3 Days in Berlin

There was no time to waste.  3 days in Berlin was going to fly by so we were determined to make the most of it.  Of course our primary mission was to secure a flat for our return in January.  Now seasoned apartment hunters after our run-around in Frankfurt, Fritz had a meeting already lined up with a lovely couple in their rather swanky flat in West Berlin.  I'll save the details on our future apartment for our return since most of our 3-day adventure consisted of seeing the Berlin sights.

Berlin was loaded with Christmas markets.  

One of the more famous markets was right in front of this famous church.  The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church was built in the 1890s.  It was badly damaged in a bombing raid during World War II and if you walk around the side of it, you can see gaping holes that were torn through the side of the structure as well as its damaged spire.  Although newer buildings have been built on either side of the church which are used for worship, the original building was not repaired as a reminder of the horrible events of WWII and the futility of war. 

Another lovely Christams Market was right in front of the Charlottenburg Palace. 

We were too busy eating sausages to try the smoked fish, but these fish fires were another neat part of almost every Christmas Market.  

We had lovely weather to hit all the major tourist spots.  Behind me is the Reichstag building, which is the meeting place for the German parliament. 

The Brandenburg Gate was built in 1791 by the Kind of Prussia as a sign of peace.  During the Cold War, the Berlin Wall stood right next to it, and this spot was featured in media coverage from when the Wall was torn down in 1989.  

There are parts of the city that still contain sections of the Berlin Wall. 

Other spots feature a strip embedded in the pavement marking the place where the former wall stood.  

The Holocaust Memorial, also called The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, stretches out over 4 acres with concrete slabs ranging in heights from 8 inches to 15 feet. The ground on which the slabs are placed slopes so when you are standing on the outside of the memorial looking in, they all appear to be of a similar height, but as you walk deeper into the slabs, you find the concrete masses towering over you. 

Peter Eisenman, the designer and architect, intended for the structure to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere.  The whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason.  The memorial also bears a resemblance to a cemetery.  The slabs are covered with a graffiti-resistant coating to prevent neo-Nazis from painting swastikas on the sculpture, which happened 5 times in the first year before the special coating was added.  

These two cuties were hanging out by the Brandenburg Gate.

We had to visit Checkpoint Charlie, one of the most iconic spots in Berlin.  This was the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin, the capital of communist East Germany, and West Berlin, part of West Germany, during the Cold War.  The checkpoint was manned by US troops.  It's called Checkpoint "Charlie" because the checkpoints were labeled alphabetically.  There was also a Checkpoint A and B or "Alfa" and "Bravo".  Using the International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, C is called "Charlie."  

Today Checkpoint Charlie is pretty much a big old tourist trap.  People take turns standing next to this German guy dressed as an American soldier.  My biggest question is, how long did it take for them to install a McDonalds right behind Checkpoint Charlie after the Berlin Wall fell?

Hello Berlin!

With Christmas just around the corner, Fritz and I packed up our Frankfurt apartment and set out for Berlin where we hoped to secure a flat for our post-Christmas return to Germany.  The character of the capital city was immediately apparent.  It's amazing how cities really do have a "personality".  I don't know enough about Berlin yet to speak to its personality, but I can tell you that the flavor is quite different from that of Frankfurt.  

The subway, which originally opened in 1902 and has undergone 3 major construction phases (1913, 1930, and 1953), is quite colorful with old yellow cars, brightly tiled walls giving the platforms a retro flair, and musicians that pop on and off the train to serenade the passengers in exchange for a few loose coins.  

Fritz and I found ourselves, once again, feeling so thankful for the wonderful people we met while we were in Frankfurt.  Our friend Frederic connected us with his parents who maintain a room in a Berlin flat so they have a place to stay when they want an escape from their home in Venice.  Frederic's father is a journalist for a leading German newspaper as well as a published author of books on Sweedish architecture and decor.  Needless to say, their apartment was lovely and they let us stay in it for our three days in Berlin.  

The room was spacious with a high ceiling, a huge bookshelf well stocked with books in multiple languages, an enormous bed with feather pillows that seemed to eat me up as I dozed, a giant picture window overlooking the quiet street below, a large clean desk, and a cozy sitting area perfect for late night reading. What luxury!  How did we ever get so lucky?

