Friday, June 5, 2009
30 Mai 2009 - Berlin
A full day-- full of family, food, and rain. Thank goodness I brought my rainboots.
My day began with this pastry for breakfast-- ein Igel (a hedgehog). It was so cute, that I almost couldn't eat it.
My next stop was a Grillfest with cousins, friends, and neighbors.
There was lots of meat (including lamb kidney, which is apparently a delicacy here in Germany) and lots of wonderful company!
My next stop was shopping in berlin with S, a feat made much more difficult by the hordes of Fußball (soccer) fans that crowded everywhere. The rain didn't stop them, common decency didn't stop them-- the green-and-white people were everywhere.
We ended our shopping excursion at the Kaufhaus des Westins (KaDeWe), a HUGE store at the end of the Kudamm. After looking at the some of the many floors of the store, we made it to the top and enjoyed crepes with vanilla creme-- S's favorite.
My day began with this pastry for breakfast-- ein Igel (a hedgehog). It was so cute, that I almost couldn't eat it.
My next stop was a Grillfest with cousins, friends, and neighbors.
There was lots of meat (including lamb kidney, which is apparently a delicacy here in Germany) and lots of wonderful company!
My next stop was shopping in berlin with S, a feat made much more difficult by the hordes of Fußball (soccer) fans that crowded everywhere. The rain didn't stop them, common decency didn't stop them-- the green-and-white people were everywhere.
We ended our shopping excursion at the Kaufhaus des Westins (KaDeWe), a HUGE store at the end of the Kudamm. After looking at the some of the many floors of the store, we made it to the top and enjoyed crepes with vanilla creme-- S's favorite.
28 Mai 2009 - Berlin
The best sushi in Berlin, Germany, perhaps the world: Sachiko Sushi, by Savigny Platz.
It's the first sushi bar in Berlin with boats (and perhaps the very first sushi bar in Berlin, hands-down). In any case, it's owned by my relatives (so perhaps I'm a little biased), but everyone who I have brought here to eat has absolutely loved it. No question. Apparently people come to Berlin expressly to find Sachiko (it's being filmed constantly for movies, TV, usw.)-- it's a little difficult to find, but totally worth it.
It's the first sushi bar in Berlin with boats (and perhaps the very first sushi bar in Berlin, hands-down). In any case, it's owned by my relatives (so perhaps I'm a little biased), but everyone who I have brought here to eat has absolutely loved it. No question. Apparently people come to Berlin expressly to find Sachiko (it's being filmed constantly for movies, TV, usw.)-- it's a little difficult to find, but totally worth it.
27 Mai 2009 - Potsdam, Germany
For our excursion, we headed back to Potsdam, to Cecilienhof.
On the way, we stopped by Grünewald, a train station en route. This set of tracks is nearby the station, no longer being used. It's a memorial-- hundreds of thousands of Jewish people were deported from Berlin, traveling along the tracks to the end. It's a striking memorial, in my book. The tracks disappear into a strand of trees, dropping from sight before too long.
Once in Potsdam, we headed to Cecilienhof, a castle built by Kaiser Wilhelm II., for his son, the crown prince. It's the last palace built by the Hohenzollern dynasty.
The castle, with its intricate, yet unorderly gardens, is designed to look like an English Tudor country house-- but much bigger.
Cecilienhof is situated on the edge of Jungfernsee and you can see the waters of the lake from almost any point on the property.
There are many courtyards and terraces to enjoy around the castle. Cecilienhof was the site of the Potsdam Conference, in 1945. Stalin, Truman, and Churchill (and later, the newly-elected Attlee) met as representatives of the Big Three to decide what to do with the newly-defeated Germany.
The Potsdam Conference resulted in the Potsdam Declaration, which gave Japan an ultimatum, among other measures for Germany.
The half-timbered design of the castle is charming, and the interior is the same. There is one room in the castle that is decorated to look like a ship's cabin-- complete with sloped floors, furniture that is attached to the floor and walls, dangling lamps, and portholes.
Some of us decided to walk over to the Marmour Palais (marble palace), a little ways away. We passed this pyramid on the way-- a random Egyptian structure, complete with hiroglyphics, in the middle of a German forest. Wierd.
The Marble Palace looked cool from the outside (I counted at least 5 different kinds of marble) but we didn't go inside, as most of it was under reconstruction and they wouldn't give us the discount.
On the way back to Potsdam center, I passed this bench.
A pair of installations in the center of Potsdam-- one, the far structure, is a memorial, I believe. However, I'm not sure what for.
On the way, we stopped by Grünewald, a train station en route. This set of tracks is nearby the station, no longer being used. It's a memorial-- hundreds of thousands of Jewish people were deported from Berlin, traveling along the tracks to the end. It's a striking memorial, in my book. The tracks disappear into a strand of trees, dropping from sight before too long.
Once in Potsdam, we headed to Cecilienhof, a castle built by Kaiser Wilhelm II., for his son, the crown prince. It's the last palace built by the Hohenzollern dynasty.
The castle, with its intricate, yet unorderly gardens, is designed to look like an English Tudor country house-- but much bigger.
Cecilienhof is situated on the edge of Jungfernsee and you can see the waters of the lake from almost any point on the property.
There are many courtyards and terraces to enjoy around the castle. Cecilienhof was the site of the Potsdam Conference, in 1945. Stalin, Truman, and Churchill (and later, the newly-elected Attlee) met as representatives of the Big Three to decide what to do with the newly-defeated Germany.
The Potsdam Conference resulted in the Potsdam Declaration, which gave Japan an ultimatum, among other measures for Germany.
The half-timbered design of the castle is charming, and the interior is the same. There is one room in the castle that is decorated to look like a ship's cabin-- complete with sloped floors, furniture that is attached to the floor and walls, dangling lamps, and portholes.
Some of us decided to walk over to the Marmour Palais (marble palace), a little ways away. We passed this pyramid on the way-- a random Egyptian structure, complete with hiroglyphics, in the middle of a German forest. Wierd.
The Marble Palace looked cool from the outside (I counted at least 5 different kinds of marble) but we didn't go inside, as most of it was under reconstruction and they wouldn't give us the discount.
On the way back to Potsdam center, I passed this bench.
A pair of installations in the center of Potsdam-- one, the far structure, is a memorial, I believe. However, I'm not sure what for.
24 Mai 2009 - Berlin
Picnic number two am Wannsee-- this time, with grilling.
It was just hot enough outside and there was just enough food to keep us procrastinating (from finishing our essays) all afternoon.
I managed to take a picture of the awesome swing that was at the house-- and then promptly broke it (temporarily).
The garden is lovely-- flowers everywhere.
On our walk back, I took this picture from Wannsee Brücke (Wannsee bridge). There were sailboats and ferries and people everywhere-- it's really becoming summer.
It was just hot enough outside and there was just enough food to keep us procrastinating (from finishing our essays) all afternoon.
I managed to take a picture of the awesome swing that was at the house-- and then promptly broke it (temporarily).
The garden is lovely-- flowers everywhere.
On our walk back, I took this picture from Wannsee Brücke (Wannsee bridge). There were sailboats and ferries and people everywhere-- it's really becoming summer.
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