Berlin day 1

Travelling to Berlin, Katherine Kolwitz mus, Haeckel Markt

There was heavy, heavy rain during the night. I had hoped for sunshine so that i could have a last walk by the lake. But it was grey and cloudy. Jorg, Tina and I drove over the flat German plain chatting about life. They detoured into Postdam to drop me at the station, and I picked up on the Berlin transport system. Checked into my hotel, a nice one close to Alexanderplatz. Spent the afternoon in the Kathe Kolwtiz museum, a beautiful if sad place. It has a small oeuvre. She trained as an artist and was a social and political campaigner, she became a committed peace activist after losing her son early the First World War. Her pictures are rather dark and like Goyas, with expressions of sad dark emotions.

She was influenced by Ernst Barlache whose work I had seen 2 days earlier. Afterwards I wandered along the street popping into the very smart shops there. I wandered into a second hand book shop, which had high end 18c books and a lovely leatherish aroma. I dipped into a modern jewellers and looked at the work. I had an excellent browse through a photo shop making v interesting high quality prints. Then had a coffee on Kusrtsendam which is more high end then when I first saw it in in 1990. Had open air supper in a haedke Markt where lots of people were siting eating and buskers played, very agreeable.