Berlin Trip Report
Aug 12th 2005, 1:26 pm
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Berlin Trip Report
BERLIN TRIP REPORT
Accommodation this time we stayed in the Hilton at the Gendarmarket, and
were glad we did. Although the hotel's public spaces are unremarkable, our
executive floor room offered good light while excluding the noise of the
City and included an open buffet and bar that well justified the price,
particularly in comparison with the Westin Grand up the block on Unter der
Linden whose service had left us cold on our last trip to Berlin. We also
found the location, Berlin Mitte, to be the most comfortable neighborhood
for us, with most of the major art museums and many dining options within
walking distance for serious walkers, and public transportation readily
available.
BERLIN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Berlin's museums are some of the finest in the
world, and although their status is continually changing as the city is in
the midst of a decades-long effort to reorganize following the capital's
reunification, they are always worth visiting (the website for all of the
Berlin state museums is http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/). The Gemaldegallerie's
painting collection is one of the world's finest, granted that some periods
and places are better represented than others. The decorative arts galleries
next door are also worth visiting, although perhaps more in need of an
update. We skipped the Charlottenberg museums this trip, but did spend time
on the Museum Island, breezing through the 19th century German collection in
the Alte Nationalgalerie and trying to spend more time in the fabled
Pergamon, with its unique archeological treasures from the eastern
Mediterranean and near east. The continual massive construction projects do
mean that getting around the Island is a struggle, but one well rewarded by
the treasures it contains.
The Deutche Guggenheim (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/) was
particularly striking, having temporarily had its interior redone by
acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid to house an exhibit of acquisitions from the
last quarter century. The Jewish Museum
(http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin....E/homepage.php) designed by
Daniel Libeskind-which did so much to boost Berlin's international
architectural reputation, was joined in May, 2005 by the Memorial to the
Murdered Jews of Europe (Stiftung Denkmal fur die emordeten Juden Europa)
(http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/) designed by the American, Peter Eisenman.
Personally, we did not find either the Jewish Museum or Eisenman's work
deeply moving, although the later does provide interesting vistas on the
residential half of what on Praiser Platz by the fabled Brandenburg Gate is
the DG Bank building, the whole designed by Frank Gehry. The bank lobby is
open to the public, and the horse head shaped conference room within is
worth a gaze, even if visitors aren't allowed to enter it. Those into
architecture will also want to visit some of the many new embassies that
continue to pop up around Berlin, and the rebuilt Potsdamer Platz, which
includes the Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn's Sony Center
(http://www.sonycenter.de/) featuring vast covered dining and entertainment
spaces.
OUT OF TOWN:
Potsdam is a pleasant train ride outside of Berlin, but the palace grounds
are a bit of a walk from the train station-buses are available (and we did
take one back to the station), but they mean you're likely to miss
"attractions" such as the church and pumping plant en route. Unfortunately,
the famed San Soucci palace-a baroque confection with a commanding view of
the grounds which also contain numerous other buildings and gardens, did not
strike us as particularly interesting, especially given that one has visited
a palace such as Versailles or entire Baroque cities such as St. Petersburg.
The painting collection, displayed in a traditional floor to ceiling
arrangement in a gallery building next to San Soucci, was pleasant enough,
but as it contained mainly copies or works by lesser masters that in no way
measured up to the Berlin collections.
Hannover has only the remnants of its historic past remaining, among them
the original exteriors of a few medieval churches and reconstructed
surrounding residential blocks in the center of town. It does have several
museums, the major one being the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover
(http://www.nlmh.de/) which houses a fascinating combination of ethnography,
natural science, and fine art, with the natural science portion including
aquariums and terrariums. The fine art section includes a good selection of
works for a regional collection, nicely arranged in a spacious series of
top-floor galleries. Highlights include their collection of early Germanic
alters, including carved figures, and a large if less impressive number of
early 19th century German works, all of which appeared to receive far fewer
visitors than they deserve.
Herford was our final out of town stop, entirely because their local Marta
museum (http://www.marta-herford.de/) had just opened a new building
designed by the Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry, who has had
numerous German commissions. Herford itself has a number of fine historic
churches in its pedestrian friendly downtown, from which Marta is only a
short walk away. Unfortunately, Marta seems like a replay of ideas Gehry has
already developed in museums in places such as Weill en Rein, Minneapolis,
and Bilboa (as well as non museums commissions such as those in Paris, Los
Angeles and Annandale-on-Hudson, all of which are among Gehry structures we've
visited). The opening installation by Jan Hoet, formally curator of Ghent's
museum of contemporary art (http://www.smak.be/), was noticeable for the
number of items he'd borrowed from the fine museums of the Belgian city, and
made one wonder why he'd left that distinguished museum town for Herford!
DINING in Berlin was, overall, excellent, with food and service compensorate
with the united City's status as a leading international capital. We were
fortunate to start our dining at Altes Zollhaus
(http://www.altes-zollhaus-berlin.de/), which serves sophisticated food in a
charming waterside setting, and was offering an excellent gourmet pre fixe
the night we arrived. Courses included a beautifully plated salmon tartare,
herb soup with shrimp, venison two ways, and rhubarb pudding, all served
with unlimited matching wines on a table graced by fine bread. The excellent
(bilingual) service made the meal truly memorable. Equally fine, although
entirely less formal, was our meal at the famed Zur Letzten Instanz
(http://www.zurletzteninstanz.de/).We opted to eat in the casual, tree
covered courtyard, as against the charming but crowded interior, and
thoroughly enjoyed the beers on tap with dishes such as risotto cakes,
stuffed cabbage, and calves liver.
Berlin boasts the largest Turkish community outside of Istanbul, and we
started out for a restaurant of the same name in the Charlottenburg
neighborhood that turned out to no longer exist. Fortunately, just a few
blocks away we found Angora, which offered Turkish food better than some we've
enjoyed in the Turkish capital! Angora offered excellent value in a prefix
including a fine hot and cold meze, a solid mixed grill, and a traditional
plate of fruit to conclude, all of which went well with a bottle of straight
forward Turkish wine. The only sour note in our Berlin dining was at the
famed Borchardt, where the front of the house let down the kitchen. The food
itself was excellent, including the seasonal favorite asparagus soup (with
crawfish), and fresh (white) asparagus as a main plate, as well as
traditional weiner schnitzel. Unfortunately, the service was both poor and
rude-from bringing us someone else's dishes within moments of our being
seating to loudly berating our not leaving a tip (we had paid cash and
rounded up as is traditional on the continent). Overall, however, dining in
Germany was worth the trip, as of course is traveling in today's German in
general.
Accommodation this time we stayed in the Hilton at the Gendarmarket, and
were glad we did. Although the hotel's public spaces are unremarkable, our
executive floor room offered good light while excluding the noise of the
City and included an open buffet and bar that well justified the price,
particularly in comparison with the Westin Grand up the block on Unter der
Linden whose service had left us cold on our last trip to Berlin. We also
found the location, Berlin Mitte, to be the most comfortable neighborhood
for us, with most of the major art museums and many dining options within
walking distance for serious walkers, and public transportation readily
available.
BERLIN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Berlin's museums are some of the finest in the
world, and although their status is continually changing as the city is in
the midst of a decades-long effort to reorganize following the capital's
reunification, they are always worth visiting (the website for all of the
Berlin state museums is http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/). The Gemaldegallerie's
painting collection is one of the world's finest, granted that some periods
and places are better represented than others. The decorative arts galleries
next door are also worth visiting, although perhaps more in need of an
update. We skipped the Charlottenberg museums this trip, but did spend time
on the Museum Island, breezing through the 19th century German collection in
the Alte Nationalgalerie and trying to spend more time in the fabled
Pergamon, with its unique archeological treasures from the eastern
Mediterranean and near east. The continual massive construction projects do
mean that getting around the Island is a struggle, but one well rewarded by
the treasures it contains.
The Deutche Guggenheim (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/) was
particularly striking, having temporarily had its interior redone by
acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid to house an exhibit of acquisitions from the
last quarter century. The Jewish Museum
(http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin....E/homepage.php) designed by
Daniel Libeskind-which did so much to boost Berlin's international
architectural reputation, was joined in May, 2005 by the Memorial to the
Murdered Jews of Europe (Stiftung Denkmal fur die emordeten Juden Europa)
(http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/) designed by the American, Peter Eisenman.
Personally, we did not find either the Jewish Museum or Eisenman's work
deeply moving, although the later does provide interesting vistas on the
residential half of what on Praiser Platz by the fabled Brandenburg Gate is
the DG Bank building, the whole designed by Frank Gehry. The bank lobby is
open to the public, and the horse head shaped conference room within is
worth a gaze, even if visitors aren't allowed to enter it. Those into
architecture will also want to visit some of the many new embassies that
continue to pop up around Berlin, and the rebuilt Potsdamer Platz, which
includes the Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn's Sony Center
(http://www.sonycenter.de/) featuring vast covered dining and entertainment
spaces.
OUT OF TOWN:
Potsdam is a pleasant train ride outside of Berlin, but the palace grounds
are a bit of a walk from the train station-buses are available (and we did
take one back to the station), but they mean you're likely to miss
"attractions" such as the church and pumping plant en route. Unfortunately,
the famed San Soucci palace-a baroque confection with a commanding view of
the grounds which also contain numerous other buildings and gardens, did not
strike us as particularly interesting, especially given that one has visited
a palace such as Versailles or entire Baroque cities such as St. Petersburg.
The painting collection, displayed in a traditional floor to ceiling
arrangement in a gallery building next to San Soucci, was pleasant enough,
but as it contained mainly copies or works by lesser masters that in no way
measured up to the Berlin collections.
Hannover has only the remnants of its historic past remaining, among them
the original exteriors of a few medieval churches and reconstructed
surrounding residential blocks in the center of town. It does have several
museums, the major one being the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover
(http://www.nlmh.de/) which houses a fascinating combination of ethnography,
natural science, and fine art, with the natural science portion including
aquariums and terrariums. The fine art section includes a good selection of
works for a regional collection, nicely arranged in a spacious series of
top-floor galleries. Highlights include their collection of early Germanic
alters, including carved figures, and a large if less impressive number of
early 19th century German works, all of which appeared to receive far fewer
visitors than they deserve.
Herford was our final out of town stop, entirely because their local Marta
museum (http://www.marta-herford.de/) had just opened a new building
designed by the Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry, who has had
numerous German commissions. Herford itself has a number of fine historic
churches in its pedestrian friendly downtown, from which Marta is only a
short walk away. Unfortunately, Marta seems like a replay of ideas Gehry has
already developed in museums in places such as Weill en Rein, Minneapolis,
and Bilboa (as well as non museums commissions such as those in Paris, Los
Angeles and Annandale-on-Hudson, all of which are among Gehry structures we've
visited). The opening installation by Jan Hoet, formally curator of Ghent's
museum of contemporary art (http://www.smak.be/), was noticeable for the
number of items he'd borrowed from the fine museums of the Belgian city, and
made one wonder why he'd left that distinguished museum town for Herford!
DINING in Berlin was, overall, excellent, with food and service compensorate
with the united City's status as a leading international capital. We were
fortunate to start our dining at Altes Zollhaus
(http://www.altes-zollhaus-berlin.de/), which serves sophisticated food in a
charming waterside setting, and was offering an excellent gourmet pre fixe
the night we arrived. Courses included a beautifully plated salmon tartare,
herb soup with shrimp, venison two ways, and rhubarb pudding, all served
with unlimited matching wines on a table graced by fine bread. The excellent
(bilingual) service made the meal truly memorable. Equally fine, although
entirely less formal, was our meal at the famed Zur Letzten Instanz
(http://www.zurletzteninstanz.de/).We opted to eat in the casual, tree
covered courtyard, as against the charming but crowded interior, and
thoroughly enjoyed the beers on tap with dishes such as risotto cakes,
stuffed cabbage, and calves liver.
Berlin boasts the largest Turkish community outside of Istanbul, and we
started out for a restaurant of the same name in the Charlottenburg
neighborhood that turned out to no longer exist. Fortunately, just a few
blocks away we found Angora, which offered Turkish food better than some we've
enjoyed in the Turkish capital! Angora offered excellent value in a prefix
including a fine hot and cold meze, a solid mixed grill, and a traditional
plate of fruit to conclude, all of which went well with a bottle of straight
forward Turkish wine. The only sour note in our Berlin dining was at the
famed Borchardt, where the front of the house let down the kitchen. The food
itself was excellent, including the seasonal favorite asparagus soup (with
crawfish), and fresh (white) asparagus as a main plate, as well as
traditional weiner schnitzel. Unfortunately, the service was both poor and
rude-from bringing us someone else's dishes within moments of our being
seating to loudly berating our not leaving a tip (we had paid cash and
rounded up as is traditional on the continent). Overall, however, dining in
Germany was worth the trip, as of course is traveling in today's German in
general.
Aug 12th 2005, 2:03 pm
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Berlin Trip Report
An excellent addition to the rte archive, thanx for your efforts.
jay
Fri Aug 12, 2005
mailto:[email protected]
In article <[email protected]>, New Yorker
<[email protected]> wrote:
> BERLIN TRIP REPORT
>
> Accommodation this time we stayed in the Hilton at the Gendarmarket, and
> were glad we did. Although the hotel's public spaces are unremarkable, our
> executive floor room offered good light while excluding the noise of the
> City and included an open buffet and bar that well justified the price,
> particularly in comparison with the Westin Grand up the block on Unter der
> Linden whose service had left us cold on our last trip to Berlin. We also
> found the location, Berlin Mitte, to be the most comfortable neighborhood
> for us, with most of the major art museums and many dining options within
> walking distance for serious walkers, and public transportation readily
> available.
>
>
>
> BERLIN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Berlin's museums are some of the finest in the
> world, and although their status is continually changing as the city is in
> the midst of a decades-long effort to reorganize following the capital's
> reunification, they are always worth visiting (the website for all of the
> Berlin state museums is http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/). The Gemaldegallerie's
> painting collection is one of the world's finest, granted that some periods
> and places are better represented than others. The decorative arts galleries
> next door are also worth visiting, although perhaps more in need of an
> update. We skipped the Charlottenberg museums this trip, but did spend time
> on the Museum Island, breezing through the 19th century German collection in
> the Alte Nationalgalerie and trying to spend more time in the fabled
> Pergamon, with its unique archeological treasures from the eastern
> Mediterranean and near east. The continual massive construction projects do
> mean that getting around the Island is a struggle, but one well rewarded by
> the treasures it contains.
>
>
>
> The Deutche Guggenheim (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/) was
> particularly striking, having temporarily had its interior redone by
> acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid to house an exhibit of acquisitions from the
> last quarter century. The Jewish Museum
> (http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin....E/homepage.php) designed by
> Daniel Libeskind-which did so much to boost Berlin's international
> architectural reputation, was joined in May, 2005 by the Memorial to the
> Murdered Jews of Europe (Stiftung Denkmal fur die emordeten Juden Europa)
> (http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/) designed by the American, Peter Eisenman.
> Personally, we did not find either the Jewish Museum or Eisenman's work
> deeply moving, although the later does provide interesting vistas on the
> residential half of what on Praiser Platz by the fabled Brandenburg Gate is
> the DG Bank building, the whole designed by Frank Gehry. The bank lobby is
> open to the public, and the horse head shaped conference room within is
> worth a gaze, even if visitors aren't allowed to enter it. Those into
> architecture will also want to visit some of the many new embassies that
> continue to pop up around Berlin, and the rebuilt Potsdamer Platz, which
> includes the Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn's Sony Center
> (http://www.sonycenter.de/) featuring vast covered dining and entertainment
> spaces.
>
>
>
> OUT OF TOWN:
>
> Potsdam is a pleasant train ride outside of Berlin, but the palace grounds
> are a bit of a walk from the train station-buses are available (and we did
> take one back to the station), but they mean you're likely to miss
> "attractions" such as the church and pumping plant en route. Unfortunately,
> the famed San Soucci palace-a baroque confection with a commanding view of
> the grounds which also contain numerous other buildings and gardens, did not
> strike us as particularly interesting, especially given that one has visited
> a palace such as Versailles or entire Baroque cities such as St. Petersburg.
> The painting collection, displayed in a traditional floor to ceiling
> arrangement in a gallery building next to San Soucci, was pleasant enough,
> but as it contained mainly copies or works by lesser masters that in no way
> measured up to the Berlin collections.
>
>
>
> Hannover has only the remnants of its historic past remaining, among them
> the original exteriors of a few medieval churches and reconstructed
> surrounding residential blocks in the center of town. It does have several
> museums, the major one being the NiedersŠchsisches Landesmuseum Hannover
> (http://www.nlmh.de/) which houses a fascinating combination of ethnography,
> natural science, and fine art, with the natural science portion including
> aquariums and terrariums. The fine art section includes a good selection of
> works for a regional collection, nicely arranged in a spacious series of
> top-floor galleries. Highlights include their collection of early Germanic
> alters, including carved figures, and a large if less impressive number of
> early 19th century German works, all of which appeared to receive far fewer
> visitors than they deserve.
>
>
>
> Herford was our final out of town stop, entirely because their local Marta
> museum (http://www.marta-herford.de/) had just opened a new building
> designed by the Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry, who has had
> numerous German commissions. Herford itself has a number of fine historic
> churches in its pedestrian friendly downtown, from which Marta is only a
> short walk away. Unfortunately, Marta seems like a replay of ideas Gehry has
> already developed in museums in places such as Weill en Rein, Minneapolis,
> and Bilboa (as well as non museums commissions such as those in Paris, Los
> Angeles and Annandale-on-Hudson, all of which are among Gehry structures
> we've
> visited). The opening installation by Jan Hoet, formally curator of Ghent's
> museum of contemporary art (http://www.smak.be/), was noticeable for the
> number of items he'd borrowed from the fine museums of the Belgian city, and
> made one wonder why he'd left that distinguished museum town for Herford!
>
>
>
> DINING in Berlin was, overall, excellent, with food and service compensorate
> with the united City's status as a leading international capital. We were
> fortunate to start our dining at Altes Zollhaus
> (http://www.altes-zollhaus-berlin.de/), which serves sophisticated food in a
> charming waterside setting, and was offering an excellent gourmet pre fixe
> the night we arrived. Courses included a beautifully plated salmon tartare,
> herb soup with shrimp, venison two ways, and rhubarb pudding, all served
> with unlimited matching wines on a table graced by fine bread. The excellent
> (bilingual) service made the meal truly memorable. Equally fine, although
> entirely less formal, was our meal at the famed Zur Letzten Instanz
> (http://www.zurletzteninstanz.de/).We opted to eat in the casual, tree
> covered courtyard, as against the charming but crowded interior, and
> thoroughly enjoyed the beers on tap with dishes such as risotto cakes,
> stuffed cabbage, and calves liver.
