Dalí Berlin

Today I postponed heading out for the day until after lunch. M wanted to make some homemade schnitzel, and I was only to happy to help him eat it. He definitely passes muster as a cook. It was delicious.

My major objective of the afternoon was Berlin's permanent Salvador Dali exhibit. The actual address is Leipziger Platz, but the U-Bahn stop is Potsdamer Platz. When I came up the elevator from the subway, I was right next door.

I've always been fascinated by what I'm guessing are his later works, probably in oils... the melting clocks, etc. Not one was included in this collection. In fact, the pictures featured in the front windows were not included n the display, although there were a couple that were probably from the same series.

As such, I feel this exhibit is oversold. It would be interesting for an art history major or any serious student of art. But for me -- I like what I like -- I would rate it a resounding "Meh".

Sadly, the lobby was more interesting than most of the pictures.

Since no photography was allowed inside, this will be a word-heavy post. I was going to include links to examples below, but that proved to be difficult, since most of the images are for sale in some gallery or another.

Most of the works on display were drawings with watercolors or other coloration. A lot of it was dark and ugly. Some was more primitive than surreal.

That's not to say it was a total waste of time/money. I did bring away some positive observations.

I was surprised at how much of his work was illustration: Don Quixote, Tristan and Isolde, Dante's Inferno, and perhaps more that I've forgotten. Especially with Tristan and Isolde, I was impressed by how few lines Dali needed to create an expressive representation of a human figure.

I noticed a tendency to experiment with materials. One series included a material similar to gold glitterglue. In another series he experimented with photographic montage. He also ventured into film with some bizarre results. Two short films are included in the display, including one he made with Disney.

Of the works they had one display, my favorites were the sculptures and bas-relief coins, such as the 1984 Olympic medals. The seemed more focused with less "messiness".

For someone with an interest in art history, the arrangement of similar works together makes the exhibit coherent. The small guidebook adds background information, but doesn't make it much easier to follow the exhibit. I had to do some searching to find the descriptive information for what I was looking at. If anyone would like my copy of the guidebook, let me know.

From Potsdamer Platz, I walked to Unter den Linden to pick up some pastries at the cafe by the Brandenburg Gate that I'd visited early in my trip. That walk felt a lot like "Goodbye Berlin", as I passed the Holocaust Memorial, Brandenburg Tor, and the other sights that have become familiar. From there, I went home to share Kaffeetrinken with M and wait for P to come home from work for my last weekend in Germany.

My Scariest Moment in Berlin

When one rides the subway in Berlin, the ticket is purchased from a machine. But... you don't just buy the ticket, you must also validate it before boarding. This sounds redundant, but it allows you to purchase a bunch of tickets in advance -- a 4-pack costing less per ticket -- and then validate them as you use them.

It's more or less an honor system,  but fear promotes honor. From time to time an "enforcer" boards and asks to see tickets... after the doors close. Being caught "black riding" carries a 40€ fine and the risk of prosecution. So yeah... I validate my ticket... except when I forget.

Step One: Buy Your Ticket

Twice on this trip I forgot. Both times I realized my mistake quickly and got off at the next station to validate, and both times I was lucky and not asked for my ticket. Until today.

M and I traveled to P's place of employment to meet her for lunch. On our trip home, an enforcer boarded. Neither of us had remembered to validate. And neither of us remembered until that very minute.

Step Two: Validate Your Ticket

We got lucky. We were sitting between doors and the distance between stations was short. Someone asked the ticket checker for directions, distracting him from his duties. M and I got off immediately, vaguely waving our tickets in his direction as we disembarked. And we wasted no time getting off the platform, like we were headed someplace.

Where we were headed was the nearest validation machine. A few minutes later, we were back on our way. The train we'd been on was gone. Luckily, so was the ticket checker.

For lunch we went to an Italian restaurant called Sedici.

The restaurant is sort of non-descript from the outside, but there's a cool-looking courtyard behind, where they probably set up tables in warm weather.

That floor looks like it lights up.

The neighborhood is near the Wahrschauer Straße station of the U1 line.

Other than that, not much happened today. M and I were both a bit weary from our visit to the Zitadelle yesterday and, although still temperate, it was a bit gray and gloomy. So we were both content to hang around the apartment for most of the day.

BTW - one can also use the subway/S Bahn tickets on the bus. In that case you validate the ticket right after boarding. If you're transferring to the bus from a train, you just show the ticket to the driver (unless you've entered by the rear door, in which case it's usually honor system). It sounds more complicated than it is. Really.

Zitadelle

I can't nurse my sore foot forever, so today I padded it well and M and I set off to visit the Spandau Citadel. 

Truth be told, I was glad to have M with me, as the transport connections to get there are a little complicated. But that wouldn't have stopped me from going alone. I've gotten "misplaced" in Germany more than once, and I've always found my way back.

I first learned of the existence of the Citadel from this image on Pinterest, so the Julius Tower was one of the things I most wanted to see. According to my guidebook, Spandauer Zitadelle is

     "one of the most important and best preserved Renaissance fortresses in the world. With it's moat, drawbridge and arrowhead-shaped bastions, it is also a veritable textbook in military architecture."

However, it has evolved through the years and was used as recently as WW2 as a munitions depot.

I also learned that the Citadel is home to about 10,000 native bats, with a viewing room open to the public. So, of course, I also wanted to see the "bat cave". 

After an early lunch at home, we set off via U Bahn and bus. Either is an easy walk from the fortress, with the bus stop right outside the gates and the subway a short walk down the street. The bus ride was rather long, so we chose the subway for the trip home.

The bridge leading to the fortress has railings that
depict the history of helmets, from knights to 1939.

The bridge crosses the moat.

After buying our tickets, we failed to notice the door to the left that told us to start our circular route there. It turned out to be the only way into the Julius Tower, which is wrapped in scaffolding. 

This is not the door. A door, but not THE door.

We didn't find the door until 15 minutes before closing, so I never made it inside the tower; by then my legs weren't interested in one more set of stairs.

Instead of the door, we passed through the archway into the courtyard. Other than being inside a curtain wall, this could have been any German town square. The architecture, for the most part, did not look Renaissance, and reflected the various centuries of use. 

This was where we came into the courtyard

Building 4, the larger building on the left side of the courtyard as you enter, houses artists' studios and the bat cave viewing room.  

Building 4 is the taller of the two connected buildings.

None of the artists were in residence today. However the bat viewing room was open. It's accessible, in the basement, through the center entrance of the building. No one was in attendance, but there was an abundance of information about bats and bat behavior on display. The viewing room was small and very dark. The bats were visible (behind glass) when they flew about, but hard to see when hanging. There were a couple corners, close to the lighting (black lights?) where they were visible, but mostly not. Even sitting in the dark and letting the eyes adjust didn't help much. So... no photos were possible. 

After leaving Building 4, we climbed the ramp to the battlements. 

This ramp was probably built to accommodate horses.

We walked first to the King's bastion on the front of the fortress. In the center of the bastion was a hill planted with ancient chestnut trees. 

From the top of the hill, it was possible to see the surrounding city, as well as the water defenses. 

The benches and the low volume of human foot-traffic made this hillock a nice place to sit, and I could imagine paying the small admission price and bringing a book to while away the hours on a summer day. (Unlike most parks, the fortress has restrooms.)

It was also possible to get a view of most of the courtyard below.

From one of the defensive positions, we spotted what I've tentatively identified as a Gray Heron sitting at the top of a tree, probably guarding a nest.

A little fuzzy because I was on maximum possible zoom.

The circular path led next to the Crown Prince Bastion. This corner is topped with a cannon tower.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to go inside.

From the wall, it was possible to see the Havel River, which passes through Brandenburg. Note the swan in the lower right corner of the photo.

The circular route is not yet complete, so we had to descend from the wall and walk a ways before climbing again to see the next short stretch, in the Brandenburg Bastion, that was accessible. Other than a closer view of the Havel, there was not much to see. I think the only reason that stretch is open right now is that they use a small building at the top for a children's art school.

The rest of the wall, including the Queen's Bastion is not yet ready for visitors, but along that side of the courtyard are two museum buildings. The first, a long low building, is a cannon museum, the back part of which has a non-related exhibit on  fishing and a collection of statuary. 

Along the walls are other displays relating to the history of warfare. While wandering through, I was struck by the amount of ornate artwork that was lavished on objects of destruction.

The second building is a museum, which was the only place they asked for our tickets. M spent some time wandering through, but I was more comfortable sitting outside and reading while waiting for him. 

The building on the right is the museum; on the left is the cannon display.

From there we made our preparations for departure and noticed the door we'd missed upon arrival.

My overall observation is that some day this will be a wonderful attraction. Right now, they're still in the development and restoration stage, with scaffolding and construction everywhere. 

The barracks, at the far end of the courtyard. Note the scaffolding.

What is accessible is still worth a visit, but it was a bit of a disappointment, since there was so much we couldn't see.

Parting shot, because I like it, of
the sun getting low in the sky over the moat.

Walking Wounded

Footsore, my day once again lacked any big plans. M and I went for a leisurely lunch at Arema , which I wrote about last week.

I couldn't stay home all day, though, so we took advantage of the continuing lovely weather -- though not quite as warm as yesterday -- and walked down to the park.

On the way to the park, I noticed that the crocus were blooming in one of the gardens I'd photographed on my first day in Berlin.

Also some pansies, but I think they were planted this week.

I spent about an hour on "my" bench, listening to the birds chattering in the trees and children playing on the playground. While I sat, basking in the sun, M went for a walk around the park.

There was plenty of "people-watching" to do while sitting. Mothers were out with their children in prams. 

The dog walkers paused to let their animals play, though the dogs were moving too fast to photograph. Nearby, a young woman was working out to music with a hoop.

So, nothing much happened today, and it was perfect.

A Long Walk to Lunch with Blister

Since M is recuperating from an illness and I wanted to give my legs a break from the amount of walking I've been doing, I didn't have any big plans for today. Ummm... about that...

Our only plan for the day was lunch, and because it was a splendiferous day (the high hit 64 -- really!), we decided to walk. According to google, the distance was a little over 3 km. According to P's running app, over the weekend our walks had been close to 4 km. On paper, it appeared do-able.

