Unified Berlin

Section of the Berlin Wall, picture taken standing next to a building that has been called The Ministry of Aviation, The Ministry of Ministries and is now the seat of the German Finance Ministry:

Buildings in the Bebelplatz, Berlin

Berlin State Opera House:

The Bebelplatz:

St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale built by Frederick the Great:

On May 10 1933 students from 34 University Towns around Germany burned an estimated 20.000 books.   This exhibit in the ground of the Bebelplatz depicts the empty library shelves left behind.  There is a plaque next to the exhibit with a quote from 1820 that says "That was only a prelude, there where they burn books, they burn in the end people":

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, in the words of the Architect, "The stelae are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. The enormity and scale of the horror of the Holocaust is such that any attempt to represent it by traditional means is inevitably inadequate ... Our memorial attempts to present a new idea of memory as distinct from nostalgia ... We can only know the past today through a manifestation in the present."

 The graffiti of Rosenthaler Strasse 39:

 Cosmonaut Mural by Victor Ash

Pink Man Mural by BLU:

 Shrouded in night and fog, the Berliner Fernsehtrum:

 The East Side Gallery (longest open air gallery in the world), "The East Side Gallery is a special place, where art has become the expression for a unique point in time of the history of a separated Germany.  It is a meeting point that talks about an old Berlin and a new Berlin, a separated and a unified Germany."

2016 Happenings

Hike to Hochblauen in Kandern.

Fasching Parade in Kandern- the rain prohibited confetti.  From what I have heard the confetti is EVERYWHERE, so I was thankful for the rain.

Here is a link that explains what Fasching is: Fasching in Germany

Welcome to 2016!!!!  I spent New Years Eve at the house of a BFA'er and was delighted to see this symbol of New York on the landing leading to her apartment.  The shot is not fabulous, but it is indeed a Statue of Liberty made of Legos.

I took a walk today and loved seeing the sights.  This picture is a male sheep, or a ram.  I am almost positive I have never seen one outside of a zoo.  I couldn't resist taking the picture.

And off in the distance is France, and past the brown of the tilled field, and the rolling hills of green (not something you would see in Northern NY this time of year) are magnificent snow covered mountains.

One of the events I have been fortunate to participate in was this Christmas celebration with refugees.  

Hearing all the different languages, watching all the kids run around, seeing them get their Christmas gifts that had been selected and wrapped and included special personal messages for each of them from members of the community was overwhelming.  Considering what their lives have been like over the last four years of conflict in their home country made me introspective and appreciate the freedoms I take for granted coming from a place that doesn't currently know such violence.  Living in a place that has a past and a current struggle with what it means to have open borders makes me glad that there is a God who loves us and that we are all made in His image.

The youth performed the Christmas story and it was in English and German.  The performers were definitely the stars of the day, the youngsters in the audience were glued to the performance and the youth performers were kind enough to stay in their costumes after the performance and let the kids hang out with them.

On December 17 I went with four ladies from the BFA community to Strasbourg France to walk around the Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmarkt). Strasbourg is home to the Strasbourg Cathedral de Notre-Dame and ranks as my favourite Cathedral seen so far.    To learn more about the history of this remarkable Cathedral you can visit this website: http://www.strasbourg.info/cathedral/

This is one example of a building decorated for the Market

Oper fun sites around the city:

17-October was sponsored by the letter "C".  The day began with a trip to Le Gruyère and a tour of their cheese factory.  While I have no pictures it was very impressive to watch the cheese-makers do their work and to see and hear all about the process that goes into making this world-renowned treat.

Next stop was The Castle of Gruyères.  

 For those cold rainy days, this is a medieval seat warmer : ) 

Had to take a pic of this, it is a mermaid thing with antlers... no clue whatsoever!

The original swiss army cannon!!!

We took a side trip to Murten on the way home.  Murten boasts the only intact town wall in Switzerland that you can walk around. 

Lovely fall colors: