Detail of papyrus on display in the Altes ("Old") Museum in Berlin.

The last weekend of my stay, Berlin hosted a marathon that involved roller bladers (Saturday) and runners (Sunday). These people were amazing. Some were showing off, blading backwards, and others were skating in pairs, to "draft" off each other. The crowds were lively, cheering and whistling.

An apartment building? condo? in Schoneberg, near the Botanical Garden. This whole neighborhood was gorgeous, quiet, a lovely place through which to stroll.

A house on the grounds at the Botanical Garden.

One of the massive greenhouses ("hothouses") at the Botanical Garden.

Looking up at the Spanish Moss draped from hanging pots at the Botanical Garden.

This is the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedaachtniskirche, a glorious old church in Kurfunstendamm in Berlin. The church was heavily damaged in WWII bombing, and the broken tower was preserved as-is as a reminder.