Museum and Gardens

Ready for war

Our day was divided into three parts plus ride.  While Rob attended morning talks, I packed up and checked out of the hotel before spending two hours at the nearby museum complex.  Today, after brief stops in the Chinese and Japanese scroll area, I headed for the extensive Pacific Island collection. Much of this was collected from Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Hawaii, and other islands in the Pacific.  The masks were particularly interesting.  I've included several of the information plaques along with photos.  

One of several greenhouses at the Botanical Garden

After picking up some lunch supplies we headed for the nearby Botanical Garden where we ate and then walked, ending up in the large complex of greenhouses.  Finally we headed south on the bike, with a target city of Cottbus, which we knew nothing about except that it was in the direction of Prague and large enough to have hotel choices.  We found one that suited our needs and then walked the town, which is an interesting mix of elaborate brick or ornamented buildings (circa 1890s-1910), with more modern and less interesting buildings, and more graffiti than we have previously noticed in Germany. There is also a technical university here.  And a second local language--Sorbian.  Signs are in both.

But tonight is another soccer meet--Germany vs. Italy.  All the cafes have big TV screens and the locals are definitely up for it.  (Unfortunately, as I write this, the score is Italy 2, Germany 0.  Will update later if Germany improves.  This is a semi-final match.  Later: Italy won 2-1)