>
>
>
> Berlin boasts the largest Turkish community outside of Istanbul, and we
> started out for a restaurant of the same name in the Charlottenburg
> neighborhood that turned out to no longer exist. Fortunately, just a few
> blocks away we found Angora, which offered Turkish food better than some
> we've
> enjoyed in the Turkish capital! Angora offered excellent value in a prefix
> including a fine hot and cold meze, a solid mixed grill, and a traditional
> plate of fruit to conclude, all of which went well with a bottle of straight
> forward Turkish wine. The only sour note in our Berlin dining was at the
> famed Borchardt, where the front of the house let down the kitchen. The food
> itself was excellent, including the seasonal favorite asparagus soup (with
> crawfish), and fresh (white) asparagus as a main plate, as well as
> traditional weiner schnitzel. Unfortunately, the service was both poor and
> rude-from bringing us someone else's dishes within moments of our being
> seating to loudly berating our not leaving a tip (we had paid cash and
> rounded up as is traditional on the continent). Overall, however, dining in
> Germany was worth the trip, as of course is traveling in today's German in
> general.
>
jay
Fri Aug 12, 2005
mailto:[email protected]
In article <[email protected]>, New Yorker
<[email protected]> wrote:
> BERLIN TRIP REPORT
>
> Accommodation this time we stayed in the Hilton at the Gendarmarket, and
> were glad we did. Although the hotel's public spaces are unremarkable, our
> executive floor room offered good light while excluding the noise of the
> City and included an open buffet and bar that well justified the price,
> particularly in comparison with the Westin Grand up the block on Unter der
> Linden whose service had left us cold on our last trip to Berlin. We also
> found the location, Berlin Mitte, to be the most comfortable neighborhood
> for us, with most of the major art museums and many dining options within
> walking distance for serious walkers, and public transportation readily
> available.
>
>
>
> BERLIN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Berlin's museums are some of the finest in the
> world, and although their status is continually changing as the city is in
> the midst of a decades-long effort to reorganize following the capital's
> reunification, they are always worth visiting (the website for all of the
> Berlin state museums is http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/). The Gemaldegallerie's
> painting collection is one of the world's finest, granted that some periods
> and places are better represented than others. The decorative arts galleries
> next door are also worth visiting, although perhaps more in need of an
> update. We skipped the Charlottenberg museums this trip, but did spend time
> on the Museum Island, breezing through the 19th century German collection in
> the Alte Nationalgalerie and trying to spend more time in the fabled
> Pergamon, with its unique archeological treasures from the eastern
> Mediterranean and near east. The continual massive construction projects do
> mean that getting around the Island is a struggle, but one well rewarded by
> the treasures it contains.
>
>
>
> The Deutche Guggenheim (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/) was
> particularly striking, having temporarily had its interior redone by
> acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid to house an exhibit of acquisitions from the
> last quarter century. The Jewish Museum
> (http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin....E/homepage.php) designed by
> Daniel Libeskind-which did so much to boost Berlin's international
> architectural reputation, was joined in May, 2005 by the Memorial to the
> Murdered Jews of Europe (Stiftung Denkmal fur die emordeten Juden Europa)
> (http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/) designed by the American, Peter Eisenman.
> Personally, we did not find either the Jewish Museum or Eisenman's work
> deeply moving, although the later does provide interesting vistas on the
> residential half of what on Praiser Platz by the fabled Brandenburg Gate is
> the DG Bank building, the whole designed by Frank Gehry. The bank lobby is
> open to the public, and the horse head shaped conference room within is
> worth a gaze, even if visitors aren't allowed to enter it. Those into
> architecture will also want to visit some of the many new embassies that
> continue to pop up around Berlin, and the rebuilt Potsdamer Platz, which
> includes the Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn's Sony Center
> (http://www.sonycenter.de/) featuring vast covered dining and entertainment
> spaces.
>
>
>
> OUT OF TOWN:
>
> Potsdam is a pleasant train ride outside of Berlin, but the palace grounds
> are a bit of a walk from the train station-buses are available (and we did
> take one back to the station), but they mean you're likely to miss
> "attractions" such as the church and pumping plant en route. Unfortunately,
> the famed San Soucci palace-a baroque confection with a commanding view of
> the grounds which also contain numerous other buildings and gardens, did not
> strike us as particularly interesting, especially given that one has visited
> a palace such as Versailles or entire Baroque cities such as St. Petersburg.
> The painting collection, displayed in a traditional floor to ceiling
> arrangement in a gallery building next to San Soucci, was pleasant enough,
> but as it contained mainly copies or works by lesser masters that in no way
> measured up to the Berlin collections.
>
>
>
> Hannover has only the remnants of its historic past remaining, among them
> the original exteriors of a few medieval churches and reconstructed
> surrounding residential blocks in the center of town. It does have several
> museums, the major one being the NiedersŠchsisches Landesmuseum Hannover
> (http://www.nlmh.de/) which houses a fascinating combination of ethnography,
> natural science, and fine art, with the natural science portion including
> aquariums and terrariums. The fine art section includes a good selection of
> works for a regional collection, nicely arranged in a spacious series of
> top-floor galleries. Highlights include their collection of early Germanic
> alters, including carved figures, and a large if less impressive number of
> early 19th century German works, all of which appeared to receive far fewer
> visitors than they deserve.
>
>
>
> Herford was our final out of town stop, entirely because their local Marta
> museum (http://www.marta-herford.de/) had just opened a new building
> designed by the Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry, who has had
> numerous German commissions. Herford itself has a number of fine historic
> churches in its pedestrian friendly downtown, from which Marta is only a
> short walk away. Unfortunately, Marta seems like a replay of ideas Gehry has
> already developed in museums in places such as Weill en Rein, Minneapolis,
> and Bilboa (as well as non museums commissions such as those in Paris, Los
> Angeles and Annandale-on-Hudson, all of which are among Gehry structures
> we've
> visited). The opening installation by Jan Hoet, formally curator of Ghent's
> museum of contemporary art (http://www.smak.be/), was noticeable for the
> number of items he'd borrowed from the fine museums of the Belgian city, and
> made one wonder why he'd left that distinguished museum town for Herford!
>
>
>
> DINING in Berlin was, overall, excellent, with food and service compensorate
> with the united City's status as a leading international capital. We were
> fortunate to start our dining at Altes Zollhaus
> (http://www.altes-zollhaus-berlin.de/), which serves sophisticated food in a
> charming waterside setting, and was offering an excellent gourmet pre fixe
> the night we arrived. Courses included a beautifully plated salmon tartare,
> herb soup with shrimp, venison two ways, and rhubarb pudding, all served
> with unlimited matching wines on a table graced by fine bread. The excellent
> (bilingual) service made the meal truly memorable. Equally fine, although
> entirely less formal, was our meal at the famed Zur Letzten Instanz
> (http://www.zurletzteninstanz.de/).We opted to eat in the casual, tree
> covered courtyard, as against the charming but crowded interior, and
> thoroughly enjoyed the beers on tap with dishes such as risotto cakes,
> stuffed cabbage, and calves liver.
>
>
>
> Berlin boasts the largest Turkish community outside of Istanbul, and we
> started out for a restaurant of the same name in the Charlottenburg
> neighborhood that turned out to no longer exist. Fortunately, just a few
> blocks away we found Angora, which offered Turkish food better than some
> we've
> enjoyed in the Turkish capital! Angora offered excellent value in a prefix
> including a fine hot and cold meze, a solid mixed grill, and a traditional
> plate of fruit to conclude, all of which went well with a bottle of straight
> forward Turkish wine. The only sour note in our Berlin dining was at the
> famed Borchardt, where the front of the house let down the kitchen. The food
> itself was excellent, including the seasonal favorite asparagus soup (with
> crawfish), and fresh (white) asparagus as a main plate, as well as
> traditional weiner schnitzel. Unfortunately, the service was both poor and
> rude-from bringing us someone else's dishes within moments of our being
> seating to loudly berating our not leaving a tip (we had paid cash and
> rounded up as is traditional on the continent). Overall, however, dining in
> Germany was worth the trip, as of course is traveling in today's German in
> general.
>
Aug 12th 2005, 6:42 pm
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Berlin Trip Report
An interesting report for people who don't stay in Hiltons and never heard
of Westins
A bit of Germany seen through american eyes
Don't get me wrong, as someone would say, it IS interesting !
"New Yorker" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de news:
[email protected]...
> BERLIN TRIP REPORT
> Accommodation this time we stayed in the Hilton at the Gendarmarket, and
> were glad we did. Although the hotel's public spaces are unremarkable, our
> executive floor room offered good light while excluding the noise of the
> City and included an open buffet and bar that well justified the price,
> particularly in comparison with the Westin Grand up the block on Unter der
> Linden whose service had left us cold on our last trip to Berlin. We also
> found the location, Berlin Mitte, to be the most comfortable neighborhood
> for us, with most of the major art museums and many dining options within
> walking distance for serious walkers, and public transportation readily
> available.
> BERLIN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Berlin's museums are some of the finest in
> the world, and although their status is continually changing as the city
> is in the midst of a decades-long effort to reorganize following the
> capital's reunification, they are always worth visiting (the website for
> all of the Berlin state museums is http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/). The
> Gemaldegallerie's painting collection is one of the world's finest,
> granted that some periods and places are better represented than others.
> The decorative arts galleries next door are also worth visiting, although
> perhaps more in need of an update. We skipped the Charlottenberg museums
> this trip, but did spend time on the Museum Island, breezing through the
> 19th century German collection in the Alte Nationalgalerie and trying to
> spend more time in the fabled Pergamon, with its unique archeological
> treasures from the eastern Mediterranean and near east. The continual
> massive construction projects do mean that getting around the Island is a
> struggle, but one well rewarded by the treasures it contains.
