Wow, wow, wow! I knew I was starved for art, having lived for the past 2 years in Denver, but I didn’t realize just how starved.

Being is Berlin is a gift! It’s my first trip to Germany and although I had always known that there were great collections of art here, it didn’t hit me until I visited this museum early in my visit.

As I admired the cutting of the marble to form strands of hair and folds in drapery, I rejoiced. Sounds dramatic, right? But, I promise you, its true.

In Berlin I marveled even more at the history of these objects I was lucky enough to witness. Not only had they survived sine the 6th century BC, but think of the 20th century history of them. Is it not a triple miracle, at least? They were created, miracle one. They survived from the Greek world in the period of BC, miracle 2. Their saviors successfully kept them safe through the turbulence of WWI and WWII. Miracle 3 for sure.

Such a gift to see these masterworks in person. In the round. The dawn of Western culture.

As I gazed at the so-called “Berlin Goddess,” I was entertained to watch the young girl you see with the headphones at the back left. She was delightful. She had her own strategy for enjoying the art of this gallery and while it was quite different from mine, I loved watching her zig zag quickly through the sculptures and taking whatever she wanted/could from each of them.

But then, I was left alone to admire the “Berlin goddess.” Wow. It was worth the trip just for this moment.

Isn’t she lovely?

I alway love statues of recumbent lions. This ancient one seemed less ferocious and more domesticated. I paused to admire the way the sculptor achieved the patterns with his hammer and chisels.

And then I encountered Athena from around 400 B.C. It speaks through the ages and tells us of Athens.

Next, the head of Dionysus. Simply beautiful.

I needed another month in Berlin to appreciate the incredible collection of Greek red figure pottery. Each vase or dish conveys so much information about what animated Greek life at the time it was created.

But the marble always calls me back. Look at this form and that draperies that reveal rather than obscure it. The goddess of love, indeed.

Relief sculpture is a favorite of mine. The format will reach its crescendo with Donatello and Michelangelo, but the Greek forerunners are impressive to say the least. Study the shallow relief that conveys the overlapping horses and their legs. Imagine carving that.

The so-called “Berlin Athlete.”

Torso of a dancer. A Roman era copy in marble of a Greek bronze original. Contemplate those words. Think what they tell us.

And then look at how beautiful the carving is. Coincidentally, think of the 20th century fashion and textiles of Fortuny in Venice. Then tell me ancient artworks are boring! I defy you.

I’ll be back soon with even more of these incredible works of art from Berlin. Prepare yourself. They are awesome.

I’ve saved the best for last from my visit to this lovely summer palace in the city of Berlin. The dining room and the incredible ballroom!

First, a video and a couple pix of the “dining hall” that precedes the ballroom. Imagine banquets in this space for couples dressed in their finest.

And now here is the gorgeous green painted ballroom, highlighted throughout with gold leaf.

Next up, an exquisite room finished with silver leaf! It’s normal to walk through one of these rooms throughout Europe and see gold leaf finishing. But, I can’t recall ever seeing silver leaf used in the same way. I found it striking and beautiful. The choice of chandeliers in each room is also something special to behold.

And then you enter this room, finished with the sheerest of white fabrics over a dark pink field. The designs are composed of folded fabric. I have never seen anything like this before. Please see the label at the bottom.

And then we enter another magnificent room, filled with repeating design on all the walls and the ceiling. I liked it!

And finally, we pass through the upper landing of an amazing stairway. The label below bears some valuable info.

In this post, we continue winding our way through the beautiful rooms of the summer palace in Berlin.

The pictures above and below are of a beautiful small Chinoiserie room.

Finally, a picture of Sophie Charlotte herself!

Berlin isn’t Paris or anything like Italy, both of which places I can’t seem to get enough pictures. But it has its own charm, which is incredible when you think that 80 years ago it was bombed almost to smithereens.

Below: Other parks for other children, where grandparents swing their progeny.

Above, the Spree River is a source of pleasure cruising.

Miscellaneous interesting things.

Gesundheit. The first word of German I ever learned. I was 3 years old at the time! I still remember who taught the word to me!

Pretty doorways

A taste for tacos

A taste for sushi

A taste for books. It says “buys more books!”

A hair salon’s menu with pricing.

A cafe menu, as one sees in France or London.

Attractive apartment buildings

Attractive bookshops.

The influence of Italian coffee culture is everywhere in Berlin. I enjoyed some excellent coffee here.

The baked goods! OMG!

The soviet era TV tower at Alexanderplatz

The high speed train service.

The terraces with flowers.

The interesting architecture.

The confusing but excellent Ubahn

Museuminsel: my home away from home in Berlin.

The Vespas!

The elegant sidewalk cafes.

More beautiful architecture

Learning German

Did I mention the baked goods?!

I’m sure you’re visually exhausted, so let me condense the last group of this and that taken in Berlin.

Well, hello!

We made it inside! What a lovely spot for a tour. Grand, but not too grand. Summer palace sized, I would imagine. Lined with lots of art and beauty.

The next exhibit was really attractive and interesting, a very large circular panorama of Berlin’s rooftops in the 19th century.

We have more exterior shots to look at before heading inside. I think you can tell that I was very attracted to this lovely summer palace.

I believe the rather unusual ducks below are known as Mandarin ducks. I may be wrong. I always thought the dish on Chinese restaurant menus called “Mandarin duck” was the way in which the fowl was cooked. Maybe it refers to the type of duck? Can anyone tell me?

To the sides of the central formal garden are these more naturally styled areas that evolve into totally irregular and natural formations to the boundaries of the property.

I’ll soon be back with more!

On August 7, 2024. Strawberries are in season now? Hothouse grown?

Today I jumped on one of the many tourist motor boats that ply the River Spree through Berlin. It was a sunny, warm day and floating on the water seemed like a great idea. Unfortunately, my phone was almost dead, so I only got the bare minimum of images. But, trust me, it was fun.

I had actually spent the first part of the day at the amazing, underrated Bode Museum. OMG! If you come to Berlin, set aside a day for this incredible museum and its collection! Posting on it soon!