The tour was led by Terry Brewer, the founder of the tour company. He once worked for the Allies, in Berlin, during the partition, and for the British Navy for a number of years, before "retiring" to Berlin. Tour guides make the tour, and he was a brilliant host, and his stories, his humour, and most of all, his knowledge, made the tour worth every Euro cent! The tour party was quite impressive too; apart from me, there were two Greek housewives visiting their daughters studying in Berlin, two physists working in Berlin (one from Italy, the other from Morocco) and an American movie producer, who is about to wrap up her first movie (documentary really) about tour guides in Berlin!
A point about the weather (see previous post) - it was forcasted to be sunny - even in the morning on the subway station. It drizzled for most of the day, so many of the outside shots were just not as spectacular as they should be. But no purple skies! :P
The palaces are strictly controlled, and every one has to wear these funny slippers inside most of the palaces. The slipers would make it lots of fun to slide in the marble halls ... and if it wasn't for the many minders, I think we would have had some competitions! You are also not allowed to take photos, so no views from the inside.
From Berlin, we caught a train to Potsdam (considered in the C zone in the Berlin transport system). We got off at Sancoussi Gardens station, and then started off at the New Palace, built by Frederick the Great in the 1760s. There are some spectacular rooms inside, especially the jeweled great hall, which is decorated with crystals and gems, and the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. The lavish lifestyle of royalty is so well demonstrated, and so spectacular.
I know it is Germany, and not prudish England, but the number of statues and paintings around the various palaces that have sexual overtones (some going further than overtones) is quite amazing. The swinging sixties could be considered prudish at times ... Oh yes, on this topic, one must mention about the bedrooms of the princes, which were adorned with paintings of naked women (renaissance art off course), and not forget the countless statues of naked men. Equality existed back then, I suppose.
The Orangery Palace, built in the 1850's was built to serve as a part greenhouse, part retreat. It has good views from the top, but it is the "fake" art gallery, full of Raphael copies that is really impressive. And it was open to the public back then too!
Sanssouci Palace, is the main attraction. However, the queues are massive (even on the rainy day, there was a 3 hour waiting time), and we just did not go in. It was not even part of the day pass for the palaces for that reason. But I think I am "palaced" out for now, even for Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin.
Unlike the Orangery Palace, the Picture Gallery, hosts real paintings - about 100 of them. It was possibly the world's first public gallery, and was built in 1763. The paintings are amazing, and so is the decorations of the gallery roof, doors and walls ... they just don't make galleries like these anymore.
The Marble Palace, under heavy restoration was the last stop for the day. The really interesting item in the entire palace is an old "secretary" desk - complete with a huge number of hidden cabinets; which are opened by hidden buttons, turning the key twice, rotating various columns (three sides have mirrors or paintings, the last show drawers). It is just absolutely amazing.
The Cecilienhof is the newest palace, and is famous for the location of the Potsdam Conference in 1945; where Germany was carved up between the victors of WW 2. It was here that US President Truman announced the development of the Atom bomb, and is also possibly the place where Truman signed the authorisation to drop the Atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki ... possibly because it has yet to be revealed whether Truman signed the treaty in the White House before coming over to Potsdam. For modern Germany, it is possibly the most important palace of the lot.
Potsdam is a fascinating town, and to do real justice to it, I would need at least 5 or 6 days; time I do not have :( After the tour, most of the tour party (including Terry) went out to a pizza place in Berlin; referred to as "Anarchist Pizza" by the physicists. Very impressive pizzas (I had the one with Horse ham .. couldn't resist ...) and very funky location, complete with posters, graffiti, and clocks showing time in the various communist capitals of the world such as Beijing, Havana and Ho Chi Minh City. It was a great day really.
No comments:
Post a Comment