> The Deutche Guggenheim (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/)
> was particularly striking, having temporarily had its interior redone by
> acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid to house an exhibit of acquisitions from
> the last quarter century. The Jewish Museum
> (http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin....E/homepage.php) designed by
> Daniel Libeskind-which did so much to boost Berlin's international
> architectural reputation, was joined in May, 2005 by the Memorial to the
> Murdered Jews of Europe (Stiftung Denkmal fur die emordeten Juden Europa)
> (http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/) designed by the American, Peter
> Eisenman. Personally, we did not find either the Jewish Museum or
> Eisenman's work deeply moving, although the later does provide interesting
> vistas on the residential half of what on Praiser Platz by the fabled
> Brandenburg Gate is the DG Bank building, the whole designed by Frank
> Gehry. The bank lobby is open to the public, and the horse head shaped
> conference room within is worth a gaze, even if visitors aren't allowed to
> enter it. Those into architecture will also want to visit some of the many
> new embassies that continue to pop up around Berlin, and the rebuilt
> Potsdamer Platz, which includes the Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn's
> Sony Center (http://www.sonycenter.de/) featuring vast covered dining and
> entertainment spaces.
> OUT OF TOWN:
> Potsdam is a pleasant train ride outside of Berlin, but the palace grounds
> are a bit of a walk from the train station-buses are available (and we did
> take one back to the station), but they mean you're likely to miss
> "attractions" such as the church and pumping plant en route.
> Unfortunately, the famed San Soucci palace-a baroque confection with a
> commanding view of the grounds which also contain numerous other buildings
> and gardens, did not strike us as particularly interesting, especially
> given that one has visited a palace such as Versailles or entire Baroque
> cities such as St. Petersburg. The painting collection, displayed in a
> traditional floor to ceiling arrangement in a gallery building next to San
> Soucci, was pleasant enough, but as it contained mainly copies or works by
> lesser masters that in no way measured up to the Berlin collections.
> Hannover has only the remnants of its historic past remaining, among them
> the original exteriors of a few medieval churches and reconstructed
> surrounding residential blocks in the center of town. It does have several
> museums, the major one being the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover
> (http://www.nlmh.de/) which houses a fascinating combination of
> ethnography, natural science, and fine art, with the natural science
> portion including aquariums and terrariums. The fine art section includes
> a good selection of works for a regional collection, nicely arranged in a
> spacious series of top-floor galleries. Highlights include their
> collection of early Germanic alters, including carved figures, and a large
> if less impressive number of early 19th century German works, all of which
> appeared to receive far fewer visitors than they deserve.
> Herford was our final out of town stop, entirely because their local Marta
> museum (http://www.marta-herford.de/) had just opened a new building
> designed by the Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry, who has had
> numerous German commissions. Herford itself has a number of fine historic
> churches in its pedestrian friendly downtown, from which Marta is only a
> short walk away. Unfortunately, Marta seems like a replay of ideas Gehry
> has already developed in museums in places such as Weill en Rein,
> Minneapolis, and Bilboa (as well as non museums commissions such as those
> in Paris, Los Angeles and Annandale-on-Hudson, all of which are among
> Gehry structures we've visited). The opening installation by Jan Hoet,
> formally curator of Ghent's museum of contemporary art
> (http://www.smak.be/), was noticeable for the number of items he'd
> borrowed from the fine museums of the Belgian city, and made one wonder
> why he'd left that distinguished museum town for Herford!
> DINING in Berlin was, overall, excellent, with food and service
> compensorate with the united City's status as a leading international
> capital. We were fortunate to start our dining at Altes Zollhaus
> (http://www.altes-zollhaus-berlin.de/), which serves sophisticated food in
> a charming waterside setting, and was offering an excellent gourmet pre
> fixe the night we arrived. Courses included a beautifully plated salmon
> tartare, herb soup with shrimp, venison two ways, and rhubarb pudding, all
> served with unlimited matching wines on a table graced by fine bread. The
> excellent (bilingual) service made the meal truly memorable. Equally fine,
> although entirely less formal, was our meal at the famed Zur Letzten
> Instanz (http://www.zurletzteninstanz.de/).We opted to eat in the casual,
> tree covered courtyard, as against the charming but crowded interior, and
> thoroughly enjoyed the beers on tap with dishes such as risotto cakes,
> stuffed cabbage, and calves liver.
> Berlin boasts the largest Turkish community outside of Istanbul, and we
> started out for a restaurant of the same name in the Charlottenburg
> neighborhood that turned out to no longer exist. Fortunately, just a few
> blocks away we found Angora, which offered Turkish food better than some
> we've enjoyed in the Turkish capital! Angora offered excellent value in a
> prefix including a fine hot and cold meze, a solid mixed grill, and a
> traditional plate of fruit to conclude, all of which went well with a
> bottle of straight forward Turkish wine. The only sour note in our Berlin
> dining was at the famed Borchardt, where the front of the house let down
> the kitchen. The food itself was excellent, including the seasonal
> favorite asparagus soup (with crawfish), and fresh (white) asparagus as a
> main plate, as well as traditional weiner schnitzel. Unfortunately, the
> service was both poor and rude-from bringing us someone else's dishes
> within moments of our being seating to loudly berating our not leaving a
> tip (we had paid cash and rounded up as is traditional on the continent).
> Overall, however, dining in Germany was worth the trip, as of course is
> traveling in today's German in general.
>
of Westins
A bit of Germany seen through american eyes
Don't get me wrong, as someone would say, it IS interesting !
"New Yorker" <[email protected]> a écrit dans le message de news:
[email protected]...
> BERLIN TRIP REPORT
> Accommodation this time we stayed in the Hilton at the Gendarmarket, and
> were glad we did. Although the hotel's public spaces are unremarkable, our
> executive floor room offered good light while excluding the noise of the
> City and included an open buffet and bar that well justified the price,
> particularly in comparison with the Westin Grand up the block on Unter der
> Linden whose service had left us cold on our last trip to Berlin. We also
> found the location, Berlin Mitte, to be the most comfortable neighborhood
> for us, with most of the major art museums and many dining options within
> walking distance for serious walkers, and public transportation readily
> available.
> BERLIN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Berlin's museums are some of the finest in
> the world, and although their status is continually changing as the city
> is in the midst of a decades-long effort to reorganize following the
> capital's reunification, they are always worth visiting (the website for
> all of the Berlin state museums is http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/). The
> Gemaldegallerie's painting collection is one of the world's finest,
> granted that some periods and places are better represented than others.
> The decorative arts galleries next door are also worth visiting, although
> perhaps more in need of an update. We skipped the Charlottenberg museums
> this trip, but did spend time on the Museum Island, breezing through the
> 19th century German collection in the Alte Nationalgalerie and trying to
> spend more time in the fabled Pergamon, with its unique archeological
> treasures from the eastern Mediterranean and near east. The continual
> massive construction projects do mean that getting around the Island is a
> struggle, but one well rewarded by the treasures it contains.
> The Deutche Guggenheim (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/)
> was particularly striking, having temporarily had its interior redone by
> acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid to house an exhibit of acquisitions from
> the last quarter century. The Jewish Museum
> (http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin....E/homepage.php) designed by
> Daniel Libeskind-which did so much to boost Berlin's international
> architectural reputation, was joined in May, 2005 by the Memorial to the
> Murdered Jews of Europe (Stiftung Denkmal fur die emordeten Juden Europa)
> (http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/) designed by the American, Peter
> Eisenman. Personally, we did not find either the Jewish Museum or
> Eisenman's work deeply moving, although the later does provide interesting
> vistas on the residential half of what on Praiser Platz by the fabled
> Brandenburg Gate is the DG Bank building, the whole designed by Frank
> Gehry. The bank lobby is open to the public, and the horse head shaped
> conference room within is worth a gaze, even if visitors aren't allowed to
> enter it. Those into architecture will also want to visit some of the many
> new embassies that continue to pop up around Berlin, and the rebuilt
> Potsdamer Platz, which includes the Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn's
> Sony Center (http://www.sonycenter.de/) featuring vast covered dining and
> entertainment spaces.
> OUT OF TOWN:
> Potsdam is a pleasant train ride outside of Berlin, but the palace grounds
> are a bit of a walk from the train station-buses are available (and we did
> take one back to the station), but they mean you're likely to miss
> "attractions" such as the church and pumping plant en route.
> Unfortunately, the famed San Soucci palace-a baroque confection with a
> commanding view of the grounds which also contain numerous other buildings
> and gardens, did not strike us as particularly interesting, especially
> given that one has visited a palace such as Versailles or entire Baroque
> cities such as St. Petersburg. The painting collection, displayed in a
> traditional floor to ceiling arrangement in a gallery building next to San
> Soucci, was pleasant enough, but as it contained mainly copies or works by
> lesser masters that in no way measured up to the Berlin collections.
> Hannover has only the remnants of its historic past remaining, among them
> the original exteriors of a few medieval churches and reconstructed
> surrounding residential blocks in the center of town. It does have several
> museums, the major one being the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover
> (http://www.nlmh.de/) which houses a fascinating combination of
> ethnography, natural science, and fine art, with the natural science
> portion including aquariums and terrariums. The fine art section includes
> a good selection of works for a regional collection, nicely arranged in a
> spacious series of top-floor galleries. Highlights include their
> collection of early Germanic alters, including carved figures, and a large
> if less impressive number of early 19th century German works, all of which
> appeared to receive far fewer visitors than they deserve.
