Well, 2/3 of Berlin Day 3. We're back to the room to blog and nap before going out for a concert!
Schloss Charlottenburg
One of the two huge Stately Homes (the phrase they use in England for, "giant white elephant we donated to the state because the heating bill and the taxes were killing us") near Berlin; we'll hit the other Saturday.
This is the middle about 1/5th of it.
Queen Sophie Charlotte (1668-1705), wife of the first king of Prussia, wanted a little place outside of the hustle & bustle of Berlin.
Sophie Charlotte, who sadly died age 37.
This was what she got. Just gonna throw a few pics in here, more in El Gallerino. It's room after room after room of lush, over-the-top, museum-class antiques.
Typical dust-catcher mantel-piece.
Some of the 2,700 pieces in the Porcelain Room
Sophie's second child, died in infancy
The Prussian monarchs were, nominally, Calvinists. Calvinism is an austere sect that despised the Catholics for their vulgar displays. But this was the back wall of the chapel in the palace. Can a display of power and rank get any more in-yer-face than that? Click through to appreciate the Prussian Eagle on a gold coil, and the flock of putti supporting the crown.
Much of the palace was wrecked by Allied bombs at the end of WWII, and has been lovingly restored. This room:
...looked like this in 1944:
Der KaDeWe
The Kaufhaus des Westens, called by everyone der KaDeWe (caw day vay), is the largest department store in Europe, outside of Harrod's, so they carefully say it is the largest on the continent.
It was kind of on the way home and has a renowned buffet restaurant so we stopped for lunch. The buffet was splendid, sort of like a Fresh Choice for millionaires. Marian set up a fruit plate.
It was also quite expensive: €26 for two light salad plates with soft drinks. For comparison we paid just €30 for two dinners with wine and beer at quite a nice tapas place last night.
OK, got to stop and squeeze in a nap, then out we go to Potsdammerplatz and the Philharmonic hall.
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