Berlin

by

Weekly Photo Challenge: Summer

This photograph was captured in the very peak of  a German summer’s day. The serene green is deceptive because the heat on that day was almost unbearable, at a sweltering 40 degrees. Captured in the gardens of  Sanssouci,  the  ‘summer palace’ of  Frederick the Great, in Potsdam near Berlin.

I decided to add a touch of drama from Shakespeare’s  Sonnet –

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines…

by

Guten Tag Berlin!

Berlin, circa 2008…

What I enjoyed about this city –

–  getting to see history at close quarters

–  getting to actually see the remaining parts of the Berlin Wall

–  the graffiti which captures the spirit of the city, carried in an earlier post  Street Art

–  being a part of the 200,000 odd crowd which thronged the Tiergarten to witness Barack Obama’s speech 

–  walking through the famous Brandenburger Tor

–  staying in East Berlin at Prenzlauer Berg,  über cool & youthful spirit,  home to students & artists

–  the sidewalk cafés of Prenzlauer Berg which served those amazing desserts

–  getting to attend George Gershwin’s Porgy & Bess Opera…terrific

–  art, history & culture blend in

–  truly Berlin, truly enjoyable.

Hover over the image for a brief description of some of these pictures.

by

Grim Reminders of the Holocaust – Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp

I have often wanted to know more about the suffering of the Jews & atrocities committed against them during the Nazi regime. It was therefore only natural to want to see a real concentration camp if that were ever possible.

During my visit to Germany this became a reality & I was able to visit an old concentration camp which is now a well preserved musuem. It stands as a cold reminder of one of  man’s worst crimes against humanity.

Located outside Berlin is the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp in Oranienburg.  A former Nazi camp, it serves as a grim reminder of the extent of  man’s depravities…& the suffering endured by millions of  Jews as a result.

For those interested in reading more on this topic, I would recommend the following books – The Diary of Anne Frank,  Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl &  The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.

Thank God for freedom!

by

Street Art

I’ve seen the most striking graffiti adorning walls on some of the  streets of Berlin & Amsterdam.

Some are colourful & vibrant – one can’t help but be impressed by this display of art on the street, quite literally!

 

Remaining parts of the Berlin Wall

The art of the matter

The preaching wall…loved it

 The amazingly vibrant graffiti of Amsterdam