This monumental German Protestant church is also the dynastic tomb of the House of Hohenzollern. It sits on Museum Island in central Berlin. This church was built between 1894-1905 by order of Emperor William II in Neo Renaissance and Neo Baroque styles. It’s the largest Protestant church in Germany and one of the most important dynastic tombs in Europe. It was damaged by Allied bombing in WWII, but it’s interior was restored in 2002.
Two fabulous sarcophagi are just outside the main church and are but 2 of the important tombs of German/Prussian royalty.
I don’t know if it’s like this every weekend, but there was a huge afternoon party today in the Tiergarten, on the section that begins with the Victory Column and ended at the Brandenburg Gate. Everybody and their brother and sister were there this afternoon and the music was blaring, the alcohol was flowing, and the crowds were huge but not unruly. There were thousands (it seemed) of portable toilets and 80% of the people at least were dressed if not in costumes, then in a weird and wacky way. Glitter abounded. It was definitely geared towards gay pride, but there were lots of themes going on, it seemed to me.
I must admit that when I pictured the Brandenburg Gate in my mind before I got to Berlin, I didn’t see it as a stage for a drag queen rendition of Queen. But, my introduction to the august monument was just that!
A little further down the avenue that runs through the Tiergarten stands this beautiful and impressive Victory Column.
After walking all this way and dodging crazy crowds, I needed to rest at a cafe and there, right in front of me, was a reminder that everything is global. This guy had on a current Taylor Swift t-shirt and I have no doubt he attended one of the shows.
Walking back to my hotel I passed the Berlin Zoo, which is very famous. These are some gates! I love the elephants!
And, tired though I was at the end of my first full day in Berlin, I wasn’t too exhausted to notice a street sign that told me to “be creative.” I love a city that reminds its people to do just that. From what I’ve seen, there is a lot of creativity here!
Guten tag! I’m in Berlin! the Brandenburg Gate and I say hallo!
It’s at least 20 degrees cooler here than anywhere in Italy, and while I pass the time until my new apartment is available at the tail end of summer, I thought, why not visit someplace new and learns some new tricks? Germany filled the bill!🇩🇪
My intro to Berlin was the darling little flower shop on the Kurfurstendamm, the avenue on which I’m staying. What a charming addition to a city! I might be in love!
I arrived yesterday late afternoon and enjoyed a beautiful dinner at a bistro (what’s the German word? somebody tell me) and then fell asleep in my spacious, modern, air-conditioned hotel with a down comforter ad down pillow. Traveling from Italy is chaos always and I was tired.
Today I walked to Tiergarten and specifically on my way to the Brandenburg Gate. The first monument I encountered was this, the remnant of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the most famous landmark in the western city center. In honor of Wilhelm I, the first German Kaiser, his grandson Wilhelm II planned a magnificent church. Build between 1891 and 1895 in the Neo-romantic style, it had 5 spires and reflected the flamboyant taste of times of the Kaiser.
Air raids in 1943 damaged the church this badly and the roof collapsed. The Allies were unwilling to rebuild it, as it was seen as a symbol of excessive national pride. Instead, the ruin stood as a constant reminders to Berliners of the horror of war.
In the late 1950s, the ruin was integrated as a part of the design of a new church, built between 1959-61.
Pictures below show the lovely pavement in the memorial, as well as the mosaic ceiling and vaulted walls of the surviving room.
Below, a picture of the back of the ruin.
The River Spree and a marker from the 1950s for a bridge that spans it.
I’m excited to learn more about Berlin and Germany in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more! Auf Wiedersehen!
Today I had the chance to visit the Palazzo Blu in Pisa, a palace I’ve wanted to visit for more than 2 years. Anything you want to know about it can be found here: https://palazzoblu.it/?lang=en
This beautiful blue-stuccoed palazzo is the site of many attractive cultural activities in Pisa, including concerts, opera, and lectures. I think it would be lovely to enjoy a concert within its storied walls.
It was an excellent thing to do on this hot day, because as I discovered to my great surprise, the building has air conditioning! This is quite unusual even today in Italy cultural institutions. In general, I’ve learned, Italians don’t like or trust a/c. Crazy sauce!
The next 2 pictures give you a sense of the ceiling in this room.
There was a small room devoted to an original 12th century painted altarpiece and a 20th century copy of the same. They were displayed side by side and it was very interesting juxtaposition.
Here’s the original:
Below is the copy: Are your eyes trained enough to detect the difference in quality?
I took a bunch of details of the original, because it was gorgeous and unlike at the Uffizi in Florence, you can really get up close and personal and enjoy the details of this work.
I love that the Christ child wears a piece of coral tied around his neck. Babies (especially in the Naples area today) would often be protected from evil by this magical piece of mineral.
I love the bird the bay is feeding with what looks like a green grape.
This is a very well dressed Christ child! Damask trimmed with gold leaf!
Now a detail of the copy. The thing that caught my eye is that the bird in this work is held by a string tied around its neck. I didn’t see that in the original, so I went back and had a look. The paint is effaced on the earlier work except for the areas at either end of the string. If you go back and look at the details, you’ll see what I mean.
I’ll be posting more on the Palazzo Blu soon. Hope you liked it and learned something new! Ciaoooo!
I had to leave Florence for a bit. The crowds of tourists in summer make the city almost impossible to enjoy. It isn’t much cooler here, but it’s still much nicer at the moment.
I hadn’t been in Pisa for more than 15 minutes and I met 4 men! They are pictured below:
My hotel is near the Lungarno Medico and as I walked along it today, this fabulous facade stood out to me.
The video below shows you how the Arno River flows through Pisa.
The next 3 pix show the Medici Palazzo, which is located on the Lungarno Mediceo which explains how the roadway got its name. Cosimo I was big here.
And, finally for today, I made this video simply to capture the sounds of two older Italian gentlemen whom I happened to be sitting next to on a park bench, all 3 of us resting and watching the world go by. I love the sound of the Italian language and can usually get the gist of a conversation if not every word. I surreptitiously recorded them for the music of it all. I hope you enjoy!
I also love the fact that Italian men aren’t afraid to wear pink slacks!
Even though it’s hot, I needed a caffè latte, and my favorite place in Florence for that is at Gilli’s, founded in 1733. I love this place!
And the caffè was a delight, as ever!
Outdoors, the windows of Gilli are always filled with beautiful presented seasonal confections. This little girl seemed entranced by them. Who could blame her?!
The streets were rocking with tourists and bikes, taxis, horse and carriage, anything but regular cars.
I have loved this covered loggia for 40 years. The marble inlay is beyond beautiful.
My walk took me by my favorite eatery and I loved the fresh design of the large ferns.
Blocks away I spotted a new car model (to me it’s new): the Fiat Topolino (mouse). I love the color of this little convertible.
Later, at a souvenir stand, I smiled when I saw the Vitruvius cat design. I thought you might like to see some of the many t-shirt styles available. There are many!
And then, to balance the riduculous with the sublime, I was interested in the operas being performed this summer at the opera house in the city.
Another great day, if a bit hotter than I would like. :-)
get back, lauretta! 
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