SO 22 hours later and I am home in Chicago. I don't think I was ever so happy to see that skyline emerge from the shores of Lake Michigan. Don't get me wrong I love to travel, love to see new places and experience new things, but give me linear street grids and the manmade canyon that is the Loop any day!
One note, even in business class with three course meals, on-demand movie systems and lie flat beds, sitting in that seat for 9 hours gets unbearable, but not as bad ;-)
Next travel date:
June 30-July 1 - Birmingham Alabama for work.
Will be resuming my monthly treks up to Minneapolis, hopefully the warm weather will make me appreciate the city a bit more than I did in the winter. Also might be going up to Toronto soon, hopefully i love that city!
Cheers mates have a great week!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Dublin.
After all that work and fun at Bingham Cup I had exactly one day to wonder around Dublin. I went downtown a couple of times for various activities with the team, but didnt really have a chance to take pictures.
Dublin isnt exactly a 24/7 City i thought it was. Shops closed at 6pm, hard to find restaurants that weren't overly touristy and expensive and well, I think their construction boom has greatly subsided. HOWEVER, it's a beautiful city, the River divides the city up and the history alone is worth going to see. The main street which i believe is Connelly street is this grand Parisian boulevard with amble sidewalks and a great central pedestrian zone as well. The street has some famous Dubliners' statues as well as the Spire, a 200 foot stainless steel spike that was built for 2000.
The architecture is very monotoned, grays with more grays and copper roofs where appropriate. It has this distinct vernacular to it and even though this is the city center, everything feels tiny to me for some reason (I know i am a giant but this felt smaller than normal), and I dont know if i like that feeling, maybe it's my living in Chicago that makes me pine for 50 story buildings.
Anyways, Dublin can be seen in a day, maybe two if you have the proper guides. I would suggest going out around the country as some of my teammates are doing right now even with broken knees and arms. I will be posting pictures when I get back to the US.
Cheers mates!
Dublin isnt exactly a 24/7 City i thought it was. Shops closed at 6pm, hard to find restaurants that weren't overly touristy and expensive and well, I think their construction boom has greatly subsided. HOWEVER, it's a beautiful city, the River divides the city up and the history alone is worth going to see. The main street which i believe is Connelly street is this grand Parisian boulevard with amble sidewalks and a great central pedestrian zone as well. The street has some famous Dubliners' statues as well as the Spire, a 200 foot stainless steel spike that was built for 2000.
The architecture is very monotoned, grays with more grays and copper roofs where appropriate. It has this distinct vernacular to it and even though this is the city center, everything feels tiny to me for some reason (I know i am a giant but this felt smaller than normal), and I dont know if i like that feeling, maybe it's my living in Chicago that makes me pine for 50 story buildings.
Anyways, Dublin can be seen in a day, maybe two if you have the proper guides. I would suggest going out around the country as some of my teammates are doing right now even with broken knees and arms. I will be posting pictures when I get back to the US.
Cheers mates!
Bingham Cup.
So if you have been reading along lately, you might have noticed i havent posted anything in a few days. Reason being I landed in Dublin and was running from the moment I landed.
The reason for Dublin in my trip was to attend the 2008 Bingham Cup. This is a tournament held every other year where amateur teams from around the world get together for a friendly game of Rugby. My team, the Chicago Dragons were looking to take home something from the tournament, hopefully the plate which is the second highest prize of the tournament.
Landing wednesday night late, i settled into my room at the Dublin City University (DCU) dorms. Everyone was out at a party so I just rested and got up early the next day. Thursday was the opening events at night and the rest of the team came in, so we hit dublin a bit. We went to the guiness brewery (which btw waste of money, tons better breweries in the US...) and just hung out. Friday was the big day, our first match was against the defending champs from 2006, The Sydney Convicts.
Nervousness was in the air, this was our first match, how would we do? Well the boys sadly did not win, but the Syndey guys were awesome, they played a fair match and even though one of our guys broke his arm 7 minutes into the first match (yes, 7 min folks, not long after the tournament's organizer hoped for an accident free tournament...), the break was a clean one and the match was fun to watch.
We tied with Washington DC's b side team and lost to the Seattle Quake. This puts us at Saturday evening. Sunday were the playoffs for the Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield prizes. We were on the fence, we had to play the London King's Cross Steelers B side team to get into the Plate Division, the one we really wanted to be in. This was the match that the Dragons became a real rugby team. This is the match I watched our 25 players go from club sports weekend warriors to rugby animals. Never before have I seen our boys play like this, it was uncanny. We wanted this match, we owned it. I never felt the joy I felt after the Sir blew his whistle at the 40 min mark and we won by a try. It was amazing, we were in the plate!
Watching the team from the sidelines, I really wanted to be a part of it. I was a part of it, but not on the pitch. Running for water, medical supplies, medics, match officials, making sure people had their gear, taping up ankles, etc are essential but diving for that ball on the pitch is where i want to be now. I have a goal, start next season, get the ball, score a try, be part of this awesome team we call the Dragons.