> Herford was our final out of town stop, entirely because their local Marta
> museum (http://www.marta-herford.de/) had just opened a new building
> designed by the Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry, who has had
> numerous German commissions. Herford itself has a number of fine historic
> churches in its pedestrian friendly downtown, from which Marta is only a
> short walk away. Unfortunately, Marta seems like a replay of ideas Gehry
> has already developed in museums in places such as Weill en Rein,
> Minneapolis, and Bilboa (as well as non museums commissions such as those
> in Paris, Los Angeles and Annandale-on-Hudson, all of which are among
> Gehry structures we've visited). The opening installation by Jan Hoet,
> formally curator of Ghent's museum of contemporary art
> (http://www.smak.be/), was noticeable for the number of items he'd
> borrowed from the fine museums of the Belgian city, and made one wonder
> why he'd left that distinguished museum town for Herford!
> DINING in Berlin was, overall, excellent, with food and service
> compensorate with the united City's status as a leading international
> capital. We were fortunate to start our dining at Altes Zollhaus
> (http://www.altes-zollhaus-berlin.de/), which serves sophisticated food in
> a charming waterside setting, and was offering an excellent gourmet pre
> fixe the night we arrived. Courses included a beautifully plated salmon
> tartare, herb soup with shrimp, venison two ways, and rhubarb pudding, all
> served with unlimited matching wines on a table graced by fine bread. The
> excellent (bilingual) service made the meal truly memorable. Equally fine,
> although entirely less formal, was our meal at the famed Zur Letzten
> Instanz (http://www.zurletzteninstanz.de/).We opted to eat in the casual,
> tree covered courtyard, as against the charming but crowded interior, and
> thoroughly enjoyed the beers on tap with dishes such as risotto cakes,
> stuffed cabbage, and calves liver.
> Berlin boasts the largest Turkish community outside of Istanbul, and we
> started out for a restaurant of the same name in the Charlottenburg
> neighborhood that turned out to no longer exist. Fortunately, just a few
> blocks away we found Angora, which offered Turkish food better than some
> we've enjoyed in the Turkish capital! Angora offered excellent value in a
> prefix including a fine hot and cold meze, a solid mixed grill, and a
> traditional plate of fruit to conclude, all of which went well with a
> bottle of straight forward Turkish wine. The only sour note in our Berlin
> dining was at the famed Borchardt, where the front of the house let down
> the kitchen. The food itself was excellent, including the seasonal
> favorite asparagus soup (with crawfish), and fresh (white) asparagus as a
> main plate, as well as traditional weiner schnitzel. Unfortunately, the
> service was both poor and rude-from bringing us someone else's dishes
> within moments of our being seating to loudly berating our not leaving a
> tip (we had paid cash and rounded up as is traditional on the continent).
> Overall, however, dining in Germany was worth the trip, as of course is
> traveling in today's German in general.
>
Aug 13th 2005, 7:54 am
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Berlin Trip Report
Go Fig wrote:
> An excellent addition to the rte archive, thanx for your efforts.
I second that, very nice report.
BTW, the famous bust of Nefertiti has been returned to the Museum Insel,
it's pre - war place:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,...678538,00.html
Nefertiti Returns to Pre-War Perch in Berlin
"The priceless ancient bust of one of history's great beauties, Queen
Nefertiti of Egypt, returned to Berlin's Museum Island Friday for the first
time since World War Two. The elegant limestone figure dating from 1347 BC
was removed from its plinth in 1939 to protect it from bombing. During the
division of the city during the Cold War, it was displayed in a museum at
the Schloss Charlottenburg palace in West Berlin. Overnight Friday, the
world-famous bust returned to the Museum Island complex in the east of the
reunified capital ahead of the opening of a special exhibition of Egyptian
artifacts at the city's Old Museum on Saturday. Then in 2009, Nefertiti will
move into the neighboring, freshly renovated New Museum. Cairo and Berlin
have frequently crossed swords over the beautiful Nefertiti, which was
unearthed by German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt and removed from the
country. Germany has based its claim to the work on a 1913 agreement which
granted Nefertiti and a number of other important artifacts to their
discoverers."
</>
> jay
> Fri Aug 12, 2005
> mailto:[email protected]
> In article <[email protected]>, New Yorker
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > BERLIN TRIP REPORT
> >
> > Accommodation this time we stayed in the Hilton at the Gendarmarket, and
> > were glad we did. Although the hotel's public spaces are unremarkable,
our
> > executive floor room offered good light while excluding the noise of the
> > City and included an open buffet and bar that well justified the price,
> > particularly in comparison with the Westin Grand up the block on Unter
der
> > Linden whose service had left us cold on our last trip to Berlin. We
also
> > found the location, Berlin Mitte, to be the most comfortable
neighborhood
> > for us, with most of the major art museums and many dining options
within
> > walking distance for serious walkers, and public transportation readily
> > available.
> >
> >
> >
> > BERLIN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Berlin's museums are some of the finest in
the
> > world, and although their status is continually changing as the city is
in
> > the midst of a decades-long effort to reorganize following the capital's
> > reunification, they are always worth visiting (the website for all of
the
> > Berlin state museums is http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/). The
Gemaldegallerie's
> > painting collection is one of the world's finest, granted that some
periods
> > and places are better represented than others. The decorative arts
galleries
> > next door are also worth visiting, although perhaps more in need of an
> > update. We skipped the Charlottenberg museums this trip, but did spend
time
> > on the Museum Island, breezing through the 19th century German
collection in
> > the Alte Nationalgalerie and trying to spend more time in the fabled
> > Pergamon, with its unique archeological treasures from the eastern
> > Mediterranean and near east. The continual massive construction projects
do
> > mean that getting around the Island is a struggle, but one well rewarded
by
> > the treasures it contains.
> >
> >
> >
> > The Deutche Guggenheim (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/)
was
> > particularly striking, having temporarily had its interior redone by
> > acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid to house an exhibit of acquisitions from
the
> > last quarter century. The Jewish Museum
> > (http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin....E/homepage.php) designed
by
> > Daniel Libeskind-which did so much to boost Berlin's international
> > architectural reputation, was joined in May, 2005 by the Memorial to the
> > Murdered Jews of Europe (Stiftung Denkmal fur die emordeten Juden
Europa)
> > (http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/) designed by the American, Peter
Eisenman.
> > Personally, we did not find either the Jewish Museum or Eisenman's work
> > deeply moving, although the later does provide interesting vistas on the
> > residential half of what on Praiser Platz by the fabled Brandenburg Gate
is
> > the DG Bank building, the whole designed by Frank Gehry. The bank lobby
is
> > open to the public, and the horse head shaped conference room within is
> > worth a gaze, even if visitors aren't allowed to enter it. Those into
> > architecture will also want to visit some of the many new embassies that
> > continue to pop up around Berlin, and the rebuilt Potsdamer Platz, which
> > includes the Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn's Sony Center
> > (http://www.sonycenter.de/) featuring vast covered dining and
entertainment
> > spaces.
> >
> >
> >
> > OUT OF TOWN:
> >
> > Potsdam is a pleasant train ride outside of Berlin, but the palace
grounds
> > are a bit of a walk from the train station-buses are available (and we
did
> > take one back to the station), but they mean you're likely to miss
> > "attractions" such as the church and pumping plant en route.
Unfortunately,
> > the famed San Soucci palace-a baroque confection with a commanding view
of
> > the grounds which also contain numerous other buildings and gardens, did
not
> > strike us as particularly interesting, especially given that one has
visited
> > a palace such as Versailles or entire Baroque cities such as St.
Petersburg.
> > The painting collection, displayed in a traditional floor to ceiling
> > arrangement in a gallery building next to San Soucci, was pleasant
enough,
> > but as it contained mainly copies or works by lesser masters that in no
way
> > measured up to the Berlin collections.
> >
> >
> >
> > Hannover has only the remnants of its historic past remaining, among
them
> > the original exteriors of a few medieval churches and reconstructed
> > surrounding residential blocks in the center of town. It does have
several
> > museums, the major one being the NiedersŠchsisches Landesmuseum Hannover
> > (http://www.nlmh.de/) which houses a fascinating combination of
ethnography,
> > natural science, and fine art, with the natural science portion
including
> > aquariums and terrariums. The fine art section includes a good selection
of
> > works for a regional collection, nicely arranged in a spacious series of
> > top-floor galleries. Highlights include their collection of early
Germanic
> > alters, including carved figures, and a large if less impressive number
of
> > early 19th century German works, all of which appeared to receive far
fewer
> > visitors than they deserve.
> >
> >
> >
> > Herford was our final out of town stop, entirely because their local
Marta
> > museum (http://www.marta-herford.de/) had just opened a new building
> > designed by the Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry, who has had
> > numerous German commissions. Herford itself has a number of fine
historic
> > churches in its pedestrian friendly downtown, from which Marta is only a
> > short walk away. Unfortunately, Marta seems like a replay of ideas Gehry
has
> > already developed in museums in places such as Weill en Rein,
Minneapolis,
> > and Bilboa (as well as non museums commissions such as those in Paris,
Los
> > Angeles and Annandale-on-Hudson, all of which are among Gehry structures
> > we've
> > visited). The opening installation by Jan Hoet, formally curator of
Ghent's
> > museum of contemporary art (http://www.smak.be/), was noticeable for the
> > number of items he'd borrowed from the fine museums of the Belgian city,
and
> > made one wonder why he'd left that distinguished museum town for
Herford!
