Berlin Street Art

Part of a mural on an artists' squat, with a free wall along the bottom

Fifty Faces Gallery around the bottom of an apartment building

Lake piece at the Fifty Faces Gallery

One of many 1UP tags all over Berlin

Some of Miss Van's work

Not an exit

Stencil art by Czarnobyl at the bombed out train depot

Berlin: Memorials, Art, and Music on the U-Bahn

As I write this, I'm still basking in the afterglow of a weekend in Berlin. Meghan and I woke up at 4:30am on Thursday morning to leave the Castle and head to Germany. All three of our days and nights were filled up with experiencing the different sides of Berlin.

After checking in to our hostel, which was located in an old brewery building, we walked over to the Jewish Museum. The permanent exhibition is interesting, and we also got to see an art installation and a photography display of different sukkot from around the world. But by far the most interesting thing at the Jewish Museum is the building itself. It was designed by Daniel Libeskind and has three main axes: the Axis of Exile, the Axis of the Holocaust, and the Axis of Continuity (which is the largest part). The building has lots of angles and is meant to show that history takes different paths. There is also a void that runs through the central line of the museum - basically, it's an enclosed empty space intersecting the museum's space. Christoph, a very informative and very chatty employee of the museum, explained that Libeskind wants the building's design to be open to interpretation so each person has a different experience. Christoph also told us that Canada is located in northern Africa. It used to be located in Asia, but it wasn't really comfortable there so it moved in the 1970s. I guess that's that famous German humour...

The Garden of Exile and the Jewish Museum Berlin

Meghan and I conquered (read: only got lost once on) Berlin's subway system, the U-Bahn. We were so good at taking the U-Bahn that locals kept asking us for directions. Unfortunately, we had to answer "Sorry, English" each time. One of my favourite things about the U-Bahn: most of the train windows were covered in a pattern of the Brandenburg Gate. The Brandenburg Gate, an old royal entrance to the city, originally stood for victory but then, due to various episodes in Germany's history, was changed to stand for peace. Every time you look out the window, your view of Berlin includes the capital city's complex history.

View of Berlin through the Brandenburg Gate pattern on a train window 

We did a great walking tour of Berlin that took us to a lot of the main historically significant sites. We saw the National Gallery, the Protestant Cathedral, and the French and German Catholic Cathedrals. We stopped at Checkpoint Charlie and saw the second longest remaining stretch of the Berlin Wall. We saw the memorial to the Nazi book burnings, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and stood over the site of Hitler's underground bunker. 

Berlin Wall, protected by a fence

Memorial to the Nazi book burnings at Bebelplatz: a window onto empty book cases below ground level 

Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, in view of central Berlin

Meghan's cousin John lives in Berlin, and we had two meals with him (our only meals that weren't sandwiches while there). The first night, we went to a small German restaurant and I discovered the joys of spätzle. The second night, Meghan and John cooked Wiener Schnitzel and potatoes - also delicious. On our subway ride over to John's apartment, there were two guys playing guitar/beat boxing/singing in our car. It was great! They are called Rider's Connection, and you should go and listen to some of their songs here.

Rider's Connection

We did a second walking tour - an "alternative" tour. This one took us to see tons of the street art that literally covers Berlin. It was a great complement to the more historic tour and we got to see a lot of cool little pockets of the city. 

Berlin stained glass (a painted over window)

The last stop on the tour was a bombed-out train depot that is now a haven for street art. There are also a bunch of clubs that have opened up there in the last few years. Our pub crawl of the previous night also ended up at the train depot, at a club called Cassiopeia - very cool.

View from the current U-Bahn station of the old train depot

It was a great weekend, but very exhausting. We spent our days walking all over the place and each night we saw a different bit of nightlife, but we really only got to see a tiny bit of what goes on in Berlin. Definitely a place to go back to. 

Some statues contemplating the Protestant Cathedral across the canal

Snail Mail

If you want to send me a letter via snail mail, my address is:


Gaeby Abrahams, B21
Bader International Study Centre - Bader Hall
Herstmonceux Castle
Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 1RN
United Kingdom


I promise to write you back!

View of the Castle from the gardens

Brighton Street Art

Banksy's Kissing Coppers

A tribute to MJ next to the Banksy piece

Meghan and Skared

Cassette Lord

Not technically street art, but I like it

Inspired by Space Invader

London!

We started off in London at the National Gallery for our art history field study. We spent a good two hours in the Impressionist rooms with Daphne's informative and often hilarious narration. Meghan and I did some sightseeing and walked by Westminster Abbey and Big Ben. We saw some of the West End, wandered through Soho, and saw Piccadilly Circus. Highlights:

Street entertainer taking a break outside the National Gallery

Cafe on Whitehall road

Street art by Space Invader in Soho

London by night, near Little Italy

We stayed the night with a friend of Meghan's in Highgate, which is in the northern part of the city. We spent the next day walking around villages (neighbourhoods) in London, and got to see a lot of the less touristy areas like Hampstead and Belgravia. We also spent some time at Camden Market, which was great. There's so much to see and buy and eat there! More highlights:

Temporary lock-up built into the garden wall of Cannon Hall, c. 1730

Hampstead village

Just outside Camden Market

Handmade pies in Camden Market

I'm going back to London tomorrow. Although I'm not staying the night, it will be a very full day: National Portrait Gallery, tour of the Globe Theatre, and then a performance of King Lear at the Roundhouse Theatre (which is right near Camden Market!). 

From Birling Gap to Brighton

The final event of the upper-year orientation was a day trip to the surrounding areas. We piled into a coach (I can see these coaches becoming like a second home) and set off. We passed nearby Pevensey Castle, which was originally a Roman fort. Inside the old Roman walls are the ruins of a Norman castle. Hopefully I'll have a chance to go back and explore inside. 

