Always End Your Day With Some Comic Opera

On December 6, 2023December 6, 2023 By Barbara GreenstoneIn BerlinLeave a comment

I’m beginning to think the sun never shines on Berlin. We haven’t seen it yet. There was more snow overnight, and with temperatures hovering around freezing, the sidewalks were an icy mess. Nevertheless, we set off for more adventures, knowing it would be slow going.

The Garden of Exile in the Jewish Museum Berlin

We began the day with a visit to the Jewish Museum Berlin and we spent much longer there than we expected to. The bottom floor of the museum has an exhibit designed to symbolize three aspects of Jewish life in Germany: exile, Holocaust, and continuity. The Garden of Exile is an outdoor exhibit of columns on uneven, slanting ground that is designed to replicate the disorientation Jews experienced as they were rounded up and driven from their homes. The core exhibit is a presentation of the history and culture of Jews in Germany, past and present. Visiting this exhibit is a sobering experience, especially as we think about the current situation in Israel and Gaza. We noticed a very visible (and probably some not so visible) police and security presence around the buildings, and I’m sad that it has to be this way. We can only hope that one day, people of all religions, races, and cultures can live side by side in peace.

After the Jewish Museum we headed for the obligatory photo op at Checkpoint Charlie before we looked for a train to take us to our next adventure, the Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenberg Museum to see their Surreal Worlds exhibit of surrealist drawings and paintings by Max Ernst, Paul Klee, Hans Bellmer and many others.

Across the street from the museum was another Christmas Market, and we had a couple hours to kill, so we decided to check it out. The market was in front of the massive Charlottenburg Palace which we knew we would not have time to visit on this trip, but we were glad we got to admire it from the outside. We strolled around the market for a while and then decided to have an early dinner in a restaurant in a heated tent. And yes, we had some Glühwein. We decided that German Christmas Markets are like the Fryeburg Fair, but colder, and with more alcohol, and no animals.

Final Bows at Orpheus and the Underworld

Our evening event was a performance of Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld at the Komische Oper Berlin. We were notified just before we arrived that tonight’s performance would be in concert format rather than the fully staged opera because of a strike somewhere. It was difficult for us to figure out exactly who was striking (Google Translate can’t solve all our language problems) but we decided to see the show anyway. This performance was hilarious, even without all the sets and costumes, and they still danced the cancan at the end. The audience was sparse, probably because refunds were offered, but we appreciated this company’s “the show must go on” attitude.

It was another long day and my Fitbit says we walked 18,365 steps today so we’re ready to call it a day. Tomorrow is our last full day in Berlin and I’m sure we’ll pack a lot into it.

A Palace, Another Church, and the London Brass

On December 4, 2023December 6, 2023 By Barbara GreenstoneIn BerlinLeave a comment

Today we spent a lot of time on public transit. We took a train to Potsdam, rode trolleys around the city, and took another train back. We’re getting better at navigating with our limited German. Fortunately, almost everyone we’ve encountered in Germany so far speaks English.

We began our visit to Potsdam with a tour of Neues Palais, a palace built for Frederick the Great from 1763 to 1769. It’s a very ornate example of Prussian Baroque style architecture. I thought the most interesting room in the palace was the Grotto Hall where the walls were decorated with shells and stones and the marble floor depicted sea creatures and plants. I learned from the audio tour that the word “rococo” comes from the French word “rocaille” which means “shell.” The tour was interesting, but very cold. Apparently they don’t heat the palace just for the tourists, so we kept our coats, hats, and gloves on throughout.

We then took a tram to the Dutch section of Potsdam to admire the architecture. We passed through another huge Christmas market where the Glühwein was tempting, but we passed on it again. We will indulge in this tradition German beverage some time before we leave. We made our way to the St. Peter and Paul church in the center of Potsdam. This yellow brick church with its huge bell tower was built in Byzantine and Romanesque style and was completed in 1870. It was damaged during WW II, but has been restored.

We next caught another train and got off at the Potsdamer Platz stop, got some dinner, then headed to the Berliner Philharmoniker Concert Hall for an evening concert with the London Brass. The London Brass was created in 1986 from members of the Philips Jones Brass Ensemble and is composed of four trumpets, four trombones, one French horn, and one tuba. Their Christmas program included selections from their Joy to the World CD. It was a beautiful performance by some of the best brass players in the world. Paul reminded me that England has a brass band tradition that produces great musicians. There’s nothing like a brass group playing Christmas music to get you in the holiday spirit!

Tomorrow we head to Leipzig (another train) to learn all about Bach and Mendelssohn and maybe a few other subjects. I have many other pictures to post here and on the Berlin photos page, but the Wi-Fi isn’t up to it today. I’ll try again later.

A Zoo, a Church, and a Lot of Wagner

On December 4, 2023December 4, 2023 By Barbara GreenstoneIn Berlin1 Comment

It snowed a little overnight. It was 26° and cloudy, and a bit icy underfoot, so our first thought was, “Let’s go to the zoo!” And it turned out to be a pretty good idea. The Berlin weather isn’t bad if you dress for it, and we were prepared. The zoo was quiet on a Sunday morning and strolling the grounds was pleasant. The highlight, of course, was the pandas, but we found plenty of other animals, indoors and out, to entertain us.

After the zoo, we headed for the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, first passing by another of the many Berlin Christmas markets. We were tempted to stop for some glühwein but it was crowded and we were on a mission. The Kaiser Wilhelm church was built between 1959 and 1963, not to replace but to stand alongside the original church that was bombed during WW II. The inside of the modern church is spectacular with walls that incorporate 21,292 stained glass windows. (I’ll post more pictures on the Berlin page under the Photos tab of this blog later.)

