Tagged With "Berlin"
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Apr. 8, 2015: Gedächtniskirche, Berlin
Jesus appears to float above the altar in the modern version of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (Gedächtniskirche) in Berlin. The modern church, which Berliners mostly call by its short name, stands next to the original church, built in...
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March 23, 2020: Marienkirche, Berlin
DrFumblefinger stumbles across a rehearsal for a concert at Berlin's historic St. Mary's church, one of the oldest churches in Berlin (dating to the 13th century).
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Carnival of Cultures lights up Berlin this weekend
Berlin's Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures) kicks off for four days this weekend, with a parade, interactive workshops, and music, art and food of all kinds—all in celebration of diversity and openness. It's been celebrated since the...
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Spotted on the Road, Berlin: 13-person-power bus-bike
Not a car or truck this time, but a sort of bus: a 12-passenger+"driver" bicycle with 13 sets of pedals to keep it going. The more get on, the more powerful (and perhaps faster) it gets. We saw several other versions of multi-passenger...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Aug. 17, 2015: Soviet War Memorial, Berlin
A quiet place, in a peaceful park in Berlin hardly seems connected at first sight to the horrific fighting that took place all over Berlin in the final days of World War II. But it is a memorial to 80,000 Soviet soldiers killed in that battle...
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Berlin: New scandal, but no new airport yet
Germany's reputation for precision, quality work and punctuality has already taken big hits because of construction delays and engineering errors at its still-under-construction new Berlin-Brandenburg airport for Berlin now has the additional...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Sept. 6, 2015: Berlin Buskers
Berlin's Museum Island, in central Berlin, is home to museums of ancient art, more recent art, early history and more, and also to the Lustgarten, or Pleasure Garden, an open green space that once belonged to the royal palace. Now it's a...
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Walking and Eating in Berlin's Mitte
On our last few trips, we've gotten in the habit of looking around for good eating/walking tours, which allow us to sample a variety of local foods along with some sights, and some well-prepared information about the foods, their history and their...
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Berlin's airport tragedy of errors continues
Berlin's long-delayed (it was supposed to open in 2008) new airport will now have a new delay: work was stopped today when it was determined that the terminal roof may not be strong enough to support the air-conditioning units that have recently been...
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Germans' surprising 'top city' pick: Hamburg
In Hamburg's Alster harbor area Photo: Butterfly1172 / Wikimedia While Berlin and Munich are the tourist meccas most often thought of in Germany, a poll of Germans asking what city they'd most like to move to or...
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Berlin's Tempelhof takes on a new crisis role
As it was in 1984, now to serve refugees Berlin's now-closed Tempelhof airport, famous for its role as the hub of the Cold War Berlin Airlift and more recently Berlin's newest public space, will now re-open as a refugee reception center for...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Aug. 1, 2015: Berlin Construction Worker
It's taken us almost a month to track down what we found, this imposing 20-foot construction worker, standing on a pedestrian path just off buy Karlliebknechstrasse in Berlin's Mitte district. He gets no attention in guidebooks, but he's been...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Aug. 2, 2015: Uncertain times
In the time before mechanical watches and clocks, the sundial helped track the passing hours. Most of us think of sundials set on the ground, but in medieval Europe this type, mounted on a church or other building, was carefully laid out to...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 7, 2015: The World Timeclock, Alexanderplatz
One of the more unusual clocks I've seen in some time (pun intended) is the World Time Clock (Weltzeituhr) in Berlin's Alexanderplatz . It was constructed in former Communist East Berlin in 1969 (and restored in 1997, after...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, October 22, 2015: Ampelmann, the East German Pedestrian Crossing Light Symbol, Berlin, Germany
You may be asking yourself "Why is Ottoman doing a Picture of the Day featuring pedestrian crossing lights?" Well ladies and gentlemen, these are not just ordinary pedestrian crossing lights...this is Ampelmann. So...
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Oktoberfest in Alexanderplatz
Oktoberfest is an annual 16 day folk festival that runs from mid-September to the first weekend in October. The largest gathering is in Munich, Germany, which is attended by more then six million people (who consume more than six...
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Berlin's official city bear dies at 34
Schnute the bear, who has been the official living representative of the bear that appears in Berlin's coat of arms and all over the city, has died at 34. The female brown bear was euthanized after suffering a series of debilitating illnesses,...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, October 7, 2015: Neptune's Fountain (Neptunebrunnen), Berlin
Berlin's Neptune Fountain sits near popular Alexanderplatz in the former communist side of the city, between the old Red City Hall and Marian's church. The fountain was built in 1891 and features Neptune at its center, the four...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, November 12, 2015: Berlin TV Tower, Berlin, Germany
The Berlin TV Tower (German: Fernsehturm ) is a television tower in central Berlin, Germany (close to Alexanderplatz in Berlin-Mitte). The tower was designed by East German architects Fritz Dieter, Günter...
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Walking the Center of Berlin
Jonathan L shares a walk through Berlin's heart and tells us how he fell in love with it.
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July 1, 2018: Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin, Germany
A historic market site in central Berlin. Join Jonathan L to explore it.