Sadly, we lost against the San Francisco Fog B side team in the first match of the Plate division, but the Dragons played well, the team is beaten, bruised, broken and tired but that will heal, we will be working toward our fall season and getting better and better as the years go on. Bingham Cup 2010 is only two years away, only four seasons to get things right!
for pictures go to:
Bingham day One
Bingham day Two
The reason for Dublin in my trip was to attend the 2008 Bingham Cup. This is a tournament held every other year where amateur teams from around the world get together for a friendly game of Rugby. My team, the Chicago Dragons were looking to take home something from the tournament, hopefully the plate which is the second highest prize of the tournament.
Landing wednesday night late, i settled into my room at the Dublin City University (DCU) dorms. Everyone was out at a party so I just rested and got up early the next day. Thursday was the opening events at night and the rest of the team came in, so we hit dublin a bit. We went to the guiness brewery (which btw waste of money, tons better breweries in the US...) and just hung out. Friday was the big day, our first match was against the defending champs from 2006, The Sydney Convicts.
Nervousness was in the air, this was our first match, how would we do? Well the boys sadly did not win, but the Syndey guys were awesome, they played a fair match and even though one of our guys broke his arm 7 minutes into the first match (yes, 7 min folks, not long after the tournament's organizer hoped for an accident free tournament...), the break was a clean one and the match was fun to watch.
We tied with Washington DC's b side team and lost to the Seattle Quake. This puts us at Saturday evening. Sunday were the playoffs for the Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield prizes. We were on the fence, we had to play the London King's Cross Steelers B side team to get into the Plate Division, the one we really wanted to be in. This was the match that the Dragons became a real rugby team. This is the match I watched our 25 players go from club sports weekend warriors to rugby animals. Never before have I seen our boys play like this, it was uncanny. We wanted this match, we owned it. I never felt the joy I felt after the Sir blew his whistle at the 40 min mark and we won by a try. It was amazing, we were in the plate!
Watching the team from the sidelines, I really wanted to be a part of it. I was a part of it, but not on the pitch. Running for water, medical supplies, medics, match officials, making sure people had their gear, taping up ankles, etc are essential but diving for that ball on the pitch is where i want to be now. I have a goal, start next season, get the ball, score a try, be part of this awesome team we call the Dragons.
Sadly, we lost against the San Francisco Fog B side team in the first match of the Plate division, but the Dragons played well, the team is beaten, bruised, broken and tired but that will heal, we will be working toward our fall season and getting better and better as the years go on. Bingham Cup 2010 is only two years away, only four seasons to get things right!
for pictures go to:
Bingham day One
Bingham day Two
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
PHOTOS
Ok I am here in Dublin, the room has amazing high speed access so i have finally uploaded a couple of albums.
The first is A Day in Black and White. This includes all of my BW photography in Prague.
Second is all of my Berlin Photos.
Third are all my Prague Photos in color (still need to download the rest from my trip so this will be added to in a couple days)
That is all I have for tonight, Dublin pictures will come about as I take them.
Cheers!
The first is A Day in Black and White. This includes all of my BW photography in Prague.
Second is all of my Berlin Photos.
Third are all my Prague Photos in color (still need to download the rest from my trip so this will be added to in a couple days)
That is all I have for tonight, Dublin pictures will come about as I take them.
Cheers!
Na shledanou Praha!
As I pack my bags and get ready to move onto
I don’t know if I am trying to associate myself with this country because I feel I should but I see a lot of qualities and traits in myself that I have observed here in the
I decided to take a break from being a must-see-everything tourist and decided just to wonder a bit around the city yesterday. I read in my guidebook about a good beer garden on the top of a park just north of the city castle, so I decided to see if it was worth checking out. Turns out they were right! Amazing views, cheap beer and a guy selling sausages made my day complete. Had a couple of beers and decided I was sleepy so I took a nap. I flew 5000 miles to take a nap in a public park and I am totally ok with that.
To round out my trip I bought a ticket on a 3 hour dinner cruise along the
Anyways this exhibit was on the 1958 world expo and
It would have been amazing to see this exhibit, as we don’t do world’s fairs anymore (EPCOT in
Of course the government had to approve any Czech national going to the fair. You had to be a good worker or politically connected to attend. Only 6,000 Czech nationals actually attended the fair, a modest amount for sure. They were given classes on how to respond to western style questioning and warned of the western propaganda machine that would be in attendance of the fair.
The next part of the exhibit was how the 1958 Expo changed design in Czech culture in the 60’s. Art, housewares, cars, planes, trams, architecture, nothing seemed immune from the Brussels Style as they called it. Corbusier style communities were designed and implemented, a Czech national expo grounds was built in
To end the day was the dinner cruise. Trudging along the
Monday, June 9, 2008
Landscape in Prague: Some Observations
So over the past couple of days I have had the opportunity to visit various open spaces and parks in the city of Prague. Some observations:
1. There is no such thing as a street tree in Praha. Except for the grand boulevards and in the plaza spaces, street trees cant grow here because of the tight winding streets that would choke a tree to death.
2. Plazas are a good thing. Because the streets are so cramped, when they do open up to these intimate plazas, they are a relief of density. I dont think Old Town Square would be as grand if it werent for the streets surrounding it, you are so enclosed that by the time you get to the square, it is this big entry to open space, pretty cool sequence.
