Random delight.

This blue sheep was randomly in the shipyard as I walked to the boat on Thursday. I have no idea.

I don't know if you can see it but the brown animal, I think it is a cat, behind the seat was a lost companion. My heart ached for the child without his friend.

Just yes haha

I didn't even need to translate. omg. this was on the mirror in the gym. no joke.

Random joys of city living.

<3

Abbey

Museum für Naturkunde

Apparently I was feeling confident on my way to the museum for natural history!

YAYYYYY Dinosaurs! I waited so long for this moment!

In case you can't read that, the dinosaur is a Brachiosaurus brancai...don't ask me how you pronounce it! In the information, it says how curious scientists are about this particular dinosaur's heart because of how long its neck is. They speculate that it would've been the only dinosaur to have a human like heart because of the great pressure that would've been needed due to its long neck. Amazing how much we don't know. I wondered whether it could've had a heart we've never encountered and will never know of. I love the endless possibility within the mystery.

This dinosaur holds the guinness world record for tallest mounted dinosaur skeleton.

S/he had a handful of friends surrounding him/her. Dinosaur bones are one of the most amazing things to me. I don't know, it just is so surreal that these massive creatures once roamed the earth.

There was a temporary exhibit about pandas and how they are a symbol of peace and have been for a long time. I learned a lot about them. 

I learned that they are a symbol of peace because they keep to themselves and don't really do much. Most of the time they are eating...bamboo. Most people think they are lazy, but really their bodies don't absorb nutrients well, this is also why they eat so much. Since their body doesn't absorb much nutrients from food, they have to eat a TON to have enough energy to search for more food. They don't have enough energy to do much else, they aren't really lazy. 

The picture below talks about the struggle of holding these animals in captivity. Turns out that pandas won't even eat until they have nearly 300 pounds of bamboo to choose from. I learned that there are specialty farmers that farm plants animals in captivity need. 100 acres of a farm in Europe is solely for 2 pandas. I'm glad these farmers are employed and all, but it seems messed up. 

This picture isn't very good, but in real life, it almost looked real. It is one of the most beautifully taxidermic animals I have ever seen. All of the animals I saw in this museum were unbelievably well done. I think we should replace taxidermic animal museums for museums. Set the animals free, use what they leave us for education. Take videos of their behavior. I do love zoos though :/ Oh the internal conflict.

This is a story about how the pandas got the black around their eyes and they bodies. I'll call it a legend. It reads, " According to legend, pandas used to be completely white. One day, a young shepard herd girl saved a panda cub from being eaten by a leopard, but was killed in the process. As an expression fro their grief, the pandas covered their arms and shoulders in black ashes. When they whipped the tears from their eyes and covered their ears in mourning, they left black marks. They hugged each other for comfort and blackened their paws too. In memory of the shepherd girl's sacrifice, the pandas kept those black markings forever." <3

Look at those flutter bys!

So many animals. So amazing.

The sea turtle looked like he was soaring.

Piercing panther.

After seeing this piece on peas I felt awful that I'd forgotten Pete at home. Sorry Pete, you were with me though buddy!

One of my favorites from the day.

Turtle skeleton. Who would've thought? Look at the bones from the fin!

Touching tiger. Doesn't it look real! I loved how close I was able to get to all of these animals even though the glass separated us.

I think this is the only live animal i saw in the whole museum. This is a lungfish. This species has been around for 400 million years. I cannot even comprehend what all that even means. P.s. I love the astonishment on the kids face on the other side of the tank. My feelings too, kid.

400 million years of lineage. 400 million years of adaptation, change, life and death.

Read for yourselves.

I wonder if eating sand was genetically acquired in order to survive? It came back out of their gills, it was so strange. Maybe just playing in the sand? That's a thought!

Birdies! I love the beautiful blue one.

Parrots, again, look so real, right?

A shy beauty.

I wonder if this bird really has such a red beak and legs? And if it's natural habitat is like clay haha!?

This part of the museum was probably the coolest/grossest thing I have ever seen. So many pickled fish.

Jars upon jars upon jars.

I'll spare you the grotesque images, all but one!

