Weekends in Berlin

I had a pleasant day today. I was so tired last night I didn't even stay up to watch my Blazers beat the new-look Nuggets. Highlights were nice though.

My friend, Michelle, is sadly moving to Essen very soon, since she proposed a Fulbright project that includes some comparison work. So today we decided to go check out the Gemäldegalerie, which houses works by the likes of Vermeer, van Eyck, Hals, Rubens, etc. 

On my way there, I passed a protest at Potsdamer Platz. Apparently, it was about the situation in Libya. They had a major intersection completely blocked off because of the protestors. 

As I strolled toward the museum though, the weather was just too pleasant (although chilly) to not take a picture or two of Potsdamer Platz. After all, I don't think I really have any pictures of the area aside from the Sony Center.

The museum is covered under the annual card that I bought a few months ago. Perfect, since I really don't like paying to get into museums anymore. I saved myself 4€ today by having the card, which I had bought for 20€. Considering all the Berlin museums I've visited since, I've already gotten my money back and then some.

Inside, Michelle and I wandered through room after room that all looked quite similar to each other. I felt kind of lost. But we saw some art by some very famous artists. I don't remember all the names, so I'll just tell you the names for the ones I did know. Here's one by Pieter Bruegel.

For this one I don't know remember the artist. But the scene is of Kronborg Castle in Elsinore, Denmark. Sound familiar, literature fans? Made famous by Shakespeare, it's Hamlet's castle.

This one's by Frans Hals.

Here's a Vermeer. Certainly not one of his most famous ones (like Girl with a Pearl Earring), but still, it's a Vermeer. 

This piece is by Thomas Gainsborough. I tried to look for The Blue Boy, but apparently it's now in California.

These two were painted by an artist, whose name I cannot recall. Started with an "A" though.

Besides all the works by Dutch Renaissance painters (my favorite art history time period for paintings), there were some paintings by Italian masters. I don't know who painted this one, but I just like it 'cause I was there only a week ago.

This one's by Caravaggio. 

And this one's by Titian.

One by Raphael too.

We got pretty museum-ed out, so we left at that point. My friend, Carissa, had just arrived in Berlin from Marburg (Sarina's roommate), so I invited her and Michelle over to dinner. We went to pick her up at her hostel in Mitte and rode the tram back to my place while Michelle took an S-Bahn and biked. I learned today that you can't bring bikes onto buses or trams, but you can onto U-Bahns and S-Bahns.

For dinner, I planned to make some sweet chili turkey (not chicken, because my roommate, Lenz, doesn't like chicken) and some napa cabbage with bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and carrots. We had plenty of leftover rice from last night's curry too, so we had lots of food.

Michelle and Carissa helped out. That was nice because cutting that meat off the turkey leg was hard work. No wonder it took Lenz so long last night...we're never buying meat like that again. Only boneless meat from now on.

It took us an hour and a half to prep and cook everything, but it ended up being pretty good. We had some cake and ice cream for dessert too, though I passed on it in favor of a banana. I don't know what's gotten into me, but I'm eating healthier. Maybe it's seeing how badly I did at softball two weeks ago...

Speaking of which, we have practice again tomorrow and sadly Michelle and Brandon will not be able to join me. I suppose I will wake up early and go though. Gotta get some exercise in. Then I'll head home and work on the various papers, articles, and projects I need to catch up on. 

Hope this weather keeps staying sunny and the temperatures start rising! Spring cannot arrive soon enough.

Sam