We drove down a long stretch of coast line and the bus driver explained that the cliffs are eroding and losing about a metre each year. He also pointed out all the most popular spots for people to jump or drive off the cliffs into the ocean below. Very informative. We stopped at Birling Gap and, despite the endless drizzle, we had a pretty spectacular view down the side of the cliffs. 

Rocky beach at Birling Gap

We moved on to the small village of Alfriston. Wikipedia tells me that the "village today attracts many tourists, because it represents a perfect example of its kind." I guess that means the village is a perfect example of a village. Anyway, it's a really nice place with a few shops and restaurants and, of course, an enormous church. A few of us stopped for a traditional cream tea, which involves tea and a scone served with jam and cream. Absolutely delicious. 

One of Alfriston's many inns

Kirsten enjoying her cream tea at Badger's tea house

After Alfriston, we had a few hours to check out Brighton. The city is pretty old, but it turned into a hot spot in the 18th century when it was known for being a health resort featuring sea-bathing. Brighton is now renowned as a gay-friendly city with a large LGBT community. Also - and this is probably the most important thing about Brighton - it has a booming business conference industry. But seriously, it seems like a cool city, and definitely very eclectic. After getting myself a cell phone, I did some wandering around. Highlights: the mall, St. James Street, and the Brighton Pier arcade. 

Polish deli on St. James Street

One of Brighton's many eye-catching bars

Gray sky and fish & chips at the Brighton Pier

Later in the semester we have a Cultural Studies trip to Brighton and we might check out the Winter Pride week in March, so I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot more of the city.

Some More of Herstmonceux

So I've been doing lots of exploring around the Castle and its grounds over the last week or so. Meghan and I have found a few narrow spiral staircases, a huge amount of heavy wooden doors, and some nice views. We have yet to get down to the dungeon (I actually have no idea if there is a dungeon, but I'd like to think there is).  

Meghan and Kelsey hanging out by the piano, overlooking the moat 

We spent a good chunk of time treading around to explore more of the Castle grounds. We made it through a patch of field without getting stuck in the mud, which is a pretty big accomplishment.

Field running along the East side of the Castle

We found ourselves on the Woodland Trail and, as the name suggests, we were soon in the woods. We navigated our way around Folly Lake and got to Folly House. Basically, the Victorian owners of the Castle didn't think it was cool enough to own a castle and 500 or so acres of land, so they built the facade of a house to make it look like they had more buildings on their land. As if having a castle isn't enough. Anyway, behind the Folly House there is some more woodland and a nice little stream.

View of Folly Lake from the stream

We covered a lot of ground, but there is definitely more to explore. Every now and then, a flock of sheep mysteriously appears in the field opposite the Castle, so I think we need to figure out where they are coming from... 

First Impressions

I woke up to the sun shining through my window this morning - a very nice way to start my day, but I'm sure not one that will happen too often. Meghan and I have a great view looking out onto fields and rolling hills, so we spent a few moments oohing and aahing over the landscape before heading to the Castle for a day of orientation activities. 

Meghan checking out the view

Between activities, we had a chance to start exploring the Castle grounds. There are a few resident peacocks, which are pretty cool. The entire estate is around 500 acres, so it will take a while to see everything. Things I can look forward to discovering: nature paths, forests, Tudor gardens, and an observatory that shoots a sweet green laser into the sky at night. 

Castle grounds

Herstmonceux Castle's telescope and laser

The sky was very clear tonight and we could see tons of stars. After doing some research, I plan on paying a visit to the telescope at the Observatory Science Centre. Hopefully Wikipedia will help me recognize some constellations apart from Orion's belt...

This evening, we had the "Official Welcoming Ceremony to the Winter Term 2011." The professors all spoke a bit about their courses, and then we were served wine and cheese and instructed to mingle. The courses all sound great, and I'm very excited for the field studies. In the next couple of weeks I can look forward to both the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery, as well as a tour of the Globe Theatre and a performance of King Lear at an indoor theatre.

Apart from relatively frequent trips to London, all students at the Castle will be going to Brussels and Paris in February. Meghan and I are also hoping to make weekend trips to Dublin, Berlin, and Rome in the coming months. 

More updates to follow. 

Herstmonceux's History

A brief run-down of the Castle's history (based on the Queen's University website and the ever-reliable Wikipedia):


William the Bastard-cum-Conqueror led the Norman invasion of England in 1066. Sometime after the Battle of Hastings (of Bayeux Tapestry fame), one of William's supporters granted tenancy of the manor at Herste, a small Saxon settlement, to a guy named Wilbert. This grant is recorded in William's very ominous sounding Domesday Book, a survey of England meant to assess taxes owed by landholders.


Around the end of the next century, a lady of the Herste manor - presumably one of Wilbert's descendants - married a Norman nobleman of the Monceux family. The manor became "Herste of the Monceux," and then finally "Herstmonceux." But don't be fooled by the apparent Frenchness of the name - the correct pronunciation is "Herst-mon-soo."


In the mid 15th century, a Monceux descendant by the name of Roger Fiennes was appointed Treasurer of the Household of King Henry VI. Roger wanted a house befitting his rank, so in 1441 construction on Herstmonceux Castle began at the site of the old manor. 


Fun fact: Herstmonceux Castle is the oldest brick building of any note still standing in England!


Somewhat more recently, the Castle passed through several private owners until 1946, when the British Admiralty converted it into the home of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. Roughly half a century later, Queen's University alums Drs. Alfred and Isabel Bader bought the Castle. They donated it to their alma mater with the idea that it could serve as an international study centre. 


And here I am, studying internationally.