Reunited... and it feels so good!

Happy German Unity day! Last year marked 25 years since The Wall fell and today is the 25th anniversary of a reunited Germany. There will be lots of celebrating going on and hopefully I will make it to the fireworks show at the Brandenburg Gate tonight. Hope you also have some nice plans for the weekend!

One Berlin

I was out and about around Bernauer Strasse recently. The street was a major dividing point in the old East and West days. Homes and churches were torn down here because they stood in the way of The Wall. Today there is a Wall Memorial that runs along a long stretch of the street. The Memorial shows what life was like in the divided city through photos and personal accounts.

Bernauer Strasse was one of the few places where Easterns and Westerners could "meet up" again. Here we see a mother and father lifting their twin babies high in the air so that family in the East would get to know them. 

A Western couple was smart enough to bring a ladder, so they would have a better view of their loved ones in the East. I find it so hard to imagine what life must have been like for people then, and it's not even that long ago - only twenty-five years! 

It's Monday again and you'll find more murals at Monday Mural.

King of hearts

I found the mural on this piece of the Berlin Wall rather intriguing. Is he the king of hearts or volleyball - or both?! Something to ponder this Monday. You can find more murals here.

Storming the wall

A photo of East Berliners storming the Berlin Wall stands next to an a couple of old fragments of the Wall in the courtyard of the Pankow Museum. I just finished reading Anna Funder's book Stasiland. If you are interested in that period of history, it is an excellent read. Funder describes her personal interviews with both victims and collaborators of the DDR regime. The result is book of stories that will draw you in; I could hardly put it down.

Here's a better look at the photo. I can hardly imagine how these people felt. I wonder where they are today?

It's Monday again and you can get your weekly mural fix at Monday Mural.

Berlin feeling

One thing you can say about Berlin, there is no shortage of murals! Today I'm showing you another piece of the "ultimate mural" - the East Side Gallery section of the former Berlin Wall. I'm not exactly sure what the artist wanted to convey with this work, but the mushroom DJ, the Oberbaum Brücke and the people partying on the banks of the Spree definitely give me a Berlin feeling. Hope you enjoy it and the other murals at Monday Mural.

PS: There's still more from Vienna at Halcyon Travels. Click here to enjoy!

Seven steps

You can find the seven steps to enlightenment here on the old section of the Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery. Even if you don't reach the ultimate stage, you can enjoy the bright colors! For more murals, visit Monday Mural.

On the fence

After looking through my archives, I have realized that I probably don't need to take any more new photos for months! But I suppose it is nicer when the shots are seasonally appropriate. Although it looks bright and summery, this photo was actually taken in September; we had a fantastic Indian summer in Berlin this year. 

I found the bird mural at the Mauer Garten in Kreuzberg. It's an interesting section of the city where many people live out of caravans or in other makeshift lodgings. It's Monday again, so don't forget to visit Monday Mural for your weekly fix!

Oberbaumbrücke reflections

Reflections of the Lichtgrenze from the Oberbaumbrücke. The focus in this shot is not quite as good as I'd hoped, I was using a wall for a tripod but the bridge was still pretty far away. I hope you have enjoyed this look at the celebrations in Berlin. I'll be out of town next week - I'm off to Spain for a week of golf. For more reflections, visit Weekend Reflections.

Balloons in black and white

You may not be able to tell, but this photo is black and white. The Brandenburg Gate is off in the distance.

Think!

There was a short film showing on a loop near Checkpoint Charlie in the days leading up to the balloon release. I find looking back at the times when Berlin was divided so interesting - the city has changed so much! Some parts of it are even unrecognizable from before. This was a sign the West Berliners put up to remind the young men in the watchtowers in East Berlin to think instead of shooting. Good advice, I think, but probably not heeded. For more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs.

Balloon wall

Another look at the Lichtgrenze on the evening before the balloons were released. This was also taken near Checkpoint Charlie.

Der Wachturm

The actual Watchtowers that lined the wall along Bernauer Strasse have long since been removed. To remind visitors of what they were like, artistic "replacement towers" have been erected. This is a view to the sky from one of them. It was a dreary day when I visited, so this just looks like black and white.

I'm away for the weekend in Prague. Hope you also have some nice plans for the weekend! Until then you can see more skies at Skywatch. And don't forget to visit Halcyon Travels for more of Paris.

Divided

I found this representation of how the Berlin Wall divided so many along the Bernauer Strasse memorial walkway. Something about it really touched me - maybe it's how this couple is together but still apart.

Some very important visitors (my parents) arrived in town yesterday! We are headed to Dresden and Prague tomorrow - that should be a lot of fun and also means more photos for Halcyon Travels. When we get back, I'm looking forward to showing off all the places I've discovered via my blog. Hope you won't mind some duplicate photos.

X marks the spot

One of the biggest and most successful Berlin Wall escapes happened right under Bernauer Strasse in October 1964. This plaque marks where the tunnel began on the West side of the wall, just imagine how the escapees must have felt climbing out into freedom. If you're interested, click here for a short video on the escape. Don't forget to stop by Signs, Signs for more signs.

PS: I am posting photos from my recent trip to Paris on my other photoblog, Halcyon Travels. Please stop by and take a look. You can click here or on the link on the right side of this page. Enjoy!

Ruins

Some of the remnants of the  Church of Reconciliation that once stood on Bernauer Strasse are now on display along the Memorial Walk. The church was severely damaged during the bombing raids of WWII, but managed to survive until 1985 when officials in the DDR (East Germany) decided it should be demolished. What a shame as, as we know now, the Wall fell only a few years later. A new chapel has been built in its place and one of the area parishes uses it today for special services. To see more old stuff, head to Rubbish Tuesday. 

PS: I am posting photos from my recent trip to Paris on my other photoblog, Halcyon Travels. Please stop by and take a look. You can click here or on the link on the right side of this page. Enjoy!

Get away

I must admit, this photo was in the running for this month's movement theme, but I decided to go with something else. This past Friday (October 3rd) was German Unity Day - Germany's version of Canada Day or the Fourth of July. It was especially nice that it fell on a Friday this year so we got to make a long weekend out of it. My husband and I checked out some of the local street festivals and generally just enjoyed the great weather. (I also got my round of golf in!)

It's hard to believe it's been 25 years since the Berlin Wall fell. There is a long Wall Memorial along Bernauer Strasse where visitors can see exactly where certain events happened. This particular picture is pretty famous - that's an East German guard jumping the fence to the West before the gates were entirely closed. Pretty amazing that someone just happened to be there and captured this moment since this was before the age of selfies and cell phones. I'll be featuring more of Bernauer Strasse this week, so be sure to check back. Until then you can see more murals at Monday Mural.

PS: I am posting photos from my recent trip to Paris on my other photoblog, Halcyon Travels. You'll find a bonus mural posted there. Click here or on the link on the right side of this blog. Enjoy!