OK, this city has put me on total overload. I headed from Alexander Platz through Haecksher Markt to The Neues Museum. Along a leisurely walk surrounded by waterways and leafy green trees, I was reminded how beautiful the complex series of historic museums had become. Every building was renovated and preserved with the greatest detail and care.

I found David Chipperfield’s integration of the Egyptian collection with the new wing very confusing. But the inspiring Archaeological Treasures of Uzbekistan exhibit compensated for the building’s shortcomings. The German museums distinguish themselves with superior curating and skill in educating the public with interesting, thorough, and thoughtful research. Most major exhibits are translated into English.

The exhibit introduced visitors to the early influences of buddhism in Central Asia before Alexander invaded and spread Greek culture throughout the area. Later, Arab invaders imposed Islamic culture after Persians brought Zoroastrianism, yet another religion, to this region.

Original Sogdians, a Turkic people, began and traded along the Silk Road. Journeys were not long transcontinental slogs imagined by Marco Polo’s travels. Initially, the Sogdians and others traded in short segments between two posts. Instead of traveling between a long string of pearls from one end to the other, they merely traded pearl to pearl.

Bokhara, Samarkand, and Kiva became wealthy cities from the silk brought by the Sogdian traders. The Silk Road stretched throughout the width of Uzbekistan, from the western Han Dynasty gateway that controlled trade in and out of China, through the trade cities, and on to Tehran and beyond.

Within the exhibit, a quiet sanctuary offered a place for reflection and solace. Visitors could post notes, questions and thoughts about the exhibit. It was the perfect moment to pause and refresh. I contributed a few of my own comments! I felt that I had flown on a magical carpet to Uzbekistan!

Berlin Philharmonie

Although I was able to sketch the Berlin Philharmonie (see previous post) from the outside, the chance to attend a concert inside seemed to elude me. I finally bought a ticket on the third visit to Berlin. The acoustics in the auditorium with more than 2000 seats provided a high quality, enjoyable performance.

The Art Supply Dream World

Here’s a tip for my urban sketching buddies:

My vote for the best art supplier in the world is Boesner, a German store in Prenzlauer Berg (with branches in other German cities). It satisfies any and all aesthetic and technical needs for artists, including papers, paint, canvasses, brushes and everything else in between. Rooms full of sketch pads, imported papers of endless thicknesses and weights, and sets of watercolors, pastels or pencils increased the dilemma over what to choose. This was a top-flight, migraine-inducing experience!

The next stop is Leipzig, where many famous classical musicians such as Bach, Schumann, Mendelssohn and even Wagner, hung out and made music.