Kaiser Wilhelm Church — Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche

After admiring the church, we made our way to Deutsche Oper Berlin to see the longest opera ever. Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg is Wagner’s only comedic work (in the sense that no one died) and lasts almost 6 hours, including two intermissions. In the past I’ve shied away from Wagner operas because they were overwhelming. I tried listening to one on the Saturday radio broadcast, but it was mostly just background music. It wasn’t until I saw one in a Met Live in HD performance that I really understood what Wagner was all about. I think that, before I retired, I didn’t have the time or intellectual energy to fully appreciate Wagner. This was only the second live performance of a Wagner opera I’ve seen, and it was spectacular. The singing was excellent, but it’s really the orchestra that sucks you in. The plot was convoluted and sometimes silly, but I could say that about many operas. Die Meistersinger was (and still is) controversial, and some would say antisemitic, but musically exquisite. It was maybe my best opera experience ever.

Bows at *Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg*

Tomorrow we’re off to Potsdam to see what we can see. Stay tuned.

Getting There is Half the Fun… Sometimes

On December 3, 2023December 3, 2023 By Barbara GreenstoneIn Berlin1 Comment

I hate night flights because I’ve never been able to sleep on a plane. We’ve taken several red-eye flights to and from Los Angeles, and one to London, but they’ve all been direct flights. This time our flight was in two segments and that’s even worse. On the upside, I think sleep deprivation helps you adjust to time zone changes more quickly.

Our journey started with a bus ride from Portland to Logan. Traffic wasn’t too bad, so we got there in plenty of time for an airport dinner before our flight. Icelandair is a quirky little airline. As we boarded the plane, we were greeted with Icelandic music playing throughout the cabin. If you’re participating in the Little Drummer Boy challenge, does it count if you hear it on a plane in Icelandic? The flight to Reykjavík was okay, but the airport there was chaotic. Apparently they have more planes than gates, so we deplaned onto a bus that took us to the gate. We then had to find Passport Check before we could find the gate for our flight to Berlin. At that gate, we were herded onto another bus. These buses are the kind that have more standing than seating space, and we were packed in like sardines. Twenty minutes later, we were still on that bus, waiting on the tarmac to board the plane. Boarding was chaotic because there was no system, all rows boarded at the same time so there was a lot of waiting while passengers stowed their luggage and coats. I don’t know if it’s always like this, but our experience won’t deter us from coming back to Iceland one day. The flight to Berlin was better because no one was seated in the third seat in our row, so we could spread out. I sat by the window and watched a lovely sunrise above the clouds as we approached Germany.

When we arrived at the airport in Berlin, we exchanged a few dollars for Euros and bought Berlin Welcome Cards and Museum Pass. Then we had to figure out trains that would get us close to our hotel. I like the fact that, in Berlin (and other European cities) you buy a pass and just jump on and off trains and buses without the bother of turnstiles or ticket takers. You just show your pass if asked (and we’ve never been asked).

After checking in at our hotel, we set off to see the Brandenburg Gate and then stopped for an early dinner at EINSTEIN Unter den Linden (We had Wiener Schnitzel mit Preiselbeeren, Petersilienerdäpfeln und Gurkensalat!) Then it was off to Staatsoper to see Marc-Antoine Charpentier’s opera Médée (Medea). We had seen the Met production (live in HD at the movie theater) and this was nothing like that. The orchestra was a small baroque orchestra conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, and this production didn’t have the dramatic, gothic feel of the recent Met one. Nonetheless, it was interesting (if a bit long) and the singing was beautiful.

As we left the opera, we passed a huge Christmas Market, but decided to save it for another day. After more than 36 hours without sleep, we were happy to return to our hotel for some much needed rest.

Tomorrow – Wagner!

Back to Europe at Last!

On November 29, 2023December 1, 2023 By Barbara GreenstoneIn Planning1 Comment

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted on this blog. When we took our last European trip, to England and Scotland, the idea that we wouldn’t travel abroad again for four years was unthinkable. But that was the fall of 2019, and you know what happened in 2020.

We had booked a Viking Cruise in Russia for the spring of 2020, and we were really excited about it. The cruise was supposed to go along the Volga, from St. Petersburg to Moscow. We were looking forward to visiting the Hermitage and seeing the Bolshoi ballet, and a river cruise seemed like an easy an safe way to go. Then came the pandemic, and of course, the cruise was canceled. We rebooked for the fall of 2021, but Viking canceled again and rescheduled us for May 2022 (with a couple days in Helsinki thrown in). Then came the Russia invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and we decided we would not go, even before Viking canceled the trip.

Although we are septuagenarians, we’re both relatively healthy, so we did not stay home these last four years. We’ve taken several trips to New York and Boston by bus and train, and we’ve flown to Los Angeles and Chicago to see our son. We’ve been Covid vaxxed (I think it’s five times so far) and we took precautions during our trips including masking and, until recently, not eating in restaurants or bars. We’re still careful, but we’re feeling pretty confident about taking a trip abroad.

At the beginning of the pandemic, when we were all locked down, we coped, as many folks did, by subscribing to more streaming services. One of our favorites is Berliner Philharmoniker, and we fell in love with this orchestra. It made us think about how much we’d like to visit Berlin, and now we’re finally going. I intend to write daily posts on this blog so friends and family can travel with us vicariously and share our adventures.

We leave today from Boston on Icelandair for an overnight trip with a stopover in Reykjavik. If you only see Iceland from the airport, can you add it to your list of countries visited? (Asking for a friend.)

To Italy and Beyond

Tag: Berlin