04/08/2026
Just thought I'd share this with you...
Lily is in Berlin studying Opera at the Berlin Opera Academy.
Today she had a day off and went to the Charlottenburg Palace!
There is a room in the Palace called "The China Room.
This beautiful room was built for Queen Sophie Charlotte of Prussia. She used the room as a private salon to host intellectuals, artists, and foreign dignitaries. Guests were served rare, expensive imports like tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, which were ultimate luxury status symbols. Instead of stiff royal protocols, she used the intimate, shimmering space for relaxed, late-night philosophical debates.Sadly, she died suddenly of pneumonia at age 36 in 1705, just a year before the room was fully completed.
There are over 2,700 pieces of blue-and-white porcelain lining the walls from floor to ceiling. The plates and vases came from China and Japan. Huge mirrors are placed between the displays, making the whole room look endless.Though it was destroyed in World War II, experts rebuilt it perfectly using old photos and original plans. It is an absolute must-see if you are ever in Berlin!
