Gespiegelt

I recently took a tour of the Deutsche Welle studios here in Berlin. It was super interesting and we really got to see the "backstage" areas, like here where the presenters prepare themselves. Luckily for me, there happened to be someone using the make-up mirror, so I got a nice reflection. Hope you enjoy! For more reflections, take a look at Weekend Reflections.

Frozen over

Here's a look back at the few cold days we had here in January. It was cold enough that the Grunewaldsee was frozen over for a few days. A few people ventured out more towards the middle of the lake, but most stayed on the edges where it was safer. It's always fun to go walking on the lakes in the winter, but I'm glad the season wasn't so harsh this year. A couple of weeks of cold was enough for me, although I have to admit the snow was pretty, especially under such beautiful light.

Elser memorial

Almost everyone has heard of Claus von Stauffenberg thanks to Tom Cruise's famous movie The Valkyrie. But did you know there was a man who tried to assassinate Hitler in 1939, years before Stauffenberg's attempt? His name was Johann Georg Elser and this silhouette is a memorial to him. I think the simplicity of this piece makes it even more powerful (it also looks great in black and white!). If only he had succeeded in his attempt, things might have turned out very differently. I guess we'll never know, but his story is an interesting one - click on his name above to read more. You can find more signs at Signs, Signs.

Snowy bear

The Berlin Buddy Bears are all over the city! They are lifesize fiberglass bears that have been sponsored by a company and are often painted/decorated by an artist of note. I found this particular model outside a restaurant near the Berliner Dom when I visited at the end of January. I'm not sure about his origins or history, but I thought the glasses were a cute idea. I'll post some more of the bears I've seen around town in the coming weeks. It's always fun to keep an eye out for them! 

An ice version of the Buddy Bear was even seen recently in Ottawa!

Mural in Kotti

I found this fantastic mural near Kottbusser Tur (aka Kotti) in Kreuzberg. This area of town has been traditionally inhabited by working class people and immigrants, however things have started to change in recent times and many fear gentrification. I love the way this mural depicts different types of people who live in this area coming together to fight to keep their neighborhood the way it is. Unfortunately, I don't have any additional information on the artist, but I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I do! For more murals, take a look at Monday Mural.

March theme day: People on the street

Spring is here! Temperatures have been rising here in Berlin and the skies are blue, let's hope things stay that way. This shot is not exactly a "street" scene, this was actually taken on the old takeoff/landing strip at the Templehof Airport. The airport officially closed down a few years ago and there has been much debate about what to do with the land and the buildings. In the meantime, it has become a popular weekend spot to sly kites, ride bikes, rollerblade or just peoplewatch, and I hope things will stay this way. 

Hope your weekend is off to a good start! For more interpretations of this month's theme, click here.

Hi Berlin!

When I got home and looked at this shot, it gave me a little chuckle. It sort of looks like that statue is waving, right? (Or is it just me?)

It''s always good to start Friday on a lighter note. I hope you've enjoyed this tour of the Berliner Dom. I still have a few more shots that I'd like to show, but maybe I'll wait for another time as two weeks of the same thing is probably enough. Hope you've got some interesting plans for the weekend. I might be traveling somewhere since my German class doesn't start up again until Tuesday. Until then, have fun!

The saint and the telespargel

Sadly as the weather conditions were so poor, the outside walk around the Dom was closed. I did do the indoor walk though and got some nice views from the windows. Unfortunately, they distort the images a bit, but I do think the haziness adds something to this shot. What do you think?

The crypt

The Berliner Dom houses a fabulous crypt where many of the Hohenzoller's (Germany's royal family) are buried. I had a great time wandering around and looking at all of the sarcophogi - most of them are really ornate!

Unfortunately, most of my shots didn't quite turn out as the lighting conditions were quite poor. But here is a look at Friederich Wilhelm, The Great Elector's final resting place. His tomb was less ornate than the others, but to be honest I prefer this simple style, it seems more dignified. For more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs.

Former details

Here are some of the architectural details I was speaking about in yesterday's post. These column toppers once graced some part of the church, but were removed after damage during WWII. Details like these always look good in black and white to me, hope you agree!

Mural in the Dom

There is also a small museum inside the Berliner Dom that gives a bit of history of the building itself. Models and pieces of the original building (presumably removed after damage during the war) make up most of the collection, but there was also this wonderful mural. I am often too impatient to read the German signs, but from what I can gather this is a reproduction of a fresco by Peter von Cornelius. Apparently, King Frederich William IV commissioned Cornelius to paint a series of frescoes for the royal cemetery (similar to the cemetery in Campo Santo in Pisa), but it doesn't seem that any of his planned works were ever carried out. In any case, I found this piece interesting, the colors are very rich, although I wonder who is being buried. 

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. I get a little break from German this week, so hopefully I will have more time to take pictures. Don't forget to stop by Monday Mural to see more murals from around the world!

Looking up

Here's a look at the cupola inside the Berliner Dom. It was such a beautiful place to visit with exquisite details and paintings. I love the bright colors too!

Snowy Dom

Here's a look at the Berliner Dom from outside. It does look lovely with a small blanket of snow! When the weather is good, you can walk around the outside of the Dom. But since it was cold and slippery, the outside walkway was closed and I only got a view through the windows. It was still worth the visit though, and maybe a reason to go back!

Happy Friday! I'm glad the weekend is finally here. I had some health problems this week, but they're finally clearing up. I'm going to see a few more apartments this weekend and probably play some golf. It should be a fun one. Hope you have some big plans too!

The climb

To access the Berliner Dom, you've got to make your way up a short flight of stairs. They were pretty with the little bit of snow on them in late January and luckily not too slippery!

Glowing

There's a lot to see inside the Berliner Dom, but I thought I'd skip right to one of my favourite parts of any church - the candle offerings. Although I'm not really a believer, I always light a candle whenever I visit a church in memory of my grandmother. I hope she can see the light from heaven and know that someone is thinking of her. 

Each of the candles also has a little mini-sign on it showing an artist's rendition of the Dom. If you'd like to see more signs, take a look at Signs, Signs. There will be more of the Dom tomorrow.