A much delayed update...

tomorrow,
       and tomorrow,
                  and tomorrow....

I'll post to my blog!? and somehow tomorrow comes, goes and lo and behold the blog is just as it was one, two, three... I don't even know how many weeks ago. But not any more! I did this to myself in a way, I spent so long writing some of the first entries I wanted to keep up the quality as I went along.
The consequence?
"Oh, no time now, I need to really spend time on it! I'll do it later..." (times one hundred)
SO enough of me complaining how I haven't written, and more writing!
Since I started with Shakespeare, I think I'll continue on that thread since the Bard has been on my mind recently. Just update you that I went to Copenhagen (København) just this past weekend to visit my lovely roommate, current Copenhagen local, Laerke (who I hadn't seen since the fall of 2009, almost two years?! unreal.) She gave us (Dana, friend from Cal who joined us!) a splendid local's tour of the city.


Despite avoiding most touristy things,

Touristy thing exception #1 The Little Mermaid!

 on our last day we not only saw the Little Mermaid statue, we also went to the town of Elsinore (Helsingør) to see the castle where (arguably) the "most famous Dane" once upon a time brooded on the ramparts chasing his fathers ghost between watch towers. Ironically enough, Shakespeare's play Hamlet, although based of a Danish story and reliant on Danish names, was mostly fiction and the actual location, Elsinore, was simply chosen since it was such a famous, beautiful, and established castle. Nevertheless the name stuck and visitors flock there every year (including me!). So, okay, it's not where any real people named Hamlet and Ophelia strolled the corridors, but it was still the place that helped inspire the story. And just being able to imagine the play unfolding within the castles walls--the stone courtyard, banquet hall tower, and the dramatic ramparts--was quite amazing.

View from the ramparts across to Sweden! 

I was so enraptured with being at Hamlet's
castle that my eyes shut in wonderment
(times like these I should be wearing
sunglasses!)

Recently I was lucky enough to see a production of Shakespeare's Hamlet on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. That production made me realize that the performance space, whether already existing or created by a set designer, can really change the experience of theater. For instance I had never taken special notice of Hamlet's response to Rosen/stern but seeing it preformed on Alcatraz made the lines more poignant: 


"Denmark's a prison"..


And despite the fact that Hamlet is an English play (albeit set in Denmark) the castle supports a performance of the play (by the Globe theater London or RSC) in the courtyard each summer in August (Note to self: go back to Copenhagen/Helsingor in August at some point in lifetime). Hamlet may very well be my favorite play (in case you couldn't tell already!) and before I write you a nice long English essay I'll get back to blogging about that city I'm supposed to be living in now... right, Berlin!


But before I do, I want to mention a change of pace in my blog. Up until now my reflections have been mostly cultural and contemporary. But these past few weeks I have had a cultural revolution and become a more regular museum visitor and Opera attendee. Of course I'll still comment on culture and the little details of life, but I guess the blog will take on a more artistic flare. And if I get ambitious I'll try to upload some images of my drawings!


And yes, not to leave Elsinore and Denmark hanging, with Laerke's help, Dana and I made it safely back to Berlin on Sunday night. We were welcomed by meine mutti Romy with delicious Quiche Lorraine, wine, cake and fun conversation! No better way to be welcomed back home to Berlin!