> >
> >
> >
> > DINING in Berlin was, overall, excellent, with food and service
compensorate
> > with the united City's status as a leading international capital. We
were
> > fortunate to start our dining at Altes Zollhaus
> > (http://www.altes-zollhaus-berlin.de/), which serves sophisticated food
in a
> > charming waterside setting, and was offering an excellent gourmet pre
fixe
> > the night we arrived. Courses included a beautifully plated salmon
tartare,
> > herb soup with shrimp, venison two ways, and rhubarb pudding, all served
> > with unlimited matching wines on a table graced by fine bread. The
excellent
> > (bilingual) service made the meal truly memorable. Equally fine,
although
> > entirely less formal, was our meal at the famed Zur Letzten Instanz
> > (http://www.zurletzteninstanz.de/).We opted to eat in the casual, tree
> > covered courtyard, as against the charming but crowded interior, and
> > thoroughly enjoyed the beers on tap with dishes such as risotto cakes,
> > stuffed cabbage, and calves liver.
> >
> >
> >
> > Berlin boasts the largest Turkish community outside of Istanbul, and we
> > started out for a restaurant of the same name in the Charlottenburg
> > neighborhood that turned out to no longer exist. Fortunately, just a few
> > blocks away we found Angora, which offered Turkish food better than some
> > we've
> > enjoyed in the Turkish capital! Angora offered excellent value in a
prefix
> > including a fine hot and cold meze, a solid mixed grill, and a
traditional
> > plate of fruit to conclude, all of which went well with a bottle of
straight
> > forward Turkish wine. The only sour note in our Berlin dining was at the
> > famed Borchardt, where the front of the house let down the kitchen. The
food
> > itself was excellent, including the seasonal favorite asparagus soup
(with
> > crawfish), and fresh (white) asparagus as a main plate, as well as
> > traditional weiner schnitzel. Unfortunately, the service was both poor
and
> > rude-from bringing us someone else's dishes within moments of our being
> > seating to loudly berating our not leaving a tip (we had paid cash and
> > rounded up as is traditional on the continent). Overall, however, dining
in
> > Germany was worth the trip, as of course is traveling in today's German
in
> > general.
> >
> >
> An excellent addition to the rte archive, thanx for your efforts.
I second that, very nice report.
BTW, the famous bust of Nefertiti has been returned to the Museum Insel,
it's pre - war place:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,...678538,00.html
Nefertiti Returns to Pre-War Perch in Berlin
"The priceless ancient bust of one of history's great beauties, Queen
Nefertiti of Egypt, returned to Berlin's Museum Island Friday for the first
time since World War Two. The elegant limestone figure dating from 1347 BC
was removed from its plinth in 1939 to protect it from bombing. During the
division of the city during the Cold War, it was displayed in a museum at
the Schloss Charlottenburg palace in West Berlin. Overnight Friday, the
world-famous bust returned to the Museum Island complex in the east of the
reunified capital ahead of the opening of a special exhibition of Egyptian
artifacts at the city's Old Museum on Saturday. Then in 2009, Nefertiti will
move into the neighboring, freshly renovated New Museum. Cairo and Berlin
have frequently crossed swords over the beautiful Nefertiti, which was
unearthed by German archaeologist Ludwig Borchardt and removed from the
country. Germany has based its claim to the work on a 1913 agreement which
granted Nefertiti and a number of other important artifacts to their
discoverers."
</>
> jay
> Fri Aug 12, 2005
> mailto:[email protected]
> In article <[email protected]>, New Yorker
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> > BERLIN TRIP REPORT
> >
> > Accommodation this time we stayed in the Hilton at the Gendarmarket, and
> > were glad we did. Although the hotel's public spaces are unremarkable,
our
> > executive floor room offered good light while excluding the noise of the
> > City and included an open buffet and bar that well justified the price,
> > particularly in comparison with the Westin Grand up the block on Unter
der
> > Linden whose service had left us cold on our last trip to Berlin. We
also
> > found the location, Berlin Mitte, to be the most comfortable
neighborhood
> > for us, with most of the major art museums and many dining options
within
> > walking distance for serious walkers, and public transportation readily
> > available.
> >
> >
> >
> > BERLIN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Berlin's museums are some of the finest in
the
> > world, and although their status is continually changing as the city is
in
> > the midst of a decades-long effort to reorganize following the capital's
> > reunification, they are always worth visiting (the website for all of
the
> > Berlin state museums is http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/). The
Gemaldegallerie's
> > painting collection is one of the world's finest, granted that some
periods
> > and places are better represented than others. The decorative arts
galleries
> > next door are also worth visiting, although perhaps more in need of an
> > update. We skipped the Charlottenberg museums this trip, but did spend
time
> > on the Museum Island, breezing through the 19th century German
collection in
> > the Alte Nationalgalerie and trying to spend more time in the fabled
> > Pergamon, with its unique archeological treasures from the eastern
> > Mediterranean and near east. The continual massive construction projects
do
> > mean that getting around the Island is a struggle, but one well rewarded
by
> > the treasures it contains.
> >
> >
> >
> > The Deutche Guggenheim (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/)
was
> > particularly striking, having temporarily had its interior redone by
> > acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid to house an exhibit of acquisitions from
the
> > last quarter century. The Jewish Museum
> > (http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin....E/homepage.php) designed
by
> > Daniel Libeskind-which did so much to boost Berlin's international
> > architectural reputation, was joined in May, 2005 by the Memorial to the
> > Murdered Jews of Europe (Stiftung Denkmal fur die emordeten Juden
Europa)
> > (http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/) designed by the American, Peter
Eisenman.
> > Personally, we did not find either the Jewish Museum or Eisenman's work
> > deeply moving, although the later does provide interesting vistas on the
> > residential half of what on Praiser Platz by the fabled Brandenburg Gate
is
> > the DG Bank building, the whole designed by Frank Gehry. The bank lobby
is
> > open to the public, and the horse head shaped conference room within is
> > worth a gaze, even if visitors aren't allowed to enter it. Those into
> > architecture will also want to visit some of the many new embassies that
> > continue to pop up around Berlin, and the rebuilt Potsdamer Platz, which
> > includes the Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn's Sony Center
> > (http://www.sonycenter.de/) featuring vast covered dining and
entertainment
> > spaces.
> >
> >
> >
> > OUT OF TOWN:
> >
> > Potsdam is a pleasant train ride outside of Berlin, but the palace
grounds
> > are a bit of a walk from the train station-buses are available (and we
did
> > take one back to the station), but they mean you're likely to miss
> > "attractions" such as the church and pumping plant en route.
Unfortunately,
> > the famed San Soucci palace-a baroque confection with a commanding view
of
> > the grounds which also contain numerous other buildings and gardens, did
not
> > strike us as particularly interesting, especially given that one has
visited
> > a palace such as Versailles or entire Baroque cities such as St.
Petersburg.
> > The painting collection, displayed in a traditional floor to ceiling
> > arrangement in a gallery building next to San Soucci, was pleasant
enough,
> > but as it contained mainly copies or works by lesser masters that in no
way
> > measured up to the Berlin collections.
> >
> >
> >
> > Hannover has only the remnants of its historic past remaining, among
them
> > the original exteriors of a few medieval churches and reconstructed
> > surrounding residential blocks in the center of town. It does have
several
> > museums, the major one being the NiedersŠchsisches Landesmuseum Hannover
> > (http://www.nlmh.de/) which houses a fascinating combination of
ethnography,
> > natural science, and fine art, with the natural science portion
including
> > aquariums and terrariums. The fine art section includes a good selection
of
> > works for a regional collection, nicely arranged in a spacious series of
> > top-floor galleries. Highlights include their collection of early
Germanic
> > alters, including carved figures, and a large if less impressive number
of
> > early 19th century German works, all of which appeared to receive far
fewer
> > visitors than they deserve.
> >
> >
> >
> > Herford was our final out of town stop, entirely because their local
Marta
> > museum (http://www.marta-herford.de/) had just opened a new building
> > designed by the Canadian-American architect, Frank Gehry, who has had
> > numerous German commissions. Herford itself has a number of fine
historic
> > churches in its pedestrian friendly downtown, from which Marta is only a
> > short walk away. Unfortunately, Marta seems like a replay of ideas Gehry
has
> > already developed in museums in places such as Weill en Rein,
Minneapolis,
> > and Bilboa (as well as non museums commissions such as those in Paris,
Los
> > Angeles and Annandale-on-Hudson, all of which are among Gehry structures
> > we've
> > visited). The opening installation by Jan Hoet, formally curator of
Ghent's
> > museum of contemporary art (http://www.smak.be/), was noticeable for the
> > number of items he'd borrowed from the fine museums of the Belgian city,
and
> > made one wonder why he'd left that distinguished museum town for
Herford!
> >
> >
> >
> > DINING in Berlin was, overall, excellent, with food and service
compensorate
> > with the united City's status as a leading international capital. We
were
> > fortunate to start our dining at Altes Zollhaus
> > (http://www.altes-zollhaus-berlin.de/), which serves sophisticated food
in a
> > charming waterside setting, and was offering an excellent gourmet pre
fixe
> > the night we arrived. Courses included a beautifully plated salmon
tartare,
> > herb soup with shrimp, venison two ways, and rhubarb pudding, all served
> > with unlimited matching wines on a table graced by fine bread. The
excellent
> > (bilingual) service made the meal truly memorable. Equally fine,
although
> > entirely less formal, was our meal at the famed Zur Letzten Instanz
> > (http://www.zurletzteninstanz.de/).We opted to eat in the casual, tree
> > covered courtyard, as against the charming but crowded interior, and
> > thoroughly enjoyed the beers on tap with dishes such as risotto cakes,
> > stuffed cabbage, and calves liver.
