From ultra-modern steel and glass
to tile patterned walls
and from ornate lead detailed glass windows
I got pretty confident with the S and U Bahn network by the end of my stay but I never did get brave enough to try the trams or buses. Next time.
This cafe really is a Microsoft cafe and it’s not just for employees of the company whose offices are above it.
Finding toilets as a tourist in Berlin is the kind of game you should only undertake if you like a challenge and have been in training with your pelvic floor exercises. The first rule pf day tripping in Berlin is that if you see a toilet, use it because you’ll never know when you’ll next find one.
Most public washrooms and some in shopping centres are a user pays service. They’re also all immaculate.
The Brandenburg Gate. |
But I got there in the end and was treated to the Lego spin on Berin.
The U Bahn network in Lego. |
There was a large hands on area where kids of all ages made their mark on the walls and benchtops.
You can’t escape Fortnite wherever you are in 2018, can you?
I bought this Berlin exclusive VW set for Master SSG as well as a desk calendar. We might even get through both over the rest of the holidays.
I’ve been sending the photos with messages ‘from Tigger’ to mum so Master SSG can read them and the review have been positive so far.
He’s such a natural in front of the camera.
Even his profile has presence.
And his Blue Steel just seems so right for every location.
The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was built in the 1890s and was badly damaged during the bombings of World War II. It’s nickname with the locals is “der hohle Sahn” which means “the hollow tooth”. It’s a useful landmark for me because it’s at the far end of the Kurfurstendamm and helps orientate me back to the hote from the shops and my favourite currywurst place (more about the currywurst in an upcoming post in this encyclopedic series on Berlin).
The palace was commissioned by Sophie Charlotte who was the wife of Friedrich I, Elector of Brandenburg. That’s a statue of him at the front of the palace. Friedrich was 42 when the palace was inaugurated. He crowned himself as King Friedrich I a few years later. Given his surroundings it did make sense, I guess.
I have no photos of the palace interior but rest assured it is a visual feast. The palace was renovated several times over the centuries as the Royal Family expanded. The bombings of World War II decimated much of the palace and the restoration process is ongoing. My favourite wing of the palace is the modern one which is airy and spacious and slightly more restrained in the interior design stakes.
That being said, my favourite room was in the old wing. Sophie Charlotte created a ‘china room which was wall to wall bone china
via Google images |
The palace gardens were a visual feast.
How perfect was the sky? The day started off terribly. It was cold and grey but what a difference a few hours make.
The gardens were initially designed with reference to that of the gardens of Versailles. The current design takes its inspiration from English landscapes.
These photos almost look like paintings.
The Orangery is now a cafe and they make excellent latte macchiatos.
We were ushered into dinner past these velvet curtains.
Candles were lit as the sun set over the palace.
We had salmon for the entree and duck for the main.
The orchestra and opera singers are members of the Berlin Residence Orchestra and performed in period costume. The whole experience was authentic without being touristy. The program was baroque and having the music performed in such an intimate setting (there were only about 50 of us in the audience) healed the lifelong issues I’ve had from being not particularly musical at a ‘musical’ school. I wasn’t sporty at school either but somehow I got over that. Piano lessons and music theory though – I don’t ever see myself taking either up as a retirement hobby but at least I have closure now through this concert.