Vermeer’s “Young Woman with a Pearl Necklace”:
A Rembrandt self-portrait:
Canaletto’s “Santa Maria della Salute in Venice”:
Botticelli’s “Tondo Racynzski”:
And here, the new face of the Kulturforum - John! We had fun with some videos in the lobby!
We then roamed the grounds which included the Berlin Philharmonic. I had viewed it peripherally on Wednesday. Here’s a selfie in front of the concert hall:
We had some fun with a Richard Serra that was on site:
And a Keith Haring:
Finally, a Mark di Suvero:
According to some signs, there was supposed to be a Nam June Paik, Frank Stella, and Rauschenberg, but we couldn’t find them. We think they were taken down or moved and the signs were old. We did stumble, however, upon this Korean unity temple:
The Kulturforum is near Potsdamer Plaza and there was a street fair and some food trucks. We got very excited for this Korean taco truck called Fraulein Kimchi! We decided we had to try and the server was very German, but his boss was Korean and Mrs. Kimchi! The kimchi was solid and the bulgogi beef tasted like sloppy joes. Way better than expected and the disappointing part was really the quality of the taco which I suspect is hard to come by here.
We then headed into the Sony Center which has lots of outdoor restaurants. We found one that served curry wurst which we split with some grilled sausage. John had unfiltered beer and I had a radler beer - yum!
Then we hopped on the bus to the Jewish Museum, so we could see a James Turrell exhibit. You couldn’t take photos of the awesome lighting where we had to cover our shoes and walked around in this ambient room. So here are some photos of the building designed by world famous architect, Daniel Libeskind.
We explored the outdoor gardens:
The main museum was closed for renovations, so we explored the underground and a temporary exhibition. The underground explored the different trajectories of the Jewish people - whether it be the Holocaust, Exile, or Continuity. Each axis had a special room and the exhibits explored the sad history and journey of the strong people and culture. The museum also had many empty spaces where you’re supposed to reflect on those that were taken before their time and was very overwhelming. Below is the Garden of Exile - the columns are on a slanted hill, showing how hard it is to go somewhere new and the uphill climb it takes to stand tall....
With sadness and reflection, we were ready to leave the museum. Here’s a photo John took of inside a lampshade hanging from the ceiling. Not only did we think it was cool, but hopefully we will see the light of the future as we reflect on historical atrocities.
After going through Checkpoint Charlie for like the 5th time, we headed to my hotel which was nearby, picked up my luggage, and went to the Waldorf Astoria which is on the way to the airport. John and I sat on the top floor, shared a bottle of rosé and lobster club sandwich while chatting with Maximilian, our world traveler server. The views and conversation were very enjoyable! Here’s a photo of the Victory Column in the middle of the park:
Here’s a photo of Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church which was bombed during the war - left untouched to remind folks about the toll of war. It’s nicknamed “the hollow tooth”. The hexagonal structure in front is the new church:
Our delicious snack which included two types of fries!
Then John dropped me off across the street at the bus depot, where the X9 express brings you straight to the airport. What a wonderful few days running around Berlin with my new friend! As we spoke Korenglish and enjoyed art, it was a fun-filled few days! I hope the rest of your birthday trip in Berlin continues to be just as much fun and see you back in NY!
At the airport, where the check-in, security, and passport control are right in front of every gate, I got on my Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. The flight was about an hour and I hopped on the train into the city which took less than 20 minutes. After a two block walk out of Frankfurt Main Station, I was at Ibis Styles Frankfurt to enjoy my one night and day here!
No comments:
Post a Comment