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The Memorials of Berlin, Part 1
There are many memorials to the victims of the Nazi regime in Germany. Jonathan L introduces us to some of the smaller, lesser-known ones in Berlin.
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July 15, 2018: Ishtar Gate, Pergamon Museum
Jonathan L shows us the Ishtar Gate, former entrance to the City of Babylon.
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The Memorials of Berlin - Part 2
Jonathan L continues his exploration of the Berlin memorials dedicated to those murdered by the Nazis
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Museum Island, Berlin (Where Gumbo was #271)
Gumbo was visiting Berlin's lovely Museum Island. A UNESCO World Heritage site, it is home to 5 world class museums and some popular public spaces.
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, June 29, 2014: Berlin's Fernsehturm
Two landmarks for the price of one: Berlin's Fernsehturm, or TV Tower, is reflected on the facade of the Park Inn, near Alexanderplatz. The Fernsehturm is the tallest building in Germany, at a bit over 1200 feet. It and the Brandenburg Gate are...
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Berlin: Are there too many tourists?
Berlin has zoomed to the #3 spot for European visitors (behind London and Paris and just ahead of Rome), and some Berliners are worried it's costing them what they like about their city...cheaper prices and less crowding than some of the other great...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 9, 2014: Human Vending Carts
Every city has typical street food and vendors—New York's hot dogs and souvlaki, Philadelphia's pretzels, Amsterdam's herring—but Berlin, like Vienna, specializes in sausages, especially currywurst, a bratwurst slathered in...
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A Winter Visit to Dresden and Leipzig
When we first started including a week-long February school break in our travel plans, our goal was to go somewhere significantly warmer than New York City. We still try for that, but once in a while something else calls, and we found ourselves...
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Finding Reiner #2: Chasing Ghosts
I'm deep into last-minute research for my "Finding Reiner" adventure. My suitcase is packed with device chargers, plug adaptors, Swiss Army knives, bandaids, spare batteries, and clip-on, flat water flasks for the trail. But, my desk is covered...
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Berlin's Rotes Rathaus: Brick Majesty and Whimsy
Sometimes, while traveling or at home, you just fall in love with a building. It might be majestic like Notre Dame, massive like the Jeronimos Monastery, soaring like the Empire State Building, beautifully-detailed like the Chrysler Building...or it...
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Berlin restaurant: Gourmet dinners from wasted food
A Berlin restaurant is taking the lead in making gourmet dinners from surplus or unwanted food...and that's only part of their mission.
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Copenhagen, Berlin top list of most livable cities
Copenhagen and Berlin are cited for quality of life by Metropolis magazine; others rank them high but in different spots.
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Trouble ahead for Air Berlin?
Air Berlin's financial problems are now spilling over into operations, causing delays and cancellations, including on flights it operates for Tuifly.
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Airberlin to increase flights to the U.S. next summer
Airberlin will increase it's flight offerings to the U.S. starting next summer.
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Berlin's airport fiasco: Another €2.2 billion and 2 more years
Berlin's trouble-plagued airport project, already 7 years overdue, will take at least another 2 and has just gotten €2.2 billion more to finish the job.
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Farewell flight for the Berlin Airlift
Built to celebrate Germany's 1990 reunification, this hot-air balloon has become too fragile to fly.
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July 14, 2016: Humboldt, University, Berlin, Germany
This historic university has a very impressive list of alumni and professors.
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July 22, 2019: The Doll's House, Berlin
DrFumblefinger enjoyed this display of stuffed animals on a street in one of Berlin's oldest neighborhoods.
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May 13, 2019: New Synagogue, Berlin
DrFumblefinger visits the New Synagogue. Built in Berlin in the mid 19th century, it is of Moorish-inspired design and at its time was the largest synagogue in Europe.
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Europe's Fastest Growing Airport is on its way out!
Berlin's Tegel Airport (TXL) which was supposed to be replaced two years ago by the new Berlin-Brandenburg complex, is hanging on and growing fast. It's still open because of technical and construction problems with the new field, and Berlin's growth...
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Latest on Berlin airport: Shoot the messenger
With the opening of Berlin's scandal-and-mishap-delayed airport still far in the future, authorities fire the PR man who called for more transparency.
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Berlin law: no more whole apartments for tourists
A law passed two years ago banning Berlin tourists from renting entire apartments and houses through Airbnb and other online rental portals finally went into effect May 1.
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Zur letzten Instanz, Berlin, Germany
One of the things I enjoy most about traveling is coming across unexpected gems. Case in point, Zur letzten Instanz. As my brother and I were exploring Berlin early one evening, we came across Zur letzten...
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Berlin: Ooops again! This time it's a hotel, not the airport
Berlin hotel construction halted; it's crushing the subway tunnel beneath it.
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Berlin's new airport: closer and farther from opening
Berlin's new airport creeps closer to completion, but problems remain.
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December 10, 2015: Stolpersteine, Berlin, Germany
On the sidewalks of Berlin, you are likely to find these commemorative stones. Learn more about them.
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Ryanair boss: We'll crush German competitors
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary says his airline will hold 20% of Germany's business and put two competitors out of business in the next few years through aggressive pricing and expansion.