A gratuitous shot of a narcissus I spotted on our walk.
I'll try to bring spring back with me when I come
home next week.

I can't say why the shoes I've been wearing and walking in should suddenly decide to rub, but I'm now sporting the most "fashionable" of heel blisters. Thank you Bandaid brand for your most wonderful blister bandages. I just wish I'd remembered I had a couple in my purse before it got quite so large.

Along our route, we passed a few landmarks that I'd previously seen from the bus and intended to go back to, so that was good. And part of our walk took us along the bank of the Spree, so that was good too.

First we passed Berlin's criminal court building, which is huge. I couldn't get the entire building in one photo, so have two.

M spent one of his law internships in the building. In fact, the walk turned into M's internship tour, as he pointed out building after building along our route where he had worked. This was the only one I photographed, though.

At the far end of the building is the jail where they house prisoners awaiting trial. M said he could hear the prisoners yelling at each other when he worked there.

Further along, we passed behind part of the Chancellery. Without M along, I wouldn't have known what was behind that wall. The ubiquitous Fernseturm was visible in the distance.

I'd seen the Moltkebrücke (Moltke Bridge) from the TXL bus on every trip, although until today I didn't know its name.

It's exceptionally ornate, with griffens

That's the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) in the background.
You've probably seen it in a few movies.

and other statuary.

Yes, I know there's something on my lens.
I've been trying to clean it off, but my lens-cleaning cloth
seems to just keep moving it around.

I've also been fascinated by this building with its use of massive solids and softer round shapes. I don't have the architectural vocabulary to describe it exactly, but it appeals to me... although I still have no idea what it is.

I find the shape of the supports for this bridge to be interesting, as well.

A couple more corners and we arrived at Issaan Thai Restaurant on Carlplatz. I thought the presentation of the food was about the prettiest I've ever seen. The food was good, too. I had crusty sweet and sour duck.

After lunch, we took the bus and subway home to minimize the walking. Once home I tended my wounds.

Ever the glutton for punishment, I headed back out to go to P's weekly riding lesson again. This time I left a little earlier to get some photos of the facility before it got too dark.

Her riding club is housed in Trabrennbahn Karlshorst. Although it's a harness racing track, it also serves multiple uses. Last year its claim to fame was hosting the International Icelandic Horse Championships.

From the S Bahn station, it's about one km to the barn. The way passes the track and grandstand; 

the barns are at the far end on the opposite corner.

Her lesson is held in a ring behind the barn. It got so dark that I could barely see her as she rode by. I've no idea how her instructor was able to see what the students were doing.

Out the back door of the barn...

 ... to this less than picturesque riding ring. A ring is what a ring is...

I did see a pretty sunset though, before it got so dark. And cold. With a long hobble back to the train still waiting.

Weekend In The Country

Friday afternoon, P and I traveled by train via Hanover and Bremen to the town of Syke, some 380 km from Berlin. There we met with M and spent the weekend with his parents. Mostly we did "family stuff", but I have a few photos to share from our morning walks.

The family home is on the outskirts of town, and a small neighborhood of homes is surrounded by farmland. This was the view from my bedroom window Sunday morning.

Sunday stayed sunny most of the day. Saturday started sunny, as well, but clouded over fairly quickly. Temperatures hovered in the mid 40s during the day. While out and about, I saw my first flowering bulbs.

Snow Drops

Crocus

More Crocus.

I also saw a few other buds and blooms.

Primrose

Pink Flowering Shrub

Wildflowers

Everything was beautiful and green as far as the eye could see.

One thing I find enchanting in Germany, fabled as it is for "order", is the semi-wild nature of the most manicured gardens.

A few weeds are considered a part of nature and not something to obsess about. I've tried to add an element of weed tolerance to my own garden, but I've yet to find the balance where the weeds don't take control.

On our walk this morning, we were delighted to encounter a small herd of 5 deer.

The European version is significantly smaller in stature than our white-tails, and far less numerous. During Kaffeetrinken, we also spotted a pheasant in the back yard. But, alas, no photo was possible.

This afternoon M's mother and I visited the neighborhood fire station and a nearby playground with a 3-year-old family member. Forgive the lack of photos, but I didn't feel comfortable snapping pictures on private property without permission, let alone photos of someone else's child.

My primary observation at the fire station was that both vehicles inside were Mercedes.

The playground is on the grounds of a "Kindergarten", which in Germany means a preschool or day care facility. My observation there was that it was "way too much fun" for American kids. I'm not quite sure why a preschool needs a fire pit, but they had one. And a zip line. The slide had both a climbing net and a narrow stairway carved from a log to reach the top. P, who is a psychologist, tells me that kids who are allowed to experience some risk and occasionally get hurt are better able to assess risk when they get older. America hasn't, at least by my observations, bought into that philosophy.

This evening we took the train back to Berlin by way of Bremen and Hamburg. Our connection in Hamburg was delayed by 30 minutes and the platform was cold during the wait, but the trip was otherwise uneventful. M returned to Berlin with us, so I'll have some daytime company during the rest of my stay.