Goethe Champagne Party

Ok, it was technically a Christmas party, but Fritz and I had been calling it "The Champagne Party" for months since that is how it was originally described us.  

Professor Plumpe, Fritz's advisor at Goethe Universität, throws an annual Christmas party at his swanky downtown Frankfurt apartment.  All guests come bearing a bottle of champagne so the merriment and bubbly delights can last the whole night long.  

Here is our host, Professor Plumpe, making sure the champagne flutes stay full.  

Fritz and I had originally planned to leave for Berlin the day before.  We didn't want a repeat of the housing challenges we had when we first came to Frankfurt, so we planned to spend the last week in Germany before heading back to the US securing a place to live in Berlin.  But with talk of a Champagne Party and minimal arm twisting, we altered our plan to spend one more night with our Frankfurt friends. 

Professor Plumpe's apartment was pretty fantastic.  His study was lined with books (and I'm pretty sure he has actually read every one of these).

He is quite an art collector with stunning pieces adorning his walls.  I was treated to a private tour by Professor Plumpe himself where he explained each piece and it's significance.  When decorating his apartment, Professor Plumpe applied the Theory of Colours, a concept explained by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  It's an interesting idea that establishes a kind of "color psychology" where colors can be associated with the components of human cognition.  For this reason, Professor Plumpe's dining room is painted orange, which is associated with the "noble".  His sitting room is a cool blue and his living room is a "useful" green.  

I am no champagne expert, but we drank Veuve Clicquot most of the night, which was quite good.  There was one blinged-out bottle that made an appearance, because after all, what's a champagne party without a little glitz?

It was difficult to see the party end, not knowing when we would next clink glasses and share a toast with our friends.  We feel so lucky to have started our Germany adventure in Frankfurt and to have met the historians of Goethe Universität.  We will look forward to the next time our paths cross.  

Home Recording Studio

Ladies and Gentlemen, we live in a world where anyone can have their very own home recording studio.  As a matter of fact, not only can you have a recording studio, you can even bring it with you all the way to Germany!  

Fritz had a conference in London for three days this week, so while he was presenting his research over there, I stayed in Frankfurt and made my very first music video.  

A few years ago, my friends gave me an awesome USB microphone which I brought with me to Germany.  I found my guitar at a flee market for 35 euros the first weekend we were in Frankfurt.  And computers these days have all the programs neccessary for an amature production. 

So there you have it, all the makings for a home studio!  

The last essential part of a home recording studio, is a perfectly silent room.  This was actually the trickiest part of the whole opporation.  We live one block from the busiest section of railroad in Frankfurt.  Our bedroom window goes right to the street closest to the tracks.  A clattering, squealing background cacophony is not exactly what I was going for, so the bedroom was out for a plausable recording space.  

Monday mornings, the housekeeper is in the building and you can hear her vacuuming from about 9am to 12:30pm.  So that meant no recording on Monday morning.  Then there is a guy who diligently practices the saxaphone from about 10am to 11:30am every single day without fail.  I am completely amazed at his (or her) commitment.  I have played musical instruments almost my entire life starting with the piano at 7 years old, but I have never been as conscientious about maintaining a practice schedule as this person.  Perhaps if I had, I would be a better musician.  Oh well.  Kudos to you Mr. Saxaphone Practicer!  Kudos! 

The last sound that I had to battle with, was the obnoxious and constant buzz of our refrigorator.  I tried angling the mic away from it.  I tried recording in the far opposite corner of the living room.  But our appartment is just too small to escape the off-key drone of the fridge.  So, I unplugged it.  I may or may not have forgotten to plug it back in once or twice during the process... but I think everything is still more or less edible.  

So that's it!  I recorded everything with Garage Band, then used iMovie to edit a few differnt clips of video footage that I took in the apartment.  I learned that it's a lot harder to lipsync than the celebrities make it look at the Super Bowl.  Seriously, I don't know how they do it! 

I recorded the song "Dona Nobis Pacem."  My mom taught it to me when I was little and we would sometimes sing it in rounds during car rides or when we were hiking in the woods as a family.  It's one of my favorite Christmas songs, although I think it's appropriate for any time of year.  There are only three words in the entire song, with three variations on the same melody.  Out of simplicity comes complexity as the three melodies are woven together.  The words mean "Grant Us Peace."  A beautiful wish for the world we are living in today. 