3. Hardscape is the same in the city. The city has this great paving system of 2 inch by 2 inch square granite and marble pavers that allow for private owners to put their own mark on the city's public realm in front of their property. The use of four or so different rock types allows for a seemingly infinite pattern throughout the city, but at the same time has this unifying appeal to it. Sounds like a maintenance nightmare? Probably, but it looks pretty nice when it's done right (mostly tourist areas of the city, the rest isnt maintained so well...)
4. The mix of man-made and natural works well. The main park on the hill in mala strana neighborhood has this weird mix of natural forest that has been untouched for years and strategic points where rose gardens and exhibitions sit with the backdrop of the city of prague as it's driver. I loved how this park plunged you deep into a thick forest just to thrust you out again into these amazing views of the city. This park at one time used to be vineyards and houses the summer palace as well.
Landscape is all over this city, in various forms from urban plazas to dense forests and wide open fields. It has this understated elegance to it, even in the unkept areas. These spaces allow the tourist or resident escape from the crazy winding city that intertwines below.
Cheers folks!
CDS
1. There is no such thing as a street tree in Praha. Except for the grand boulevards and in the plaza spaces, street trees cant grow here because of the tight winding streets that would choke a tree to death.
2. Plazas are a good thing. Because the streets are so cramped, when they do open up to these intimate plazas, they are a relief of density. I dont think Old Town Square would be as grand if it werent for the streets surrounding it, you are so enclosed that by the time you get to the square, it is this big entry to open space, pretty cool sequence.
3. Hardscape is the same in the city. The city has this great paving system of 2 inch by 2 inch square granite and marble pavers that allow for private owners to put their own mark on the city's public realm in front of their property. The use of four or so different rock types allows for a seemingly infinite pattern throughout the city, but at the same time has this unifying appeal to it. Sounds like a maintenance nightmare? Probably, but it looks pretty nice when it's done right (mostly tourist areas of the city, the rest isnt maintained so well...)
4. The mix of man-made and natural works well. The main park on the hill in mala strana neighborhood has this weird mix of natural forest that has been untouched for years and strategic points where rose gardens and exhibitions sit with the backdrop of the city of prague as it's driver. I loved how this park plunged you deep into a thick forest just to thrust you out again into these amazing views of the city. This park at one time used to be vineyards and houses the summer palace as well.
Landscape is all over this city, in various forms from urban plazas to dense forests and wide open fields. It has this understated elegance to it, even in the unkept areas. These spaces allow the tourist or resident escape from the crazy winding city that intertwines below.
Cheers folks!
CDS
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Finally Relaxing
Toady is Sunday, day of relaxation. I started the day going to the Old Jewish Cemetery, which is a really cool space. The cemetery dates back to the beginning of the formation of Prague 6-7th century. I will be posting pictures of this later today.
Next up. LUNCH. I found this really cool Belgium restaurant where I stuffed myself full of mussles and pomme frites, probably the best mussles I have had in a long long time. Of course two beers, bread and popcorn were involved, so i was sufficiently stuffed today, but i didnt care, it's sunday, i have been economic in my spending lately so why not splurge.
Needing to walk off some of the lunch, i decided to discover some shopping. Prague is chock full of crappy tshirt stores, knock off czech crystal, cheaply made linens and puppetry and lots of western shopping that I can find back in Chicago, so i was naturally on the hunt for true authentic Czech shopping, stuff i cant get in the US. I found a couple of great stores, bought some gifts for family and stopped off for another beer and some dessert.
All in all im finally getting in my swing of relaxing, dont really care about time anymore, as the city is open till about 11pm anyways for shopping and even later for drinking, no rush on my day and i can lay in bed till 10 if I care to! Tomorrow i figure i will get up and see a few more things that are on my list, stuff I didnt get to the last time I was here, the national monument and the big park up on the hill.
Na shledanou!
(goodbye!)
CDS
Next up. LUNCH. I found this really cool Belgium restaurant where I stuffed myself full of mussles and pomme frites, probably the best mussles I have had in a long long time. Of course two beers, bread and popcorn were involved, so i was sufficiently stuffed today, but i didnt care, it's sunday, i have been economic in my spending lately so why not splurge.
Needing to walk off some of the lunch, i decided to discover some shopping. Prague is chock full of crappy tshirt stores, knock off czech crystal, cheaply made linens and puppetry and lots of western shopping that I can find back in Chicago, so i was naturally on the hunt for true authentic Czech shopping, stuff i cant get in the US. I found a couple of great stores, bought some gifts for family and stopped off for another beer and some dessert.
All in all im finally getting in my swing of relaxing, dont really care about time anymore, as the city is open till about 11pm anyways for shopping and even later for drinking, no rush on my day and i can lay in bed till 10 if I care to! Tomorrow i figure i will get up and see a few more things that are on my list, stuff I didnt get to the last time I was here, the national monument and the big park up on the hill.
Na shledanou!
(goodbye!)
CDS
My Day in Black and White
Yesterday was an exhausting one. I started the day revisiting all the places i had been to before, the castle, Municipal House, Powder Tower, Old Town Square, the usual tourist stuff. I have to admit it was a bit emotional for me. The last time i was here my Aunt Toni was with us who had been battling breast cancer for several years. That trip was for her. She wanted to see where her father, my grandfather, was born and since no one else in the family was able to go, I was the trip coordinator.
