Hogmanay, Edinburgh

Hogmanay, Edinburgh
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

...all of whom end up in a big scrum on Princes St for the midnight fireworks.

Hogmanay, Edinburgh

Hogmanay, Edinburgh
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

New Year is a pretty big thing in Edinburgh, bands, fireworks, enormous numbers of people...

Reichstag Mirror, Berlin

Reichstag Mirror, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

This amazing construction sits inside the glass dome atop the Reichstag building and directs virtually all the sunlight hitting the dome down into the parliamentary chamber. I reckon they stole the idea from James Bond - I'm sure Moonraker had something similar...

Jewish Museum, Berlin

Jewish Museum, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

This is a very impressive building - the exterior is a dramatic zinc clad zig zag, criss-crossed with jagged slashes; the interior is divided into several axes each with a theme and each broken up by dramatic open spaces (the architect calls them "voided voids").

Museum Island, Berlin

Museum Island, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

...and about 10 degrees below zero. Had to wedge the camera against a pillar to stop my shivering from ruining the photo.

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin

Holocaust Memorial, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

PWC Building, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin

PWC Building, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

...to contrast with beautiful ones like this, a Renzo Piano creation.

(East) Berlin

(East) Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

While swathes of Berlin feature beautiful, uber-modern new buildings popping up like mushrooms, there are still plenty of examples of communist-era buildings...

XMas tree at the Potsdammer Platz, Berlin

XMas tree at the Potsdammer Platz, Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

More on the christmas decoration theme, with another self portrait hidden in there too.

XMas in Berlin

XMas in Berlin
Originally uploaded by JonathanTheMan.

I've never been to a place that take their xmas lights so seriously. They are everywhere, and not the half arsed efforts that I'm used to.