too much! Don't forget to check here for other variations on this month's theme.

Have a seat

This big bench is just inviting visitors to take a seat while looking at all the different items on display at the Kunstgewerbemuseum.

Windows and bench

I was traveling through Schlesisches Tor station recently and just had to stop for a photo. The windows and the bench made for such a perfect scene. Hope you agree! For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

PS: Don't forget to stop by Halcyon Travels for a look at my recent trip to Israel.

Looking out

I somehow like the unfocused frame I got from looking out onto the Köllnischer Park at the Märkisches Museum. I've been searching through my recent photos and archives to come up with something suitable for tomorrow's theme. Hope you'll stop by to take a look. Until then, enjoy your weekend!

Odd setup

It's nice that the museum has offered these benches as a place to rest, but this room was totally empty. I'd much rather sit in a place where you can at least contemplate the artwork on the walls. I also find the placement of that church thingie (technical term) and the spotlight somewhat random. 

It's Friday again! Do you have any big plans for the weekend? I'll be out on the golf course and hopefully will also have some time to get out and about for some pictures of the gorgeous fall weather we've been having. Whatever you have planned, I hope you enjoy it!

Take a seat

Remember the fire brigade station from last week? These benches are just to the right of all the garage doors. There was also a third bench, but it was occupied by some firefighters and I didn't dare to photograph them.

Strong bicycles

Yes, it's another bike shot. This one just seems so Berlin  to me. The name of the shop is Bicycles out of Steel - they must be very strong and HEAVY! You'll find more signs at Signs, Signs.

Reflected bikes

An ice cream parlour is the place to be on a hot day. I'm sure a scoop of Ben and Jerry's tastes extra good after a morning of cycling. It's Friday again - do you have any big plans for the weekend? I'll be staying cool at my local ice cream shop as well as hitting a few out on the golf course. For more reflections, take a look at Weekend Reflections.

The written word remains

I have been meaning to show my local book exchange for some time, especially after seeing the same concept on Visual St. Paul and Naples and Hartford in Season, or you may remember the Book Box in Grunewald. The Villa Libris is near my home and there's rarely a time that I've walked by and seen it empty. Sometimes there's a queue of three or four people waiting to get in! 

The book exchange is run by the local neighborhood association and was in danger of shutting down just last summer, but now it seems to be here to stay. The motto on the side of the booth reads verba volant, scripta manent, which translates to "the spoken word flies, the written word remains". A fitting motto. For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

Reflecting or resting?

I whipped out my camera and snapped this shot as soon as I saw these three people sitting in front of this altarpiece. The real question is, are they reflecting upon the craftsmanship of the carving or are they just resting after a long day in the museum? I'll let you decide!

Our tour through the Bode Museum has come to an end, I hope you enjoyed it. I've been visiting a lot of museums lately, but perhaps I'll take some time off from showing them, the outdoor sights of Berlin are so lovely at this time of year.

Trio

This beautiful mosaic depicting the angels Raphael and Gabriel flanking Jesus dates back to 545. It's part of the large collection of Byzantine art at the Bode Museum. This particular piece comes from Ravenna, a city on the UNESCO World Heritage list for its many early Christian mosaic pieces (like this one).

Here's a better look at how the apse mosaic is presented in the room. I know this is not exactly a mural, but I think it's close enough. You'll find more of them at Monday Mural.

Peaceful

One thing I really like about the Bode Museum is the use of color. Most of the walls were painted with wonderful, deep colors like this blue room.

Friday is here again! The warm weather is back and hopefully my golf swing is coming with it. Do you have any big plans? I hope so!