A daunting trip, but a lot of fun, i got to connect with my Aunt in a way i have never been able to before. So traveling up to the castle yesterday and seeing the places where we took pictures together was a bit sad for me. My aunt died two weeks after returning from that trip, she had used all of her strength to see Prague before she died. I miss her dearly, Aunt Toni was this funny quirky family member who never seemed to care what people thought of her.
Most of my family lives in Indiana, save for Toni. She lived in florida, so she would only come home once a year or so, in which we would have a huge cookout for her and her family. I loved when they came, she was this cool aunt that I never really got to know, until Europe. She would walk into a room and would instantly command the attention in the room. Her laugh you could hear for miles and her smile would make the saddest person happy. She loved her children and her husband and her extended family and had probably the biggest heart I could ever remember. I miss you Aunt Toni, wherever you are!
So yesterday's photos are in memory of Toni, she insisted at stopping at as many churches as we could to light a candle, I think in some attempt to make peace with God before her time to go.
So the reason for black and white. It is a way for me to express the city in the way i really see it. This is what i dream of when i think of Prague. To me Prague is this romantic place where people can be as creative as possible. It is dark and sad and uplifting and bright at the same time. So black and white is my creative way I can showcase this medieval city. I hope you enjoy!
http://www.pixagogo.com/0750964132
More pics to follow.
A daunting trip, but a lot of fun, i got to connect with my Aunt in a way i have never been able to before. So traveling up to the castle yesterday and seeing the places where we took pictures together was a bit sad for me. My aunt died two weeks after returning from that trip, she had used all of her strength to see Prague before she died. I miss her dearly, Aunt Toni was this funny quirky family member who never seemed to care what people thought of her.
Most of my family lives in Indiana, save for Toni. She lived in florida, so she would only come home once a year or so, in which we would have a huge cookout for her and her family. I loved when they came, she was this cool aunt that I never really got to know, until Europe. She would walk into a room and would instantly command the attention in the room. Her laugh you could hear for miles and her smile would make the saddest person happy. She loved her children and her husband and her extended family and had probably the biggest heart I could ever remember. I miss you Aunt Toni, wherever you are!
So yesterday's photos are in memory of Toni, she insisted at stopping at as many churches as we could to light a candle, I think in some attempt to make peace with God before her time to go.
So the reason for black and white. It is a way for me to express the city in the way i really see it. This is what i dream of when i think of Prague. To me Prague is this romantic place where people can be as creative as possible. It is dark and sad and uplifting and bright at the same time. So black and white is my creative way I can showcase this medieval city. I hope you enjoy!
http://www.pixagogo.com/0750964132
More pics to follow.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Arrival: Praha
OK i know i have typed a LOT today, last post before bed.
The train from Berlin to Prague (Praha) was a great experience. I arrived in Praha almost 6 years to the date. The last time I was here was to help my family trace their routes back to where my grandfather was born. That trip was quite the emotional one and amazing. This time felt like this strange homecoming for me. I know Prague. It felt familiar and strange at the same time. I know not to change money in the streets (then again i knew that before i came here, but seems to be the local scam anyhow...). The subway feels familiar, should be interesting walking around tomorrow. Anyways home is where Praha is in my heart, im glad to be back, look forward to the next few days!
cheers!
The train from Berlin to Prague (Praha) was a great experience. I arrived in Praha almost 6 years to the date. The last time I was here was to help my family trace their routes back to where my grandfather was born. That trip was quite the emotional one and amazing. This time felt like this strange homecoming for me. I know Prague. It felt familiar and strange at the same time. I know not to change money in the streets (then again i knew that before i came here, but seems to be the local scam anyhow...). The subway feels familiar, should be interesting walking around tomorrow. Anyways home is where Praha is in my heart, im glad to be back, look forward to the next few days!
cheers!
Berlin Final Thoughts
Berlin is all at once a contradiction of itself. capitalist and anti-establishment. Nature and City. Historic and Modern. It is the new Germany. From the Reichstadt that is a shell of a historic building with the transparent guts of a brand new building, Berlin does not forget its past. It doesnt mention it much either.
Berliners left an impression on me as well. Strict and drab on the surface, Berliners enjoy life to the fullest. They dont seem to care that their building is littered with graffiti, if it means rent is cheaper, so be it. Im sure those that can remember worse times feel that is the least of their worries. I wonder what the new generation will expect, the one that grew up in a reunified Germany free of war and enlightened on the perils of starting one. I hope they dont take the hard lessons their past generation had to learn for granted.
The city itself is an odd duck. On the one hand it wants to be this new clean modern city with historic elements to it, but on the other it still has rough edges, or at least what I as an American would perceive to be hard edges. The streets are designed for pedestrians and bike. Narrow vehicular pathways and wide strolling sidewalks in rebuilt areas are a great amenity to the city. But it's things like the unfinished parks and litter and the crazy parking situations that make it seem still a bit wild and rebellious.
Lets talk Nazis, shall we? Visiting Templhoff today, the Nazi-designed airport, I am reminded at how great the architecture was for it's time. But today, it is half its worth in design. The Berlin government announced this week that they will be closing Templhoff, the site of the Berlin Airlifts, the symbol for the New World Order when it comes to technology, what I remember most about germany as a kid in the Indiana Jones Movies. Today the airport sits without it's original ornamentation, a sacrifice that had to be done. It has been augmented, stripped, revamped and repainted on the interior too, attempts to modernize a historical building that went wrong.