Hungry hungry hippo!

The sophisticated polar bear.

Also really, really skinny.

small creatures.

Come on, look at that baby turtle!

A 3D printed bird. I found this unbelievable. It is easier to figure out how it was made in looking at the shadow. TECHNOLOGY, OH MY GOSH!

One last look at the massive beauties. Tails flying.

After the museum, I went to Kerstin's (the woman who owns the boats)birthday party. I was the only one who spoke no German and it was a little awkward, but it was great to get to see her and to see her celebrated by so many people. I'm very sad I will most likely not get the chance to see her again.

Shadow on the tram on the way to the party.

Not to mention the most adorable little kid. 

I came out of the museum with a new sweatshirt! I have been searching for a shit that says berlin on it but all of the touristy ones are really ugly, finally found a clear winner!

Successful day in a solo journey in the city. Gosh I love this place 

<3

Abbey

Reichstag

Another day, another field trip. 

A couple Sundays ago we were taken to the Reichstag. The Reichstag is the German parliament building  and is also known as the Bundestag. German's relatively recent history makes its government's history also very recent. The German capital only moved to Berlin in 1991. Before this, the capital was in Bonn. The destruction of the wall in 1989 led to the reunification of Germany. The debate between where the capital should be was a close one. Bonn was the existing capital of West Germany, but since East and West were now one, it was being debated whether or not it was a suitable capital city. Berlin only won the vote 338-320. It is argued that Berlin, although not central to Germany, had a stronger argument to be capital because it was a unified city with both Wast and West Germans. Bonn on the other hand was heavily populated by West Germans and in West Germany. Berlin was shared by the East and West during the divide and, in the end, won the vote.

It's funny, I've seen so many pictures of the building and have seen it in person that I didn't take a picture of the whole building. So this is from the internet haha. Oh well, it's a great picture. 

An artsy picture of mine to start off. This was taken in this little hallway constructed of drawers with all parliament members names on them, past and present, Hitler included. His drawer is actually supported more than the others so that people could not walk by and destroy it in passing. I don't really know if the drawers hold anything, or if it is supposed to be an art piece. 

A building across the street from the Reichstag that is awesome architecturally. 

Trees. I promise there will be more pictures inside the Reichstag.

Still outside, but I was loving the silhouette of the statute one the outside of the Bundestag during the sunset. 

If you look at the first photo again from the internet, you will see that there is a dome like structure at the center of the building. This is called the cupola. It was designed for people to be able to walk up it. The architecture is supposed to symbolize the government in that the people are the most powerful. For the cupola lies atop of the room where parliament is held. The people are literally on top of the government.

The first look from inside the cupola.

So picturesque with the sun setting. 

The center of the cupola

Happy as can be in our goofy poses.

Flag waving, sun setting. 

A couple panoramas of the cupola.

The girl looking at the map was so perfectly posed! Her friend enthralled in their phones add harmony. 

Still happy, acting goofy. I think it was because we had just been on an hour tour and we were finally set free to roam on our own. Taking in the amazing place we were in!

Gina told me my selfie game is improving. Only means you'll be seeing more selfies. A fun project yet to come! Get excited!
Also, my selfie game made Gina excited about selfies. Pictures galore! 

Oh heyyy!

Up close and personal.

I cut off our double chins haha

Maybe it's because we were hungry?

I love the pic on the left even though the panorama messed up a bit. You can see that the cupola is open at the top. It circulates airflow and also somehow condenses the air to store up water. Don't ask me how it works, but it is incredible. 

The decent. 

So prettyyy

A photographers dream, this cupola!

I could've stayed up there forever!

 

This piece of the cupola is made up of mirrors in order to reflect light into parliament. There is a shade that moves accreting to where the sun is so that it isn't blinding light. Awesome that natural light is used though!

Gina didn't know what a silhouette was, so I was teaching her by making her be my model. 

Some worked better than others. The light was dim. 

She loves the Berlin bear pose. 

Ah, what a rejuvenating sight. Such a beautiful view of a beautiful city!

Don't get me wrong, it will be great to come home, but it's going to be hard to leave this place!

<3 Abbey