Berlin heute

The music room

This was my favorite room! It was filled with old music boxes and other mechanical objects. The best part was, they are all still operational and the curator gave us a demonstration of some of the pieces.

I really liked the one-man-band, it reminded me of Bert from Mary Poppins.

And this organ was produced right here in Berlin. Just look at how beautifully the name is painted on the instrument. If you like this kind of sign and others, take a look at Signs, Signs. I hope you've enjoyed this tour of the Märkisches Museum, I think it's time to move on to other things.

PS: I've got pictures from my recent trip to Israel on Halcyon Travels. Stop by and take a look.

The religious room

Sometimes it seemed like the rooms at the Märkisches Museum would never end - there was so much variety in the exhibits. This room was dedicated to religious artifacts collected from Berlin churches over the years. A school class was visiting on the day I was there and these three girls stayed back to marvel over the alterpiece.

I, however, marveled over this piece. I'm not sure what the story is, but it looks like that fellow in the middle is having his head stepped on by Jesus. Ouch!

PS: I've got pictures from my recent trip to Israel on Halcyon Travels. Stop by and take a look!

Looking through

We're back to the Märkisches Museum. As I said before, I really loved the architecture and the details in this museum, like this wonderfully painted doorway.

In the next room, there were some nice paintings on display, including this one of the Neue Kirche (aka Deutsche Dom) on Gendarmenmarkt. The church is called the "New Church" because it was built after the Reformation had been accepted in Berlin. When Berlin's leaders started leaning towards the reform teachings of Luther and Calvin, Catholic cathedrals were simply converted to protestant churches. Thus, it was nice for parishioners in this part of the city to have a brand new place to worship.

November theme day: Ephemeral

I admit, I had some problems with this month's theme day. I couldn't find any recent photos that I liked, so I went back to the archives. There's nothing quite so ephemeral as a rainbow - especially a double one! I shot this one with my iPhone back in July after a quick, but heavy shower on the golf course. I imagine we'll be seeing lots of rainbows today, but I hope this one brings you a smile. For more ephemeral images, click here.

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!

Meet Sam

This is a bust of the famed law reformer, Samuel von Cocceji. Under the Prussian King Frederick the Great, he made reforms to the law and judicial process which helped lay the foundations for modern German law. The museum finds him so cool, he got this special place of honor under one of the rose-style windows. You can read more about Sam here.

Another crest

I don't know who or what this crest belongs to, but I like it! I hope it counts as a sign. You'll find more of them at Signs, Signs.

Towards the light

I had always wanted to visit the Märkisches Museum, if only to see the architecture from the inside. It is such an interesting building with interesting exhibits inside too! Won't you come inside and take a look...

A bear and his shield

This week I'm taking you on a tour of the Märkisches Museum. You may remember I showed you Big Roland who stands guard outside the museum awhile back. After walking by this museum so many times, I finally visited last June on the free day. It was surprisingly interesting and would definitely be a good choice for families with older kids. It mainly showcases the history of the city of Berlin. And of course, Berlin wouldn't be complete without its bear! This guy even has his own shield, though I'm don't believe I've seen that crest before.

PS: Sorry for the long absence. I got back from Israel last week, but wasn't feeling well enough to sit in front of the computer. I think things are getting better, hope you haven't missed your daily dose of Berlin too much!

Reflections on the 18th

I hope you enjoy this look at the golf course today. Unfortunately, I think my Friday afternoon rounds are a thing of the past now. But there's always next year! I'm off to Israel early tomorrow morning, but I'll be back towards the end of the month. I'll have plenty of pictures to show on my return, I'm sure. If you can't wait until then, check out my Instagram feed or follow me on Facebook. Until then, you can see more reflections here and more skies here.

Fall in Berlin

A look at the R udolph-Wilde Park in Schoneberg. I love it when the leaves start to turn.

The Telespargel

Being greeted by the Telespargel against a blue sky is a wonderful sight when climbing out of the U-Bahn. I tried many different angles, but I liked this one the best. There are ruins of an actual cloister at Klosterstrasse. I should get back there one of these days to get some shots of it. Until then, you'll find more signs at Signs, Signs.

ETA: The real name of the structure is simply the TV Tower. However, due to its shape, many people call it the Telespargel (Tele-asparagus).