To me it isnt the fact that i love what the Nazis stood for but I can appreciate the buildings they build. The exude national pride and dominance. Giving their people something to be proud of to should their grandchildren. They embody what was the new German government, even though it was the wrong government, it was a very powerful one and you can still see that through the layers of dirt and bad paint jobs. I find their style of architecture to be very modern even to this day. It is a shame a lot of it was lost in bombing raids and destruction post defeat, it would of been interesting to see some of that today. Even East Germany's heritage is going away, they are in the process of tearing down the parliment for the GDR, a building that saw 70 million visitors in only the 40 years of its existance, pretty impressive numbers!
Point being, Berlin is a proud city. They are a rebellious city. From tagging of buildings to protesting milk prices their people are involved, engaged and alive, loving or loathing what their government is doing and not afraid to speak their opinion about it. The buildings themselves show their pride and new found transparency. It's a city worth visiting, should be on everyone's list and a place to revisit for sure.
Berliners left an impression on me as well. Strict and drab on the surface, Berliners enjoy life to the fullest. They dont seem to care that their building is littered with graffiti, if it means rent is cheaper, so be it. Im sure those that can remember worse times feel that is the least of their worries. I wonder what the new generation will expect, the one that grew up in a reunified Germany free of war and enlightened on the perils of starting one. I hope they dont take the hard lessons their past generation had to learn for granted.
The city itself is an odd duck. On the one hand it wants to be this new clean modern city with historic elements to it, but on the other it still has rough edges, or at least what I as an American would perceive to be hard edges. The streets are designed for pedestrians and bike. Narrow vehicular pathways and wide strolling sidewalks in rebuilt areas are a great amenity to the city. But it's things like the unfinished parks and litter and the crazy parking situations that make it seem still a bit wild and rebellious.
Lets talk Nazis, shall we? Visiting Templhoff today, the Nazi-designed airport, I am reminded at how great the architecture was for it's time. But today, it is half its worth in design. The Berlin government announced this week that they will be closing Templhoff, the site of the Berlin Airlifts, the symbol for the New World Order when it comes to technology, what I remember most about germany as a kid in the Indiana Jones Movies. Today the airport sits without it's original ornamentation, a sacrifice that had to be done. It has been augmented, stripped, revamped and repainted on the interior too, attempts to modernize a historical building that went wrong.
To me it isnt the fact that i love what the Nazis stood for but I can appreciate the buildings they build. The exude national pride and dominance. Giving their people something to be proud of to should their grandchildren. They embody what was the new German government, even though it was the wrong government, it was a very powerful one and you can still see that through the layers of dirt and bad paint jobs. I find their style of architecture to be very modern even to this day. It is a shame a lot of it was lost in bombing raids and destruction post defeat, it would of been interesting to see some of that today. Even East Germany's heritage is going away, they are in the process of tearing down the parliment for the GDR, a building that saw 70 million visitors in only the 40 years of its existance, pretty impressive numbers!
Point being, Berlin is a proud city. They are a rebellious city. From tagging of buildings to protesting milk prices their people are involved, engaged and alive, loving or loathing what their government is doing and not afraid to speak their opinion about it. The buildings themselves show their pride and new found transparency. It's a city worth visiting, should be on everyone's list and a place to revisit for sure.
Danke Berlin!
Well yesterday was an amazing time. I met up with Jeremy and Christine, Jeremy plays on my rugby team and his wife is just a wonderful rugby wife, she takes care of us all. Jeremy has a friend living here Rike. He met her in high school when she came to the US to be an exchange student. We all met in Rike's neighborhood, a former east Berlin neighborhood. Walls filled with graffiti, some still abandoned buildings and the slight glimspe of gentrification defined this neighborhood. At first glance it might seem scary and unfriendly but as Rike and her partner Hendrick (no need to marry in Germany, their baby is due in 3 weeks and they get all the benefits a married couple would get...) showed me, their neighborhood is this vibrant young and uncaring neighborhood, something I would come to define East Berlin.
After gorging on a wonderful all you can eat buffet at a local restaurant for breakfast (fish sticks anyone?!), Rike wisked us to the true east side of Berlin to show us the last standing pieces of the Berlin Wall. Rike lived in East Berlin all of her life, except for when she came to the US. She is what i would imagine most east berliners are, free spirited, loves to learn and loves to show off their city. When I mentioned my hesitance toward speaking english she quickly quipped that Germans are language vampires, they always jump on the chance to speak another language, they had to learn it so they tend to love to practice it when they can!
From Karl Marx Strasse, a soviet era boulevard that came to define East Berlin in the 40-50's, we met up with Hendrich, her partner. Hendrich works for a representative in Parliment and so he was kind enough to give us a private tour of the place. If anything signifies Germany's new philosphy on government, it is Parliment. The Reichstag Building, holding nothing of the original except for the facade itself is a wonder. Sir Norman Foster designed the new interior with the theme of transparency. Glass is everywhere, the entire Plannery Chamber is see through it seems, letting the public scrutinize their proceedings. Unlike the US you are allowed into these facilities with just a minor security pass. You are allowed to take pictures everywhere, without feeling like you are being watched. The coupala on top was amazing as well. Clad in glass, this coupala is not only an architectural wonder but functional too. The mirrors attached to it funnel light into the planery chamber down below. The heat energy is captured to heat the building in the winter and is used to cool the building in the summer as well. This is the Trigeneration Principle that Germany has adopted in many of their energy initiatives.