> >
> >
> >
> > Berlin boasts the largest Turkish community outside of Istanbul, and we
> > started out for a restaurant of the same name in the Charlottenburg
> > neighborhood that turned out to no longer exist. Fortunately, just a few
> > blocks away we found Angora, which offered Turkish food better than some
> > we've
> > enjoyed in the Turkish capital! Angora offered excellent value in a
prefix
> > including a fine hot and cold meze, a solid mixed grill, and a
traditional
> > plate of fruit to conclude, all of which went well with a bottle of
straight
> > forward Turkish wine. The only sour note in our Berlin dining was at the
> > famed Borchardt, where the front of the house let down the kitchen. The
food
> > itself was excellent, including the seasonal favorite asparagus soup
(with
> > crawfish), and fresh (white) asparagus as a main plate, as well as
> > traditional weiner schnitzel. Unfortunately, the service was both poor
and
> > rude-from bringing us someone else's dishes within moments of our being
> > seating to loudly berating our not leaving a tip (we had paid cash and
> > rounded up as is traditional on the continent). Overall, however, dining
in
> > Germany was worth the trip, as of course is traveling in today's German
in
> > general.
> >
> >
Aug 13th 2005, 8:08 am
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Berlin Trip Report
Gregory Morrow
<gregorymorrowEMERGENCYCANCELLATIONARCHIMEDES@eart hlink.net> wrote:
> Go Fig wrote:
>
> > An excellent addition to the rte archive, thanx for your efforts.
> >
>
>
> I second that, very nice report.
[]
I agree too, but as it's been quoted twice now I may as well ask
about...
> > In article <[email protected]>, New Yorker
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
[]
> > > Unfortunately, the service was both poor and
> > > rude-from bringing us someone else's dishes within moments of our being
> > > seating to loudly berating our not leaving a tip (we had paid cash and
> > > rounded up as is traditional on the continent).
...what the expectations are of a tip in that kind of restaurant? I'd
noticed that Berliners I dined with there did more than just round up,
and were leaving anywhere from 5 to 10%. (When the person brought the
bill, they'd tell them how much to keep.) Is that unusual? I've been to
Berlin only once, so I hardly have much to go on- though my friends
indicated it was customary. Tipping comes up here a lot, and it's really
hard to know sometimes what the definitive 'rule' is, if there is one at
all. It might very well be there was an expectation of a tip at that
restaurant, though I can't say I would have been inclined to leave one
anyway, based on the report of service.
--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
pictures at http://homepage.mac.com/davidhornecomposer
<gregorymorrowEMERGENCYCANCELLATIONARCHIMEDES@eart hlink.net> wrote:
> Go Fig wrote:
>
> > An excellent addition to the rte archive, thanx for your efforts.
> >
>
>
> I second that, very nice report.
[]
I agree too, but as it's been quoted twice now I may as well ask
about...
> > In article <[email protected]>, New Yorker
> > <[email protected]> wrote:
[]
> > > Unfortunately, the service was both poor and
> > > rude-from bringing us someone else's dishes within moments of our being
> > > seating to loudly berating our not leaving a tip (we had paid cash and
> > > rounded up as is traditional on the continent).
...what the expectations are of a tip in that kind of restaurant? I'd
noticed that Berliners I dined with there did more than just round up,
and were leaving anywhere from 5 to 10%. (When the person brought the
bill, they'd tell them how much to keep.) Is that unusual? I've been to
Berlin only once, so I hardly have much to go on- though my friends
indicated it was customary. Tipping comes up here a lot, and it's really
hard to know sometimes what the definitive 'rule' is, if there is one at
all. It might very well be there was an expectation of a tip at that
restaurant, though I can't say I would have been inclined to leave one
anyway, based on the report of service.
--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
pictures at http://homepage.mac.com/davidhornecomposer
Aug 15th 2005, 10:17 pm
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Berlin Trip Report
chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn and prestwich tesco 24h
offy wrote:
> ...what the expectations are of a tip in that kind of restaurant? I'd
> noticed that Berliners I dined with there did more than just round up,
> and were leaving anywhere from 5 to 10%. (When the person brought the
> bill, they'd tell them how much to keep.) Is that unusual? I've been to
> Berlin only once, so I hardly have much to go on- though my friends
> indicated it was customary. Tipping comes up here a lot, and it's really
> hard to know sometimes what the definitive 'rule' is, if there is one at
> all. It might very well be there was an expectation of a tip at that
> restaurant, though I can't say I would have been inclined to leave one
> anyway, based on the report of service.
I usually leave about 10% extra. More at places where I'm a regular.
Leaving extra change on the table is of course possible, but that's not
how it's usually done in Germany.
For example when the waiter announces that your bill is 20.80, you might
reply with something like '23'. If you then hand him 30, that's what
he'll make change for and thank you. If you don't say anything he'll
make change for 20.80 and probably not thank you.
m
offy wrote:
> ...what the expectations are of a tip in that kind of restaurant? I'd
> noticed that Berliners I dined with there did more than just round up,
> and were leaving anywhere from 5 to 10%. (When the person brought the
> bill, they'd tell them how much to keep.) Is that unusual? I've been to
> Berlin only once, so I hardly have much to go on- though my friends
> indicated it was customary. Tipping comes up here a lot, and it's really
> hard to know sometimes what the definitive 'rule' is, if there is one at
> all. It might very well be there was an expectation of a tip at that
> restaurant, though I can't say I would have been inclined to leave one
> anyway, based on the report of service.
I usually leave about 10% extra. More at places where I'm a regular.
Leaving extra change on the table is of course possible, but that's not
how it's usually done in Germany.
For example when the waiter announces that your bill is 20.80, you might
reply with something like '23'. If you then hand him 30, that's what
he'll make change for and thank you. If you don't say anything he'll
make change for 20.80 and probably not thank you.
m
Aug 16th 2005, 12:21 am
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Berlin Trip Report
Mika <[email protected]> wrote:
> chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn and prestwich tesco 24h
> offy wrote:
>
> > ...what the expectations are of a tip in that kind of restaurant? I'd
> > noticed that Berliners I dined with there did more than just round up,
> > and were leaving anywhere from 5 to 10%. (When the person brought the
> > bill, they'd tell them how much to keep.) Is that unusual? I've been to
> > Berlin only once, so I hardly have much to go on- though my friends
> > indicated it was customary. Tipping comes up here a lot, and it's really
> > hard to know sometimes what the definitive 'rule' is, if there is one at
> > all. It might very well be there was an expectation of a tip at that
> > restaurant, though I can't say I would have been inclined to leave one
> > anyway, based on the report of service.
>
> I usually leave about 10% extra. More at places where I'm a regular.
> Leaving extra change on the table is of course possible, but that's not
> how it's usually done in Germany.
> For example when the waiter announces that your bill is 20.80, you might
> reply with something like '23'.
Yes, that's what I noticed. I have to say, it's also a practise I've
adopted in other countries where the waitstaff bring a 'purse' with
them, and it seems to work fine.
> If you then hand him 30, that's what
> he'll make change for and thank you. If you don't say anything he'll
> make change for 20.80 and probably not thank you.
That's interesting to know, and seems to reflect my own experiences in
Germany. Are you Germany yourself, out of interest?
--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
pictures at http://homepage.mac.com/davidhornecomposer
> chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn and prestwich tesco 24h
> offy wrote:
>
> > ...what the expectations are of a tip in that kind of restaurant? I'd
> > noticed that Berliners I dined with there did more than just round up,
> > and were leaving anywhere from 5 to 10%. (When the person brought the
> > bill, they'd tell them how much to keep.) Is that unusual? I've been to
> > Berlin only once, so I hardly have much to go on- though my friends
> > indicated it was customary. Tipping comes up here a lot, and it's really
> > hard to know sometimes what the definitive 'rule' is, if there is one at
> > all. It might very well be there was an expectation of a tip at that
> > restaurant, though I can't say I would have been inclined to leave one
> > anyway, based on the report of service.
>
> I usually leave about 10% extra. More at places where I'm a regular.
> Leaving extra change on the table is of course possible, but that's not
> how it's usually done in Germany.
> For example when the waiter announces that your bill is 20.80, you might
> reply with something like '23'.
Yes, that's what I noticed. I have to say, it's also a practise I've
adopted in other countries where the waitstaff bring a 'purse' with
them, and it seems to work fine.
> If you then hand him 30, that's what
> he'll make change for and thank you. If you don't say anything he'll
> make change for 20.80 and probably not thank you.
That's interesting to know, and seems to reflect my own experiences in
Germany. Are you Germany yourself, out of interest?
--
David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
pictures at http://homepage.mac.com/davidhornecomposer
Aug 16th 2005, 1:04 am
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Berlin Trip Report
"chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn and prestwich tesco 24h offy"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1h1e1z1.n8byf5lp23wgN%this_address_is_for_spa [email protected]...
> Mika <[email protected]> wrote:
> > chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn and prestwich tesco 24h
> > offy wrote:
> >
> > > ...what the expectations are of a tip in that kind of restaurant? I'd
> > > noticed that Berliners I dined with there did more than just round up,
> > > and were leaving anywhere from 5 to 10%. (When the person brought the
> > > bill, they'd tell them how much to keep.) Is that unusual? I've been
to
> > > Berlin only once, so I hardly have much to go on- though my friends
> > > indicated it was customary. Tipping comes up here a lot, and it's
really
> > > hard to know sometimes what the definitive 'rule' is, if there is one
at
> > > all. It might very well be there was an expectation of a tip at that
> > > restaurant, though I can't say I would have been inclined to leave one
> > > anyway, based on the report of service.