I've posted the finished product on youtube.  You can watch it by clicking here if you'd like.  

Hipster Coffee with Friends

On Thursday, Fritz and I hung out on campus at Goethe Universität, the school with which Fritz is affiliated.  We met up with Johanna and Frederic for lunch at the Mensa.  It's similar to a dining hall in an American University, but German universities are different because the vast majority of students do not live on campus.  

Being at Goethe and among students made me appreciate the unique energy of a college campus.  There is something very special about the hustle and bustle of an academic environment populated by 20-somethings as they scurry off to class, gossip with their friends over coffee, or sit with their notebooks cramming for an afternoon exam.  It's exciting to be surrounded by so many people who are more or less my age (sadly they are getting to be less my age... 30 is right around the corner!), who are hungrily soaking up as much knowledge as they possibly can.  What a luxury it is to spend your days doing nothing but learning and mingling with your friends.  I'm sure I didn't see it this way when I was in college, but I remember the energy well, and I can see that it is the same regardless of what country you are in. 

Johanna and Frederic brought us to the "hipster cafe."  The dude who owns it won a national barista competition and is serious about his coffee.  We were warned not to put any milk in our coffee.  This kind of behavior is frowned upon here.  We were allowed to get latte macchiatos, on which the barista left loving foam designs. 

We had to squish around the end of a long table.  The place was packed!!! 

The coffee shop was kind of a bare-bones establishment with only a few pieces of art, which reinforced the owners commitment to his craft as you can see. (Sorry about the f-bomb Mom.)  

That's the owner behind the counter.  He's the guy on the right.  I was scared of him so I asked Fritz to order while I saved our seats.  He sure did make a very nice latte macchiato! 

A Visit To The ECB

Our friend Mikko is kind of a fancy-pants and works at the European Central Bank.  The ECB is basically what puts Frankfurt on the map making it the largest financial center in the Eurozone.  Their main objective is to maintain price stability in Europe.  It is the central bank for the euro (that's the currency), it consists of 19 EU member states and is one of the largest currency areas in the world.  The building, which is the ECB headquarters for all of Europe, is 591 feet tall and over 40 floors.  It is well fortified, surrounded by a substantial fence and other barricades to prevent any unwanted intruders and their vehicles from getting too close.  You have to go through a security building to get in, so don't forget your passport.  They don't care if you made a copy of it, they want to see the real thing.  And a driver's license doesn't count as a valid form of ID at the ECB.  I know this from experience.  We saw the outside of the ECB on Monday and Wednesday for this reason.  Oops. 

The ECB is a snazzy place, to say the least, with new-age art inside and outside the building, such as the peculiar tree pictured above. 

The entrance way is really impressive with windows everywhere.  The tower was built in 2013 and is attached to what used to be Frankfurt's Großmarkthalle (wholesale market), a hot spot to buy all your fruits and veggies.

Mikko kindly invited us to join him for lunch.  We felt a little underdressed walking around with him in his crisp and classy suit.  Oh well, I guess we can't all look as good as Mikko. 

After lunch, he took us up to the 27th floor for coffee and a fantastic view of the city.  

Mikko told us that there have been several protest in the streets surrounding the ECB since he started working here, usually in response to the financial crisis.  One time it was bad enough that he was told not to come to work for a few days.  Then when it was safe enough to return, he had to dress in casual clothing so as not to look like an employee.  

Frankfurt was quite pretty from the 27th floor!  It was neat to look out on the city we'd been living in for the past 2 months.  

Thanks for a really cool visit Mikko!  We are going to miss you when we move to Berlin next month!

Koblenz

Settled between two rivers, the Rhine and the Moselle, rests a little German town called Koblenz.  A train headed northwest out of Frankfurt's main station will take you here in less than an hour.  Fritz and I spent last week in Koblenz as it is home to the Bundesarchiv (Federal archive), an important spot for Fritz's research.  

The town was established way back in 8 BC when it was used as a military post.  Koblenz still has a few historical landmarks, but more than anything, I'd say it's an awesome shopping town.  It's basically a big outdoor mall with cobbled pedestrian streets interspersed with an occasional church.  