The parliment grounds also includes offices for the representatives and a library for them to access periodicals and historical records, which in sheer size is the third largest library in the world. There is also a kindergarten on the premises too, however this isnt for representatives but for the workers that keep the building running, which i thought was a great idea.
We walked past the Brandenburg Gate before doing the tour and as we did a large protest was starting about milk costs in Germany. Thousands of farmers and sympathizers gathered in front of the gate to protest the government's fixed pricing that is leaving farmers empty handed for their hard work. I kind of wanted to join in, it isnt a vacation until you have participated in a protest! The interesting aspect of this was not the protesters themselves but the dozens of large tractors farmers drove into the city and lined up in front of the gate as some weird parade/protest/rural military action. Quite the site!
Post tour Jeremy Christine and I decided we needed to see the city via boat. We took an hour tour of the city along the river, drinking beer and chatting about life in general, it was great catching up and was just an amazing day to see the city.
We met back up with Rike and Hendrich for dinner. They took us to a chinese restaurant that Rike used to work at when she was in school. The owner/waitress was very pleasant and we stuffed ourselves on lamb with broccoli, duck with celery, noodles with chicken and fried salmon in sweet/sour sauce. Very good food and it was on this wonderful street in a quiet east berlin neighborhood.
Rike asked us if we just wanted to get a couple beers and go to the canal to just hang out. She insisted this is what the cool kids do in Berlin. Naturally, being a cool kid, we went. Grabbing a six pack along the way, her quiet neighborhood that we started in that morning had turned into this lively street festival of sorts. Groups of friends walking around, hanging out in front of convenience stores (these stores have tables in front for you to enjoy your purchases...), people buying ice cream and pizza at 11PM, this is why the neighborhood was so quiet, they are all asleep at 8AM!
Further down we had to cross a park to get to the canal. Calling this space a park is creative. It is a former S Bahn (surface rail) train station/service yard that they removed the tracks years ago. what is left is pieces of underground tunnels, hasitly planted trees and camps of people hanging out for the night. What again might seem scary was rather scenery I mean here we are in the middle of a city and it feels like we are transported to a field in the country instantly.
Finally arriving at canal we all take our positions along the wall, opening our beers with lighters, key chains, belt buckles, anything that we can use as a lever. We chat about socialist politics, American English vernacular, architecture, US culture, German culture, anything really until we realize it is 1230Am and we are all tired (especially Rike the 8 mo pregnant woman! ) Wearily we all head on home, tired but happy to have this one crazy day seeing the city with Berlin natives.
as a note I will be posting on more blog about berlin, i just need to catch my train to prague and I want some time to put thoughts together on the culture and my take on the city in general.
Cheers!
After gorging on a wonderful all you can eat buffet at a local restaurant for breakfast (fish sticks anyone?!), Rike wisked us to the true east side of Berlin to show us the last standing pieces of the Berlin Wall. Rike lived in East Berlin all of her life, except for when she came to the US. She is what i would imagine most east berliners are, free spirited, loves to learn and loves to show off their city. When I mentioned my hesitance toward speaking english she quickly quipped that Germans are language vampires, they always jump on the chance to speak another language, they had to learn it so they tend to love to practice it when they can!
From Karl Marx Strasse, a soviet era boulevard that came to define East Berlin in the 40-50's, we met up with Hendrich, her partner. Hendrich works for a representative in Parliment and so he was kind enough to give us a private tour of the place. If anything signifies Germany's new philosphy on government, it is Parliment. The Reichstag Building, holding nothing of the original except for the facade itself is a wonder. Sir Norman Foster designed the new interior with the theme of transparency. Glass is everywhere, the entire Plannery Chamber is see through it seems, letting the public scrutinize their proceedings. Unlike the US you are allowed into these facilities with just a minor security pass. You are allowed to take pictures everywhere, without feeling like you are being watched. The coupala on top was amazing as well. Clad in glass, this coupala is not only an architectural wonder but functional too. The mirrors attached to it funnel light into the planery chamber down below. The heat energy is captured to heat the building in the winter and is used to cool the building in the summer as well. This is the Trigeneration Principle that Germany has adopted in many of their energy initiatives.
The parliment grounds also includes offices for the representatives and a library for them to access periodicals and historical records, which in sheer size is the third largest library in the world. There is also a kindergarten on the premises too, however this isnt for representatives but for the workers that keep the building running, which i thought was a great idea.
We walked past the Brandenburg Gate before doing the tour and as we did a large protest was starting about milk costs in Germany. Thousands of farmers and sympathizers gathered in front of the gate to protest the government's fixed pricing that is leaving farmers empty handed for their hard work. I kind of wanted to join in, it isnt a vacation until you have participated in a protest! The interesting aspect of this was not the protesters themselves but the dozens of large tractors farmers drove into the city and lined up in front of the gate as some weird parade/protest/rural military action. Quite the site!
Post tour Jeremy Christine and I decided we needed to see the city via boat. We took an hour tour of the city along the river, drinking beer and chatting about life in general, it was great catching up and was just an amazing day to see the city.
