Church-hopping, Tea, and Trekking Though Kreuzburg

Still working backwards...

Sontag 14. September 2008
Attended mass at St. Hedwig's Cathedral with Mary Grace. Then visited Marienkirche and Nikolaikirche. Very pretty medieval churches. Both undergoing renovation; St. Mary's has lots of 17th century funeral markers, very detailed mosiacs, and lovely painted icons. Seems to still be a functioning church (with bonus soup-kitchen), and sports a lovely organ (there seemed to be a small concert of sort while we were there). We couldn't actually enter the St. Nicolas church, but we did get to walk around it. There was a neat fountain, and the re-buildt neighborhood mimics its medieval original (mostly in the narrow streets and hanging signboards).
Tried to go dancing in the afternoon. Ended up walking Urbanstrasse from Hallesches Tor back to Schonleinsrasse without finding #21. Berlin-area dance venues seem to have +5 racial bonus to hide checks (or is that a class feature? Seattle ones only have +2).

Samstag 13. September 2008
Ich hatte Erkaltung gehabt. Es gefaellt mir nicht. Slept late; spent the day resting. Tried to go dancing in the evening. Eventually found the ballroom over on Mehringdamm; the number was quite evident, steps from the subway station--the trick seemed to be knowing that it was through the unmarked walkway, on the other side of the courtyard, and up 5 flights of stairs (here, at least, there was paper notice indicating the floor number). For all that, the nice venue was exclusively populated with couples, and I gave it up for lost immediately; I was a bit too frustrated with the Berlin scene at this point to pay the eintritt for another evening of watching other people dance (and this looked to be a close repeat of Bebop: a nice place, but one wholly unwelcoming for me). Spent the evening chatting with Mary Grace about world religions (and how generally awesome Jesuits and Dominicans are).

Freitag 12. September 2008
Turkish market at midday; got some lovely dress fabric.
Went to the antiquities museum in the afternoon; lots of Greek and Egyptian sculpture and pottery. Saw the famous bust of Queen Nefertiti (it looks just like all the pictures you've seen of it, save that the incomplete left eye is a bit more prominent). Didn't get to see the Pergamon Museum though (some sort of special event was going on). Then went to a chocolate shop over by the concert hall, which had lots of yummy-looking things (and very impressive chocolate reproductions of the Reichstag, Brandenburger Tor, and the Titanic.
Attended Bebop Berlin for dancing in the evening; more ballroom than swing (some swing music, yes, but everyone did foxtrot!). Alternation between latin, foxtrot and the ocassional waltz. Absolutely no unpaired dancers, save myself. Did see one dancer attempting to teach his partner 20s Charleston (on a rare song in which the general movement did not prevent such 'non-traveling' dance). Left after an hour or so; my dance shoes didn't touch the floor until I removed them.

Donnerstag 11. September 2008
Didn't set the alarm correctly; overslept and just missed the theatrical workshop at late-morning (which sucks; I wanted to be part of family Faust!). Ended up touring the Berliner Dom instead. It is awesome. Have lots of pictures and short video-clips, of everything from the singing angels at the top of the dome to the Hohenzollern sarcophagi in the crypt (lots of dead kings, dukes, and babies). The high altar is exquisite, likewise the Emperor's staircase (VIPs get very nice private entrances), the main organ (huge and pretty... there's also another, smaller one in the bridal/baptismal chapel), and pretty much everything else. Ok, everything else (no "pretty much" about it).
Saw "Maria Magdelena" at the Gorki theater in the evening. It was very surreal: the costumes (bra? unmatches shoes? the blond guy's whole ensemble?), the staging (gives new meaning to "clinging to mom's skirts"), and even the stage was at odd angles. I understood only snatches of the dialogue, but the actors spoke very clearly, which made things easier. Rachel and I decided to go out to a bar afterward, but then decided that we wanted ice cream instead. Yay for Alexanderplatz's late hours (the San Marco Eis Cafe was still open, with its yummy cheap ice cream).