Day 198

Day 198

Sam II meets her peeps at the East Side Gallery.

Each Day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz



No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the blogger or polkadot magpie.

Day 195 Tiptoe Through The Tulips

Day 195

Outside of Berlin Sam II enjoys a beautiful children's park.  Those are hand carved wooden tulips she's holding on to.

Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz



No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 192 Brandenburg Gate Berlin

Day 192

On the way to the Brandenburg Gate we passed the American Embassy. The American Flag was at half mast for the Boston Bombings. I had Sam II on my hip like one carries a baby.  People stopped, took pictures of us with their phones, asked me to take their picture with their phones.  I handed out many "follow Sam" stickers. We were drawing quite a crowd. 


Just as we were passing the Embassy entrance, Sam II's left leg fell off making a loud crack as it hit the cement.  The crowd stopped, the guards reached for their guns.  Their eyes followed the sound and what did they see...a skeleton leg!  If only someone had been filming this, and captured their expressions.  The crowd rushed to help me pick up her leg, and my driver found the nut that fits the screw rolling down the sidewalk.  I attached her leg, with many helpers.  She got lots of kisses, and sympathy from the crowd.  Quite touching.  I'm sure the guards are still shaking their heads.

Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz



No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 191 Hanging in the Garden

Day 191

Sam II just loved Judith and Jurgen's garden.  She just held a branch, not climbing like Sam I who fell out of a tree.


Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz





No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the blogger and polkadotmagpie.

Day 189 Don't I Look Good In Graffiti

Day 189

Sam has developed a liking for graffiti as a back drop for her.  Silly skellie!



Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz

No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 186 New Berlin Friends

Day 186

At the Est Side Gallery MANY people took Sam II's photo.  These gentlemen were particularly smitten with her, but one guy has a skull Tshirt on...so naturally. 


Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz


No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written consent of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 185 Kathie Kollwitz Berlin

Day 185

Kathie Kollwitz has been a favorite artist of mine since the1980s.  She is a printmaker from the turn of the century. Her work has such emotion, that anyone who sees it can't help but be touched.  She has a museum in Berlin that I have always wanted to visit.  I did, and Sam and I visited the park where her sculpture is.  Hundreds of children playing around her, that were happy, and well fed.  I know this would please her.  What a perfect setting for her to be remembered in.

I give out stickers when I travel with Sam. I gave them out by the handfuls in this setting.  The kids love stickers, and they also loved Sam II.    Here is a link to her museum: 
http://www.kaethe-kollwitz.de/museum-en.htm


Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz


No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 184 more From The East Side Gallery

Day 184

Another panel from the East Side Gallery in Berlin.



Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz



No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 183 Don't Step On Sam!

Day 183

This sculpture in Berlin reminded me of Barak Obama.  That's all I'll say. 

Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz




No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 182 Check Point Charlie, Berlin

Day 182

They certainly had never had a skeleton pose for a picture at Check Point Charlie.  Sam loves a man in uniform!

Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz


No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 181 Ghosts in Berlin

Day 181

More from the East Side Gallery in Berlin.  Sam was not scared.


Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz



No photos may be reproduced from this blog without the writen consent of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 179 The Art of the Wall

Day 179

More from the East Side Gallery Wall in Berlin. 


Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz




No photos may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 178 Never Forget

Day 178

Sam II stands in front of the Holocaust Memorial.  It takes up a square block.  Hundreds (maybe more) of cement squares representing those who died. The ground is pitched, so that when you walk into the center, the squares get taller and taller.  Eventually they are over your head. At this point I became overwhelmed with grief and sadness. It was a week ago I was there, and I can still see and feel the power of this interactive sculpture.

Here's a brief link about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_to_the_Murdered_Jews_of_Europe



Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz

Day 175 East Side Gallery Forest

Day 175

Sam II in front of the forest painted on the East Side Gallery wall in Berlin.


Each day is a gift, open now.
xo, Suz


No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 174 East Side Gallery Berlin

Day 174

Sam II found the perfect backdrops at the East Side Gallery.  A symbol of the wall that came down, street artists in Berlin made their mark.  She was well loved here, and I think more photos of her were taken than I took of Sam II. 

Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz




No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the blogger and polkadot magpie.

Day 173 Berlin: Searching For Marx

Day 173

Berlin proved to be a magical location.  I did not allow enough time to photograph this vast city of glaring dichotomies.  Everywhere Sam II (and I) looked, there was juxtaposition of every kind.  War and Peace stood hand in hand. Communism and it's fall were left and right foot.  The architecture said so much.  The faces of the people walking the streets told their own tale. Older generations that scraped a meager existence during communism walked next to the young capitalists who knew little of their relatives' past reality. 

Sam was blown away that Karl Marx and his son remain in a public park.  The Berliners fondly call this statue "The Shitter and his son!" :-D

Sam II is unwrapped for a preview.  My friend Juergen ordered her to be delivered to his Berlin Studio when Delta rejected Sam and her new  Pelican case at the airport.  All this done from my long plane ride and wifi. She will go to Paris this Fall.  Saving me lots of headache during travel.  Sam the First was sad to stay home.  The support of my friends and family for this project has been enormous.  I can't thank them enough for this. 

The reason for the searching part of the title was because there is incredible construction going on in Berlin.  It took us several tries to find this statue, as most entries to the park were closed.

Each day is a gift, open now.
xo,
Suz



No photos from this blog may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the blogger and polkadot magpie.