For my final day in Berlin I headed a bit farther afield to Potsdam, a half-hour S Bahn ride from my home away from home. Potsdam was the home of the Prussian kings and the German Kaiser until 1918. The Sanssouci Park is the site of King Frederick the Great’s retreat from official duties. The name Sanssouci comes from the French sans souci which means “carefree.”
The park is huge and beautifully manicured. The main gates give onto a fountain in a round pond in the distance. A 45˚ turn at the pond reveals the palace in all its grandeur.
The Schloss Sanssucci is where Frederick planned to really kick back. It is set atop six terraced vineyards, with 22 steps (I counted!) to reach each terrace.
There are no ballrooms, and the spare bedrooms meant for guests are quite spartan, though there is a long reception hallway. But attention was paid to the music room and the “flower room” which are quite remarkably rococo.
The back of the Schloss is a large open courtyard surrounded by a covered area which proved very handy in the sudden downpour.
Through the passage just shown to the right the land slopes down. At the bottom of a small hill a costumed flautist performed. A windmill stood not far off.
The flautist played lilting classical music while I watched. His repertoire was unexpectedly wide. On a second pass, he was playing Raindrops Are Falling on my Head which at that moment they actually were.
I also discovered pay toilets at Sanssouci Park. At least the payments were going where they were intended; the restroom was as clean as all the public restrooms I have happened upon in Berlin.
Next up a bite of lunch in Potsdam and a visit to the Museum Barberini where a a show entitled “From Hopper to Rothko: America’s Road to Modern Art” caught my attention.
The museum is part the Alter Market Square and shares its space with arresting buildings including St. Nikolaikirche. But the promise of a Rothko in the much less imposing Museum Barberini drew me in for the short time I had left in Potsdam. The ground floor exhibition was work by German artists who risked imprisonment (or worse!) as they skirted GDR restrictions concerning the arts – it should always reflect socialist views of life and labour. The upper two floors contained works from the Phillips Collection in Washington and were fascinating to view.
Jutta and I shared a final dinner tonight in a well-known German restaurant. Jutta had schnitzel and I had the recommended steak with onions. Delish! I shall miss Jutta and Berlin. Perhaps another visit to Berlin is in the cards.
I will leave you with a short quiz. Mary M, you are disqualified since I have stolen this idea from you! What have the numbers 10,336, 16,668, 12,881, 15,503, 17,407, 19,599 and 17,277 got in common? The answer in tomorrow’s post.
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