Winter 2013
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| Remnants of the Wall in once no man's land at the East-West border in Berlin (Jan-2013) |
Journal Entry... Hubby had a letter-invitation to the Reichstag on the 1st of February, at 10:30AM. There was no way to delay our arrival in capital Berlin.
29-jan: ICE train to Berlin...
There was a noticeable 5-minute delay with the Fulda train connection to Berlin, from Rothenburg ob der Tauber-- a one-time lapse on that German stopwatch. Best part at the Fulda train connection was hopping on ICE's (Intercity-Express) First Class for the next 5-hour train ride to Berlin.
Check-in: #SonyCenter apartment, in Potsdamer Platz; once Berlin's no man's land after WWII, now a bustling crossroad of financial/commercial activities. Hubby and I arrived at the onset of Berlinale festival happening in the Sony Center. That night when we arrived in Berlin, cameras went flashing at the red carpet to the Kokowaah 2 movie premiere, and a couple of nights later, to Bruce Willis's Stirb Langsam (A Good Day to Die Hard) movie premiere.
I recall, hubby went ahead back to the apartment, because I still had last-minute shopping to do at the Berliner Man shop where I fancied a "Green Man Walking" T-shirt. When I got a text from the hubby:
x x x
Hubby: I think Bruce Willis will be arriving for the premiere..."
x x x
I rushed on my shopping for a chance to see the bald Hollywood actor*wink;) When the event started to roll with VIPs was when hubby and I went down the elevator to join the crowd that have gathered in the open area, like paparazzi. Bruce Willis, the man of the hour, arrived shortly to walk the red carpet amidst flashing cameras and fans calling out his name. Hubby gamely shouted, "Bruce! Bruce!" That Berlinale experience capped our last day in Berlin.
Back to Berlin arrival, from Rothenburg odT... First on "To-Do-List" was getting a Transport Pass; with the Transport Pass, anything goes with the public transport: S-Bahn, U-Bahn... you name it. Because it was raining on our first day in Berlin, I calendared it to be a museum day. Museumsinsel, or the island, already had four museums in a row: Neues Museum; Pergamon Museum; Alte Nationalgalerie; and a fourth one, which we did not anymore enter after a museum overload; a special rate was given for the Combo ticket.
First stop, Neues Museum... which displayed the Nefertiti bust of the most beautiful woman of ancient Egypt. Also inside the Neues Museum were the excavated jewels of Helen of Sparta of ancient Troy. Second stop, Pergamon Museum... where hubby and I got to walk up the steps to Pergamon Altar of the ancient city of Pergamon, pieced together inside the museum, occupying an entire length of Pergamon hall. Past the Pergamon Altar was Ishtar Gate to the inner city of ancient Babylon, the bricks decorated with dragons, lions and bulls. Third stop, Alte Nationalgalerie... where this particular painting, titled "Frederick the Great's Flute Concert at Sanssouci," gave me an idea of a possible day trip to Potdam's Sanssouci, from Berlin.
1-feb: Hubby's birthday at Reichstag... Time to celebrate hubby's birthday, and he's got a letter-invitation to enter the Reichstag - Germany's Parliament building. At the inspection tent, one German security greeted the hubby, "Happy Birthday!", which caught the hubby by surprise. Hubby had that look as if saying, "How did you know it was my birthday?" Until hubby realized the German security was right then holding his Passport, which he had just handed to the German security, and not because the German security was some sort of a psychic, lol:)
As we exited the inspection tent, another German security greeted us in a language that's very close to heart, "Kumusta!" (English translation: How are you?); German security said he had picked up the common greeting while vacationing in the Philippines. The German security's effort at making us feel welcome in his country put a smile to our faces back at him. I told the German security it was hubby's birthday, who was quick to greet the hubby, "Happy Birthday!" Meanwhile, hubby was enjoying the special attention he was getting at the Reichstag that day. After a brief tour, I raced the hubby on the spiral ramp around a mirrored cone to the roof, in Reichstag's Dome.
Well... in Berlin, I've noticed no one talks openly about that episode in history anymore, and him-who-must-not-be-named. It had been cautioned that making the "hand salute", even in jest, would land one in a police station. Presently reunified city of Berlin made sure to keep those visual reminders of the last world war, such as bullet marks on buildings by the east-west border... hundreds of documentation cards of prosecuted Jews on the museum wall... the Berlin Wall and graffiti... each serving a hard lesson from the past.
2-feb: Day trip to Chorin... Link to>>> Journal Entry: Lost in Chorin Forest #germany #chorin #winter2018
29-jan: ICE train to Berlin...
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| Two Peas in Berlin |
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| Paparazzi at Berlinale |
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| Berlinale festival at the Sony Center in Potsdamer Platz |
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| Bruce Willis on red carpet at Sony Center |
x x x
Hubby: I think Bruce Willis will be arriving for the premiere..."
x x x
I rushed on my shopping for a chance to see the bald Hollywood actor*wink;) When the event started to roll with VIPs was when hubby and I went down the elevator to join the crowd that have gathered in the open area, like paparazzi. Bruce Willis, the man of the hour, arrived shortly to walk the red carpet amidst flashing cameras and fans calling out his name. Hubby gamely shouted, "Bruce! Bruce!" That Berlinale experience capped our last day in Berlin.
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| Ancient Pergamon Altar pieced together at Pergamon Museum |
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| Pergamon Altar steps |
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| Ishtar Gate to Babylon |
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| Hubby gets a letter-Invitation to Reichstag on his birthday |
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| Spiral ramp to Reichstag roof |
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| Mirror cone at Reichstag Dome |
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| "The Caller" at Brandenburg Gate |
2-feb: Day trip to Chorin... Link to>>> Journal Entry: Lost in Chorin Forest #germany #chorin #winter2018
oOo
PHOTOSTITCH
#Germany #Berlin #winter2013
PHOTOSTITCH
#Germany #Berlin #winter2013
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| Apartment check-in... |
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| Apartment check-out... |
