Chilled bathers

These bathers can be found on the Museum Insel, that's the Berliner Dom in the background. I will show you some pictures from inside the church tomorrow. It's definitely worth a visit if you're in town, but unfortunately visitors have to pay an entrance fee.

Graffiti mural

I found this selection of graffiti murals in the Monbijou Park - yes I do spend a lot of time there. 

Although these are really works of graffiti, I rather like some of the messages, this one especially! Hope your week is off to a good start. For more murals, take a look at Monday Mural.

Chilled benches

It was a bit cold for sitting outside last week, but things are better now. The snow has all melted, although it's been replaced by rain. I still like that these benches were pristine when I saw them. 

It's Friday again! Hope you have some nice plans for the weekend. I'm going to play cards with friends on Saturday evening and see Hertha (the local football/soccer team) play on Sunday. It should be a fun-packed weekend.

PS: Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Dahlem dorf

Here's a look at the Dahlem Dorf U-Bahn station in the evening. The line 3 is my favourite - all the stations are cute and individual like this one!

Another Ampelmann

Here's another Ampelmann Cafe near the Monbijou Park. I find the big hat so funny and cute, I couldn't resist getting a shot of him. And don't worry, it's not actually cold here in Berlin anymore. The photos I've been showing this week are from the end of January. For more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs.

What's wrong with this picture?

From a distance, this looks like a typical winter scene here in Berlin. However, if you take a closer look, you'll see something is terribly wrong!

This man was walking around in shorts and flip flops on a cold snowy day. I think he must be Canadian!

Happy bird

I found this little yellow guy under a bridge in Monbijou Park. He reminds me of the UB5000 yellow birds that I used to see all around Toronto. Perhaps a trend is starting here in Berlin as well. I'll have to keep an eye out! Until then, you can see more murals at Monday Mural.

Homey details

So, the househunting this weekend was not super fruitful. In the end we only visited one apartment. It was a really nice one though. It was in an old building that still retained some of the "charming" features of yesteryear, like the stained glass in this door.

Here's a better look at the door in situ. This is the living room and those French doors lead to the dining room. I really liked this apartment, but it didn't have a proper guest room and that's a must have for me. Although this place probably won't work for us, it's still nice to see what's out there. Hopefully the right place will come up soon!

Looking up at the Mahnmal

I've featured an autumnal view of the Holocaust Mahnmal back in November, but this is the kind of place you can go back to a thousand times and always get a different picture. It was cold and gray on my last visit, but that was somehow fitting. Although the design is simple, I find it quite moving. I'm sure this won't be the last time you see it on my blog. 

The weekend is finally here, hope I haven't started it on too much of a depressing note. We haven't been househunting for awhile, maybe it's time to take a look at a few more places. Do you have any big plans?  For more skies, visit Skywatch.

Tucked away

This may not be the right weather for it, but I can imagine those two benches tucked away under the trees as a nice place to sit and contemplate during the warmer months. I found this beautiful snowy scene in the old Jewish cemetery in Mitte.

Stolpersteine fur die Rosenthals

Sometimes it pays to look down. If not, you might miss these commemorative plaques or Stolpersteine that remind us of the former residents of many apartments and homes around Berlin. The Stolpersteins are a private initiative that began in Berlin, but you can now find them in many other European cities as well. For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.

Figures in the snow

These figures outside the old Jewish cemetery in Berlin are a memorial to the Jews who died in concentration camps. This work was originally intended for display at another memorial site in Berlin, but finally the figures found their rightful place outside the old cemetery in Mitte. It is the work of the German artist Will Lammert.

The figures are roughly sculpted, but I think it gives them even more poignancy. I spent some time here looking into all of the faces. This was a tragic point in human history which I hope will never be repeated.

Mosaic peace wall

I found this beautiful mosaic mural on a recent tour of Berlin. This mural stands on a street known for its historical diversity. Berlin's first Jewish cemetery is nearby as is a landmark Protestant church and a Catholic hospital. At one time in the city's history people from different faiths lived together in this neighborhood.

The work is part of a worldwide CITYarts Pieces for Peace project. You can read more about it here. And you can see more murals at Monday Mural.

Reflections in a cafe window

Something about this scene really appeals to me. Perhaps it's the arched doorway and window. Or maybe it's the sad Christmas tree that still hasn't been picked up. Or it could be the bright yellow of the building. I'm guessing it's some combination of all these things! Hope you're having a fantastic weekend. For more reflections, take a look at Weekend Reflections.

February theme day: Entry

I suppose this could be an entrance or an exit depending on how you look at it. In any case, I was exiting the castle courtyard and while the dog was entering it!

It's once again the first of the month and February's theme is "Entry". If you'd like to see more interpretations of the theme from around the world, visit the CDP website.