It was full of little squares that have the traditional Christmas Market huts set up to sell sausage, Glühwein, and holiday knick-knacks. 

One of my favorite Christmas Market set-ups is the hovering sausage grill.  A grate is suspended from the ceiling with a bed of hot coals below it.  The grate can then be spun and swung over the coals until the sausages are nicely roasted. 

The first two days were pretty cold and rainy, so while Fritz was at work, I sought out a bit of coziness to read and write for a while.  

I found a cafe in the middle of town that ended up being my home-base for the week.  I ate that bright pink beet soup 3 out of the 4 days we were in Koblenz.  I'm not usually one to get stuck in a rut when there is so much culinary potential to explore, but it was just so good!!!  I couldn't help myself!  

On the third day, the sun came out so I put on my sneakers and hit the road.  I walked through the main shopping area, but due to limited suitcase real-estate, I wasn't in a place to acquire extra things on this trip.  Window shopping is entertaining for a finite period.  Fritz and I will be heading back to the US soon and we need to be able to carry all of our belongings without hiring a donkey to take a bonus load.  I hear donkeys don't do well on airplanes anyway.  

I left the shops and headed to the river.  

At the northern tip of town, there is a giant monument where the Rhine River meets the Moselle.  

The original monument to Emperor William I of Germany was built in 1897.  It was destroyed in World War II, but was rebuilt in 1953 and re-dedicated to German unity.  

You can climb to the top of the monument and enjoy a lovely view of the two rivers at their point of convergence.  

Of course, it is always fun to take double exposures. 

The Basilica of St. Castor is the oldest church in the German state of Rhineland Palatinate.  It was built between 817 and 836.  The church was named a basilica minor by Pope John Paul II in 1991.  A rich history has unfolded around the church since it was built.  Through the years, it served as an important meeting place for emperors and kings and their descendants and was a place where disputes between these powerful people were negotiated and settled.  

The church had a pretty door knob. 

I was surprised to find it completely empty, although I suppose not many people go to church on a Wednesday afternoon.  

Koblenz had several very beautiful churches spread throughout the town.  This is another rather pretty one set right on the main road leading to the shopping area.  

Thursday provided more sun and good weather.  After a lunch of beet soup, I thought it would be nice to get a glimpse of Fritz's world at the Bundesarchiv (again, that is Federal archive).  I knew the archive was kind of on the outskirts of town and that Fritz usually takes a bus to get there, but since it was a nice day I figured a walk would be better.  

I had to hike up a substantial hill that divides the town.  At the top of the hill sat an antiquated fort that looked ripe for exploring- a nice detour on my way to the archive.

 

Fort Grand Duke Constantine was part of the Prussian fortress that belonged to Feste Kaiser Alexander in the 1820s.  Upon reaching the main gates at the top of the hill, I found the Fort to be closed for the season.  I snapped a few photos of the outside and continued my walk to the Bundesarchiv.  

I learned that the walk to the archive is almost entirely uphill.  Now I understand why Fritz takes the bus every day.  

To give myself a breather every now and again, I stopped to take pictures of dead flowers and winter berries. 

Along with a self-portrait or two... because why not?  

I finally made it to the massive structure that is the Bundesarchiv.  Looking at the map, the archive takes up several blocks.  It isn't really very pretty.  It's probably good they kept it out of the middle of town.  It's a bit of an eye-sore for tourists I imagine. 

Fritz came out to say hello.  It was a nice reward to see his handsome face after my long up-hill hike.  I wasn't allowed to go in the archive since I'm not a researcher or a student so I basically said "hi" and "bye", turned around and started my walk back down the hill.  

Back in town, I wandered the street for a bit, then bought some yarn from a lady who knits faster than my Aunt Carol (which is really saying something- Aunt Carol is a machine!), and then I watched this guy perform his one-man show.  He had an elaborate percussion section rigged up to his back.  His puppet friends were dangling from the neck of his guitar by fishing line.  When he bounced up and down they danced, and he blew into the wooden pipes around his neck to provide some lovely treble overtones.  I can only assume the llama was actually quite vicious and was therefore standing guard of his money collection.