I went to the Neues Museum this morning, but struck a problem with the S-bahn. A temporary bus was running into Friedrichstrasse, which gave me a new view of Berlin.
In Dresden tonight, no iPad, so I’ll try to put some photos in.
Sign on the platform at S5-Charlottenburg. It’s the bus, or walk along Wilbersdorferstrasse to U2-Bismarckstrasse.Walking along the Spree from Friedrichstrasse station to Museum Island. Bode Museum occupies the extreme northern tip of the Island.The extreme flatness of this arch bridge caught my eye. I.K. Brunel first demonstrated that such low arches are practical, with his Maidenhead rail bridge across the Thames, completed in 1838, and still in use today.I saw a painting yesterday of this huge granite bowl being ground in a factory. This is the real thing.With WW2 damageI went to the Neues Museum. I was as interested in the building as its contents. It was all but destroyed in the war, and finally resurrected in 2002.
So much of the reconstruction of Berlin has occurred only after 1990, after the Wall came down.
Faithfully reconstructed Neanderthal face, based on a real skull. He could walk down any street today without drawing notice. Most of us carry some of his genes.One of the Museum’s treasures, one of only 4 gold hats known to exist. It is embossed with astronomical data.Another treasure, statue of King Amenemhet III. The greatest treasure, the bust of Nefertiti is not allowed to be photographed.These blue pipes are everywhere in central Berlin.
I looked them up. Berlin is built on reclaimed swamp, the water table is near ground level. These pipes convey water pumped from building sites to the sewerage system.
Then I walked to the Berlin Hauptbahnhof, to leave on the 3:05 train to Prague, stopping at Dresden.
As we went south, the dreary Berlin sky cleared, and in Dresden it was sunny, though near dusk. Much warmer too. I shed 2 layers in my hotel room. The speed of the train varied from zero for ten minutes, to 200km/h. Average was 100km/h for the 200km.
Dresden HbFDresden Frauenkirche at dusk. Destroyed in WW2, reconstruction completed in 2005.
There was a street food festival in the Neumarkt. I had Fajitas, and a bottle of beer that turned out to be shandy. I should have looked closer.
Several different musical performances going on.As I walked past the Kirche, it had just been opened and the public invited in. It’s exquisite inside.Then I found the restaurant quarter.This place looks interesting. I may come back tomorrow, before I get the train for Berlin.
