Honolulu

 

Honolulu is located on the island of Oahu, the capital of Hawaii, and the home of Pearl Harbor. The USS Missouri is a museum ship there.

The Missouri participated in the Battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

The Empire of Japan surrendered on the deck of the USS Missouri.

The Missouri also participated in the Korean War, was mothballed for 30 years, then reactivated to patrol the Persian Gulf in the 80s.

The Missouri provided fire support during Operation Desert Storm, and was finally decommissioned in 1992.

Rounds en-route to the main gun

The USS Missouri watches over the USS Arizona, sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor. 

Bubbles and oil still leak from the ship.

1,177 seamen died aboard the Arizona. Survivors can have their ashes placed in the ship to be buried with their comrades.

Iolani Palace was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

There are some pretty cool trees next to it.

The palace was built in 1879.

The building was used as the capital of Hawaii from the overthrow of the monarch in 1893 until 1969.

The bathroom was very nice for the time.

Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown to secure the economic interests of US immigrants to Hawaii, especially sugar plantations. She was held captive at the palace for a time after her deposition.

A nice pipe!

Santa enjoying the weather on Hawaii

The Bishop Museum houses the world's largest collection of Polynesian artifacts.

The museum was founded by Charles Reed Bishop, husband of the last legal heir of the Kamehameha Dynasty, Princess Bernice Pahuahi Bishop, in 1889.

The cloak and helmet Hawaiian Chief Kalaniopu presented to Captain Cook. It was sent back to Britain, then was moved to New Zealand, then finally made its way back to Hawaii.

The Chief Mourner's costume from 1800s Tahiti

Palaoas are a symbol of high Hawaiian rank made of human hair and whale teeth.

What a difference 40 years makes.

A very unpleasant weapon called the leiomano

Hawaii is full of free-roam chickens.

They're even in the trees!

There are many different types of birds you commonly see around Oahu. How many can you see?

Even the intersections on Oahu are beautiful.

We went on a hike on the west side of the island up Pu'u Ma'eli'eli.

The area used to be part of a military base with concrete bunkers.

The trail is a little treacherous.

And there are plants with weird bumpy leaves.

But the view is worth it.

The peninsula on the left is the most beautiful marine airfield in the world.

Madea was here.

The Byodo-In Temple is near the trail in a cemetery.

It is a replica of an ancient Japanese temple in a cemetery for Japanese immigrants to Hawaii.

Most importantly it has a giant koi pond.

Honolulu has many amazing restaurants and bars.

Some common Hawaiian food you can find in restaurants and supermarkets. We ate this at Young's Fish Market.

The king of snow cones.

Taro donuts near North Shore

Mai Tais!

Skull & Crown Trading Co. in Chinatown is a vey cool tiki bar.

Waikiki Beach is always crowded.

But it's a great place to watch fireworks.

Happy New Year!

Berlin

 

Berlin is the capital of Germany. One of the coolest parts of the city is Museum Island, also home to the Berlin Cathedral.

The current Berlin Cathedral was built at the turn of the 20th century by Emperor William II.

It is the largest Protestant church in Germany.

You probably don't want this guy to write your name down.

King Frederick I's tomb from 1713

The Altes Museum is one of the history museums on Museum Island.

A griffin on a Greek amphora from the 600s BC

A Roman amphora with an "Equestrian Chorus" from the 500s BC

A Roman statue of a greyhound

The museum has a beautiful painted interior.

Some of Priam's Treasure from Troy. The Soviet's stole most of it and took it back to Russia after WWII.

Cypriot vases from the 700s to the 400s BC

Statue of Hor-sa-Tutu, a Polemic general

Akhenaten and Nefertiti

The Crown of Kerch, from Crimea during the time of the barbarian invasion of the Roman Empire. It probably belonged to the Huns.

Bones from the oldest battlefield in Europe. At least 120 people died in a valley in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern around 1300 BC.

Gold German pagan sun hats are the best.

Bronze Age war horns

A mosaic from Byzantine Ravenna

An epic battle

A chariot gambling machine from Constantinople

St. Simeon the Stylites

I wonder if I can 3D print this...

Isle of the Dead, 1883, Arnold Bocklin

A portrait of Piccolomini, Sienese general of the Holy Roman Empire.

A warning of plague from 17th century Augsburg

Berlin lights up at night.

The area around the Reichstag is very pleasant.

The Reichstag was not fixed back up until the fall of the Berlin Wall.

There was a COVID protest of some sort going on in front of the Brandenburg Gate.

The location of the Fuhrerbunker is now a parking lot.

A German Katamari

Charlottenburg Palace is located in the western part of Berlin.

Augustus the Strong of Poland, Frederick I of Prussia, and Frederick IV of Denmark meet in 1709.

Charlottenburg was built by Friedrich I's wife, Sophie Charlotte

Friedrich was the Elector of Brandenburg, but later crowned himself King "in" Prussia.

The original amber room (not this room) was made for Charlottenburg, but was given to Peter the Great in 1716.

The palace did not receive much use after the 1700s.

We also visited Sanssouci, King Frederick the Great's palace in Potsdam , outside Berlin.

It was built in the 1740s to help Frederick escape the stuffy and crowded royal court.

Frederick's flute, awaiting Lizzo's arrival

Evidence points to Frederick being a homosexual, and him having many trysts at Sanssouci.

Sanssouci is French for "without worries."

Old Fritz

A palace worthy of the King in Prussia and the King of Prussia.

Frederick is buried next to Sanssouci.

An epic approach

Frederick's Temple of Friendship, a tribute to famous gay couples from Greek mythology

The New Palace at Potsdam. Potsdam was the favored residence of the Hohenzollern royals until their rule came to an end after World War I.

Cecilienhof Palace in Potsdam was the last palace built by the House of Hohenzollern and was the location of the Potsdam Conference at the end of World War II.

Stalin was here.

The table that birthed the modern world order.

We stayed in the Radisson Blu Berlin before the giant aquarium in the middle of it exploded.

Pray to your cat god.