We met back up with Rike and Hendrich for dinner. They took us to a chinese restaurant that Rike used to work at when she was in school. The owner/waitress was very pleasant and we stuffed ourselves on lamb with broccoli, duck with celery, noodles with chicken and fried salmon in sweet/sour sauce. Very good food and it was on this wonderful street in a quiet east berlin neighborhood.
Rike asked us if we just wanted to get a couple beers and go to the canal to just hang out. She insisted this is what the cool kids do in Berlin. Naturally, being a cool kid, we went. Grabbing a six pack along the way, her quiet neighborhood that we started in that morning had turned into this lively street festival of sorts. Groups of friends walking around, hanging out in front of convenience stores (these stores have tables in front for you to enjoy your purchases...), people buying ice cream and pizza at 11PM, this is why the neighborhood was so quiet, they are all asleep at 8AM!
Further down we had to cross a park to get to the canal. Calling this space a park is creative. It is a former S Bahn (surface rail) train station/service yard that they removed the tracks years ago. what is left is pieces of underground tunnels, hasitly planted trees and camps of people hanging out for the night. What again might seem scary was rather scenery I mean here we are in the middle of a city and it feels like we are transported to a field in the country instantly.
Finally arriving at canal we all take our positions along the wall, opening our beers with lighters, key chains, belt buckles, anything that we can use as a lever. We chat about socialist politics, American English vernacular, architecture, US culture, German culture, anything really until we realize it is 1230Am and we are all tired (especially Rike the 8 mo pregnant woman! ) Wearily we all head on home, tired but happy to have this one crazy day seeing the city with Berlin natives.
as a note I will be posting on more blog about berlin, i just need to catch my train to prague and I want some time to put thoughts together on the culture and my take on the city in general.
Cheers!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Berlin in a Day
Well today was quite a day. I started out walking to the Jewish Museum which i felt was down the street from my hotel. What felt like a mile and a half later, i arrived. This was sort of a highlight for my trip to berlin as I am fascinated with the Jewish life in Europe during WWII and the horrible things that were done to them. Never in the history of man has such a systematic destruction of a culture happened, I hope it never happens again.
Anyways I arrive from the backside of the Daniel Liebskind's signature building, the building in which he built his career from, and what a site. Rising out of the park-like setting is a building clad in zinc, shiny but showing it's age. The landscape surrounding it is rather natural save for the one planter grid that looked to be designed by Liebskind himself. I get to the front and am greeted with what looks to be an abnormal amount of police. I get there a bit early and go down the street for some cafe and a bagel (with veggies and cheese mmm) and come back, the museum was closed for the day! some kind of special event going on! i am going to try tomorrow hopefully it will be open...
Stop two on the list Potsdamer Platz, Berlin's glittering commercial center. The main center designed my Helmut Jahn, a Chicago architect I might add, is quite impressive. However i see many elements from the Thompson Center in Chicago that he designed as well. This is just more refined, if we could transplant this design into the space of the Thompson Center, I would be a happier person! I hung around a bit looking at the various buildings and snapping some photos and then head on west to the Brandenburg Gate.
I decide to take the long way through Tiergarten, Berlin's Central Park. This park is amazing you could spend an entire vacation just going through this park! the thick forests and occasional formal elements make this park an enigma to me. I felt this to be a more wild form of park space than central park's spaces that Fredrick Law Olmsted did in New York City. I love the fact that once you enter the park you feel you have escaped the city altogether and that except for the casual biker, you are the only one left in the city. The paths open up to large fields that I can only image were used for parade grounds, military camps, protests and celebrations throughout Berlin's history. The sense of history in this city is just overwhelming sometimes.
Onward to the main attraction. The Brandenberger Gate. I remember first seeing this image when I was 8 years old. My parents made me sit in front of the TV and watch boring footage of people tearing down some stupid wall. I realize today they did the right thing. To be at this space that is now today a celebration point was at one time a place of great turmoil. Today the Gate is a huge tourist destination, kind of a carnival or side show of Berlin. People taking pictures, listening to tour guides, calling family back home wherever that may be and im sure the pickpocket or two lingering around. Great place to visit, cant imagine cars ever getting through those spaces, it is much smaller than i thought it would be.
Off to something a bit more somber. The Holocaust Memorial did not get completed until 2005, 50 years after the fall of Berlin, but i think it was worth the wait. US Architect Peter Eisenmann spent a lot of time designing this simple but effective memorial. A football field of 4' by 4' granite slabs that are lined in numerous rows that rise from flush with the ground to over 20 feet of your head. They lean to one side and break rank, pierce the sky overhead as to engulf you in the consequence of the "ultimate solution" This is a very emotional place, quiet, somber, in your face. I recommend if you dont do anything in Berlin, come see this memorial, spend no less than 30 minutes here, i spent an hour today.
Lunch time, then more meandering around the city. I ended up in Alexanderplatz again and had dinner at a place that was in my lonely planet guide. Walked around some more and took some night time pictures of the Potsdamer Platz. All in all a great day, tomorrow should be better, bike tour and a tour of parliment. Stay tuned for more adventures...