> >
> > I usually leave about 10% extra. More at places where I'm a regular.
> > Leaving extra change on the table is of course possible, but that's not
> > how it's usually done in Germany.
> > For example when the waiter announces that your bill is 20.80, you might
> > reply with something like '23'.
> Yes, that's what I noticed. I have to say, it's also a practise I've
> adopted in other countries where the waitstaff bring a 'purse' with
> them, and it seems to work fine.
> > If you then hand him 30, that's what
> > he'll make change for and thank you. If you don't say anything he'll
> > make change for 20.80 and probably not thank you.
> That's interesting to know, and seems to reflect my own experiences in
> Germany. Are you Germany yourself, out of interest?
> --
The other week and my German GF were at a cafe in Dresden, the bill came and
i paid with a 20 Euro so should have got about 4 back, the girl didnt give
me no change and walked off, i said to my GF wheres my change and she said
the girl would have thought that was the tip...........i didnt get a
thankyou or a smile, my GF got me the change.
> David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
> usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
> pictures at http://homepage.mac.com/davidhornecomposer
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:1h1e1z1.n8byf5lp23wgN%this_address_is_for_spa [email protected]...
> Mika <[email protected]> wrote:
> > chancellor of the duchy of besses o' th' barn and prestwich tesco 24h
> > offy wrote:
> >
> > > ...what the expectations are of a tip in that kind of restaurant? I'd
> > > noticed that Berliners I dined with there did more than just round up,
> > > and were leaving anywhere from 5 to 10%. (When the person brought the
> > > bill, they'd tell them how much to keep.) Is that unusual? I've been
to
> > > Berlin only once, so I hardly have much to go on- though my friends
> > > indicated it was customary. Tipping comes up here a lot, and it's
really
> > > hard to know sometimes what the definitive 'rule' is, if there is one
at
> > > all. It might very well be there was an expectation of a tip at that
> > > restaurant, though I can't say I would have been inclined to leave one
> > > anyway, based on the report of service.
> >
> > I usually leave about 10% extra. More at places where I'm a regular.
> > Leaving extra change on the table is of course possible, but that's not
> > how it's usually done in Germany.
> > For example when the waiter announces that your bill is 20.80, you might
> > reply with something like '23'.
> Yes, that's what I noticed. I have to say, it's also a practise I've
> adopted in other countries where the waitstaff bring a 'purse' with
> them, and it seems to work fine.
> > If you then hand him 30, that's what
> > he'll make change for and thank you. If you don't say anything he'll
> > make change for 20.80 and probably not thank you.
> That's interesting to know, and seems to reflect my own experiences in
> Germany. Are you Germany yourself, out of interest?
> --
The other week and my German GF were at a cafe in Dresden, the bill came and
i paid with a 20 Euro so should have got about 4 back, the girl didnt give
me no change and walked off, i said to my GF wheres my change and she said
the girl would have thought that was the tip...........i didnt get a
thankyou or a smile, my GF got me the change.
> David Horne- http://www.davidhorne.net
> usenet (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk
> pictures at http://homepage.mac.com/davidhornecomposer
Aug 16th 2005, 1:42 am
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Berlin Trip Report
New Yorker a écrit :
> BERLIN TRIP REPORT
> BERLIN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Berlin's museums are some of the finest in the
> world, and although their status is continually changing as the city is in
> the midst of a decades-long effort to reorganize following the capital's
> reunification, they are always worth visiting (the website for all of the
> Berlin state museums is http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/). The Gemaldegallerie's
> painting collection is one of the world's finest, granted that some periods
> and places are better represented than others. The decorative arts galleries
> next door are also worth visiting, although perhaps more in need of an
> update. We skipped the Charlottenberg museums this trip, but did spend time
> on the Museum Island, breezing through the 19th century German collection in
> the Alte Nationalgalerie and trying to spend more time in the fabled
> Pergamon, with its unique archeological treasures from the eastern
> Mediterranean and near east. The continual massive construction projects do
> mean that getting around the Island is a struggle, but one well rewarded by
> the treasures it contains.
> The Deutche Guggenheim (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/) was
> particularly striking, having temporarily had its interior redone by
> acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid to house an exhibit of acquisitions from the
> last quarter century. The Jewish Museum
> (http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin....E/homepage.php) designed by
> Daniel Libeskind-which did so much to boost Berlin's international
> architectural reputation, was joined in May, 2005 by the Memorial to the
> Murdered Jews of Europe (Stiftung Denkmal fur die emordeten Juden Europa)
> (http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/) designed by the American, Peter Eisenman.
> Personally, we did not find either the Jewish Museum or Eisenman's work
> deeply moving, although the later does provide interesting vistas on the
> residential half of what on Praiser Platz by the fabled Brandenburg Gate is
> the DG Bank building, the whole designed by Frank Gehry. The bank lobby is
> open to the public, and the horse head shaped conference room within is
> worth a gaze, even if visitors aren't allowed to enter it. Those into
> architecture will also want to visit some of the many new embassies that
> continue to pop up around Berlin, and the rebuilt Potsdamer Platz, which
> includes the Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn's Sony Center
> (http://www.sonycenter.de/) featuring vast covered dining and entertainment
> spaces.
Thanks for the report. I would have nevertheless appreciated if US
architectural reviews could have focused more your visit interests, not
only on national achievements (with one exception...) but as well on
other european architects realisations and in particular on GERMAN
ones, around Potsdamer, Pariser platz, museum island, the new
Chancellery, the Reichtag, etc...
didier Meurgues
> BERLIN TRIP REPORT
> BERLIN ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Berlin's museums are some of the finest in the
> world, and although their status is continually changing as the city is in
> the midst of a decades-long effort to reorganize following the capital's
> reunification, they are always worth visiting (the website for all of the
> Berlin state museums is http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/). The Gemaldegallerie's
> painting collection is one of the world's finest, granted that some periods
> and places are better represented than others. The decorative arts galleries
> next door are also worth visiting, although perhaps more in need of an
> update. We skipped the Charlottenberg museums this trip, but did spend time
> on the Museum Island, breezing through the 19th century German collection in
> the Alte Nationalgalerie and trying to spend more time in the fabled
> Pergamon, with its unique archeological treasures from the eastern
> Mediterranean and near east. The continual massive construction projects do
> mean that getting around the Island is a struggle, but one well rewarded by
> the treasures it contains.
> The Deutche Guggenheim (http://www.deutsche-bank-kunst.com/guggenheim/) was
> particularly striking, having temporarily had its interior redone by
> acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid to house an exhibit of acquisitions from the
> last quarter century. The Jewish Museum
> (http://www.juedisches-museum-berlin....E/homepage.php) designed by
> Daniel Libeskind-which did so much to boost Berlin's international
> architectural reputation, was joined in May, 2005 by the Memorial to the
> Murdered Jews of Europe (Stiftung Denkmal fur die emordeten Juden Europa)
> (http://www.holocaust-mahnmal.de/) designed by the American, Peter Eisenman.
> Personally, we did not find either the Jewish Museum or Eisenman's work
> deeply moving, although the later does provide interesting vistas on the
> residential half of what on Praiser Platz by the fabled Brandenburg Gate is
> the DG Bank building, the whole designed by Frank Gehry. The bank lobby is
> open to the public, and the horse head shaped conference room within is
> worth a gaze, even if visitors aren't allowed to enter it. Those into
> architecture will also want to visit some of the many new embassies that
> continue to pop up around Berlin, and the rebuilt Potsdamer Platz, which
> includes the Chicago-based architect Helmut Jahn's Sony Center
> (http://www.sonycenter.de/) featuring vast covered dining and entertainment
> spaces.
Thanks for the report. I would have nevertheless appreciated if US
architectural reviews could have focused more your visit interests, not
only on national achievements (with one exception...) but as well on
other european architects realisations and in particular on GERMAN
ones, around Potsdamer, Pariser platz, museum island, the new
Chancellery, the Reichtag, etc...
didier Meurgues
Aug 17th 2005, 5:35 am
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Berlin Trip Report
didier Meurgues a écrit :
> New Yorker a écrit :
> > BERLIN TRIP REPORT
> Thanks for the report. I would have nevertheless appreciated if US
> architectural reviews could have focused more your visit interests, not
> only on national achievements (with one exception...) but as well on
> other european architects realisations and in particular on GERMAN
> ones, around Potsdamer, Pariser platz, museum island, the new
> Chancellery, the Reichtag, etc...
I think I've been a bit heartless. Nevertheless here's a link to recent
Berlin large scale projects, without making distinctions.
http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.d...index_en.shtml
didier Meurgues
> didier Meurgues
> New Yorker a écrit :
> > BERLIN TRIP REPORT
> Thanks for the report. I would have nevertheless appreciated if US
> architectural reviews could have focused more your visit interests, not
> only on national achievements (with one exception...) but as well on
> other european architects realisations and in particular on GERMAN
> ones, around Potsdamer, Pariser platz, museum island, the new
> Chancellery, the Reichtag, etc...
I think I've been a bit heartless. Nevertheless here's a link to recent
Berlin large scale projects, without making distinctions.
http://www.stadtentwicklung.berlin.d...index_en.shtml
didier Meurgues
> didier Meurgues
