Essential Berlin landmarks

Berlin is no doubt one of my favorite European cities. Last time I went was in June 2005. I present to you some photos from my trip, of what I consider to be among the most important things to see in the capital of Germany:

The Brandenburger Tor

When I was there, a huge photo of what the Brandenburger Tor looked like in 1945 was placed in front of it. The devastation was incredible.

The German parliament - The Reichstag or Bundestag - notice the glass dome on top. You can go inside it!

The Bundestag again - a very popular place with the tourists!

The Holocaust Memorial in Berlin - officially the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. It consists of 2771 concrete slabs arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field.

The Memorial with the Bundestag in the background.

Funky Tucson

Tucson, Arizona is probably the nicest city in the American Southwest. It is where I live right now, and I have been here as a visitor several times before moving here. Here are some photos from my neighborhood in Tucson:

Tucson's 4th Avenue has plenty of little shops and eateries.

4th Avenue.

An alley - we recycle here :)

Part of the University of Arizona campus can be seen in the background.

There is also some healthy patriotism to be found in Tucson.

Las Vegas - crazy gargantuan casinos

I've been to Las Vegas, Nevada once. This month actually. It's just a really insane place. Megalomania meets entertainment meets greed meets horny meets fun. Here are some of the giant casinos on the Strip (Las Vegas Boulevard):

Caesar's Palace - that, I presume, is Julius Caesar himself.

Paris, Las Vegas has its own Eiffel Tower - just as big as the one in France.

The Mirage

The Venetian - complete with canals and gondolas, just like in Venice.

The Stratosphere Casino has this tower, the Stratosphere Tower (duh) with carousels on top.

Even the local Super 8 Motel in Las Vegas contains a casino.

Bergen, Norway

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway. With around 250 000 people it's not very big, but it has the feel of a fairly large city too it. I was there in 2006 and took only a few photos unfortunately. Here are some of them:

Some neat little houses in Bergen.

The Aquarium in Bergen is a must-go-see for tourists. They got penguins and seals and stuff.

Random street picture.

Bergen harbor-side.

The Haakon's Hall is a medieval stone hall built by king Haakon in the 13th century. Part of the Bergenhus fortress.

What Bergen looks like from above. View from the Fløyen mountain. You take a cable car to get up there!

Up on the mountain, there was still snow. And a friendly troll.

Tartu trip

I love to travel in the Baltic countries. Especially Estonia. Mind you, I have only done so once, but I have vowed to return. On my trip through Estonia, I stopped by Tartu for a few days. This is Estonia's second largest city (after the capital, Tallinn), and its main university city. The town was small and really pretty. I took a few photos:

Tartu's city hall on the main square.

In front of the city hall I found this cool statue slash fountain of two lovers in the rain.

Tartu University's main building.

Near the university you can find this neat building with painted-on windows.

The bridge of tears (or bridge of love, I forget).

Interesting statue of man and boy - notice they are the same size... weird.

Warsaw - Wintery views from the Palace of Culture and Science

I spent the days between Christmas and New Year's of 2005 in Warsaw. It was cold and dark, but that did not stop me from falling in love with the capital of Poland. When you travel to Warsaw, there is one place you should not miss - The Palace of Culture of Science. This monstrous building, Stalin's personal gift to the Polish people, gives you some excellent views of modern Warsaw. Check it out:

The Palace of Culture and Science can be seen from all over the city.

Close-up of the Palace.

Above and below: views from the top floor!

This Christmas tree looked a lot nicer at night when lit up!

Apartment complexes and industry on the outskirts of Warsaw.

A rather crowded ice-skating rink!