Be well;
Craig
Anyways I arrive from the backside of the Daniel Liebskind's signature building, the building in which he built his career from, and what a site. Rising out of the park-like setting is a building clad in zinc, shiny but showing it's age. The landscape surrounding it is rather natural save for the one planter grid that looked to be designed by Liebskind himself. I get to the front and am greeted with what looks to be an abnormal amount of police. I get there a bit early and go down the street for some cafe and a bagel (with veggies and cheese mmm) and come back, the museum was closed for the day! some kind of special event going on! i am going to try tomorrow hopefully it will be open...
Stop two on the list Potsdamer Platz, Berlin's glittering commercial center. The main center designed my Helmut Jahn, a Chicago architect I might add, is quite impressive. However i see many elements from the Thompson Center in Chicago that he designed as well. This is just more refined, if we could transplant this design into the space of the Thompson Center, I would be a happier person! I hung around a bit looking at the various buildings and snapping some photos and then head on west to the Brandenburg Gate.
I decide to take the long way through Tiergarten, Berlin's Central Park. This park is amazing you could spend an entire vacation just going through this park! the thick forests and occasional formal elements make this park an enigma to me. I felt this to be a more wild form of park space than central park's spaces that Fredrick Law Olmsted did in New York City. I love the fact that once you enter the park you feel you have escaped the city altogether and that except for the casual biker, you are the only one left in the city. The paths open up to large fields that I can only image were used for parade grounds, military camps, protests and celebrations throughout Berlin's history. The sense of history in this city is just overwhelming sometimes.
Onward to the main attraction. The Brandenberger Gate. I remember first seeing this image when I was 8 years old. My parents made me sit in front of the TV and watch boring footage of people tearing down some stupid wall. I realize today they did the right thing. To be at this space that is now today a celebration point was at one time a place of great turmoil. Today the Gate is a huge tourist destination, kind of a carnival or side show of Berlin. People taking pictures, listening to tour guides, calling family back home wherever that may be and im sure the pickpocket or two lingering around. Great place to visit, cant imagine cars ever getting through those spaces, it is much smaller than i thought it would be.
Off to something a bit more somber. The Holocaust Memorial did not get completed until 2005, 50 years after the fall of Berlin, but i think it was worth the wait. US Architect Peter Eisenmann spent a lot of time designing this simple but effective memorial. A football field of 4' by 4' granite slabs that are lined in numerous rows that rise from flush with the ground to over 20 feet of your head. They lean to one side and break rank, pierce the sky overhead as to engulf you in the consequence of the "ultimate solution" This is a very emotional place, quiet, somber, in your face. I recommend if you dont do anything in Berlin, come see this memorial, spend no less than 30 minutes here, i spent an hour today.
Lunch time, then more meandering around the city. I ended up in Alexanderplatz again and had dinner at a place that was in my lonely planet guide. Walked around some more and took some night time pictures of the Potsdamer Platz. All in all a great day, tomorrow should be better, bike tour and a tour of parliment. Stay tuned for more adventures...
Be well;
Craig
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Arrival: Germany
Well the past two days have certainly been fun. I appologize for the lack of photos, i have been jetlagged and will be hitting it hard tomorrow, so look for that post.
WELL i arrived in Frankfurt around 2PM June 1. Lufthansa Business Class is OUTSTANDING. Food was excellent, seats were comfy and the selection in films/entertainment were great. On Demand is the way to go with airtravel, I just wish I could afford it all the time.
I am a bit timid here in Germany. I don't speak the language and I dont want to appear to be an ugly american so I keep to myself here unless im hungry. So it's a bit isolated but I am enjoying myself thus far.
Loved the train ride from Frankfurt to Berlin today, HOWEVER; could Berlin get some better maps of their transit system??? It took me a while to navigate once i landed at the main station, finally got to where i needed to go but it was super confusing!
Great day overall, looking forward to hitting it hard tomorrow and seeing the city as much as I can!
WELL i arrived in Frankfurt around 2PM June 1. Lufthansa Business Class is OUTSTANDING. Food was excellent, seats were comfy and the selection in films/entertainment were great. On Demand is the way to go with airtravel, I just wish I could afford it all the time.
I am a bit timid here in Germany. I don't speak the language and I dont want to appear to be an ugly american so I keep to myself here unless im hungry. So it's a bit isolated but I am enjoying myself thus far.
Loved the train ride from Frankfurt to Berlin today, HOWEVER; could Berlin get some better maps of their transit system??? It took me a while to navigate once i landed at the main station, finally got to where i needed to go but it was super confusing!
Great day overall, looking forward to hitting it hard tomorrow and seeing the city as much as I can!
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Returning to Colorado as a Flatlander
So I spent this week at a really good leadership conference for work. The Chicago office is part of Americas East region in the EDAW system, so like minded youngsters from New York City, Alexandria, Atlanta, Miami Beach, Denver and Fort Collins gathered in Estes Park, CO. Now living in denver for three years was an amazing experience and i loved the mountains but living at elevation of 8200 feet for three nights was not overly pleasant. I love the mountain views and the streams and the hikes we did but man my lungs could not take it anymore!!! I guess there is a difference between living there and dealing with that and your body adapting and then just visiting and trying to survive while you are there. Anyways, it was a great trip, i learned a lot and three days of sunsets over the Rocky Mountains made me wish i lived there again... until i had to hike to dinner LOL.
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