smallhobbit (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
smallhobbit) wrote2017-10-28 05:34 pm
smallhobbit) wrote2017-10-28 05:34 pm
Berlin - Day One - History and Music
We arrived home yesterday from a short break in Berlin. It's a wonderful city, we only got to see a few of the many possible sights, and there's plenty more to see another time. So for the next few days, I shall be posting pics.
We began at the Brandenburg Gate, which had been top of my list. Not only is the gate impressive itself, but its historical significance is immense.
From there we walked on, past the Reichstag, and past the memorial to the Soviet soldiers who were killed in the battle for Berlin in 1945, and then later we visited the church of St Matthias, which is were Dietrich Bonhoeffer (a prominent member of the Confessing Church) was ordained.
At lunchtime we left history behind, because we were going to a free lunchtime concert at the Berlin Philharmonie, home to the famous Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. When you enter you are given a token, because the concert is held in the foyer and they have to restrict numbers to 1,500. On the day we went we heard the Prazak Quartett with Vaclav Vonasek (a bassoonist with the Berlin Phil) playing a Mozart Oboe Quartet and Smetana's 1st String Quartet. And since it was a lunchtime concert, we had lunch there beforehand.
We began at the Brandenburg Gate, which had been top of my list. Not only is the gate impressive itself, but its historical significance is immense.
From there we walked on, past the Reichstag, and past the memorial to the Soviet soldiers who were killed in the battle for Berlin in 1945, and then later we visited the church of St Matthias, which is were Dietrich Bonhoeffer (a prominent member of the Confessing Church) was ordained.
At lunchtime we left history behind, because we were going to a free lunchtime concert at the Berlin Philharmonie, home to the famous Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. When you enter you are given a token, because the concert is held in the foyer and they have to restrict numbers to 1,500. On the day we went we heard the Prazak Quartett with Vaclav Vonasek (a bassoonist with the Berlin Phil) playing a Mozart Oboe Quartet and Smetana's 1st String Quartet. And since it was a lunchtime concert, we had lunch there beforehand.
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I'm glad you had such a good holiday too!
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Do you know German? I was wondering how easy it would be for a non-German speaking person to navigate Berlin.
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I know a little German. A lot of the population speak English, and otherwise we managed with a smattering of German, some smiles, some vague hand waving, and goodwill on both sides. A lot of the signs and instructions are in both German and English.
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It was a great holiday, I'm so glad we went there.