Neue Wache
Known in English as The New Guardhouse, Neue Wache has commemorated victims of war since its construction in 1818: however, which war or victims has changed as Germany has changed,…
Vietnamese Food In Berlin
Bless is a Vietnamese restaurant near Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin. More importantly, it was a short walk from our hotel, a key attribute as we had just arrived after overnight travel…
Noberhart & Schmutzig
I wanted to end our most recent trip to Berlin with a memorable dinner and chose Nobelhart & Schmutzig, a Michelin one-starred restaurant located on Friedrichstraße just past Checkpoint Charlie…
Leaving The U-Bahn
After arriving at the Brandenburg Gate station, exit via Pariser Plat and be prepared for a lovely view as the Brandenburg Gate comes into view. No, I wasn't surprised that…
Monument to the Battle of the Nations
Also known in German as Völkerschlachtdenkmal, the Monument to the Battle of the Nations commemorates the 1813 epic battle where Napolean was defeated by the combined armies of Russia, Prussia,…
Berlin Never Forgets
Berlin obviously is a city steeped in history: everywhere you look you'll see a marker, monument, building, or something else that's meaningful. I doubt anyone is surprised. However, this street…
Paternoster Failure II
Twice I've attempted to ride a paternoster lift (elevator); twice I've failed. My first attempt was Stuttgart, Germany City Hall which has a working paternoster. Unfortunately, our arrival corresponded to…
Random Learnings #50
Sovetsk, Russia is part of the Kalingrad enclave, physically separated from mainland Russia. It's even further separated from mainland Russia as planes can no longer fly over the Baltics but…
Random Learnings #43
Lebensraum is often attributed to Hitler and the Nazis as a component of Germany's imperial and racist visions towards the east, and contributed to the Holocaust as killing the Jews…
Random Learnings #40
The Carnegie Museum of Art is currently exhibiting the works of the German artist Beate Kuhn. I initially read a contemporary biography in German: despite my sehr schlecht school-boy Germany,…