Berlin - Potsdam day 3 jan 2016

Today we are going to take the train to Potsdam , which is about 40 minutes on the "s" bahn line.  As usual its raining!!!!!!!    So its not going to be good to photograph the palaces and gardens unfortunately.
After a nice train ride through the German countryside we get off in Potsdam Haupibanhof.  and started walking towards the Brandenburger Tor , Yes another one!   lol     we have come across this....

Must go and have a closer look :)

           Looks like they are still building around this square , and it all appears newly renovated.

               And next door ,  this courtyard with a FLAT" 3 d looking dome :)   very strange

         Now we have found the Brandenburger Tor , much smaller than the main one Berlin centre.

 Walking down the main shopping rows , beautiful buildings, would look great on a sunny summers day i guess :)

                                                    Ooops  we are in another pastry shop :)

                                      Jan is at it Again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      just cant keep her hands off   Lol

 

The Palaces and Gardens next,  its is getting very overcast and rain in the air .

The main Sanssouci Palace and Gardens look spectacular , but probably not today in these conditions.

Walking along the main  Hauptallee we come to the first fountain pool and formal gardens in front of a big palace.   all the statues are covered in wooden crates , there must be hundreds of them in this park!!!!!!!!!

 

 The Palace of Schloss Sanssouci INFO HERE

 

                                   The terraced vineyards lead up to the single level Palace

Spectacular even in the rain!

Continuing the walk around the back of this palace and it has started chucking it down!

There are a couple of these amazing gazebo structures at either side of the palace.

Around the other side of the Park , a main entrance structure :)

 

                                                                    and another Gazebo :)

 Back around the front and walking down the vineyard to the main centre path  to continue towards the New Palace.

 

                                                                      A Windmill!!!!!!!! 

                                                         and a Chinese Teahouse :)

                                                                        New Palace.

 Most of  the statues and stone walls are covered, some look like they are being cleaned or renovated.

We must get a move on now, its starting to get dark and we are a long way from the station..

But around the back we come across this..............

WOW!

This is Potsdam university, this image lightened to show it properly, it is getting quite dark now

 It is chucking it down , i have taken a load of phone shots but have to try shooting with camera, even though it is very dark and i haven't brought my tripod today!  high 3200 iso the only option .

Its a pity we didn't come here earlier, if we had known!   its amazing architecture

 I have processed these as b&w , as its too dull to show any colour now, Jan has already started walking towards where i think there is a tram stop.

Time to go, its horrendous now and we are in a big rain storm and  have no shelter or idea where to go to nearest tram or train stop!  thankfully i have google maps on my phone :)

Eventually after seeing a tram in the distance , which we miss . i have found a train station is only a short walk away and goes straight to Potsdam where we can dry off and get some dinner.

the end of a soggy day !

Fun along the Wall Berlin pt 2 jan 2016

Today we are going to see the "Wall"    its drizzling and basically a horrible forecast all day!  But the bright grafitti on the wall at the "East Side Gallery" will brighten everything :)
We take the train from Theodor heuss platz  to Warschauer Srt , the nearest station to the Wall , then walk down back to the river Spree to the magnificent Oberbaum Bridge.   The "East side gallery" starts here and follows the river for 1.3 km where artists have painted this section of the wall.

As you can see , its chucking it down as we arrive , hope it stops so i can shoot some long exposures on the river as there is fast moving pieces of ice flowing down the river!

                                         Ice flows on the river!     moving quite fast

 

 One large section of the wall on the road side has railing put up and looks like they are being re painted with as there is no graffiti on these paintings.

                                                      Walking Dead attack!!!!!  lol

 A series of paintings........................  

                                                                                     Haha :)

                                              In the distance , covered in low cloud/mist. 

                     Time to turn around and head back along the other side of the wall now :)

                                                    Another Brick in the Wall :D

Having come around to the river side, the grass is flooded and covered in ice allowing me to photograph some great reflections, Jan shot me standing on the ice :)

                                                      I am standing in water on top of ice!!!!

Having stopped raining i need to shoot some long exposures quickly while its like this.......


                                          25 seconds with big stopper and b&w conversion

                                           The ice has stopped flowing!!!!!!!!!!! Bummer!

                                        Walking back to the train now , love this bridge :)

                                                           On a building side, its Huge!!!!!!!

    We have taken the train and ended up at "Checkpoint Charlie" to have a quick look around.

                                                                                   Haha  

                                                                 Not to out done :D

                          Now back to base as its chucking it down , we pass the zoo aquarium all lit up