Well we have visited and left Berlin. We arrived there a week ago Tuesday. We found Zac and Maria’s apartment easily. It is located in a beautiful tree lined neighborhood and Fall is full on here. Leaves are everywhere. The air is nippy. The neighborhood is full of trendy shops and restaurants. Families are strolling the streets everywhere and the bike is a major form of transportation. As it was the middle of the week, Zac and Maria worked during the day while Katie and I toured Berlin via foot and Metro. The first night we had a nice dinner just outside his front door then rode the Metro down to the Bundestag for a tour. We were a little late so we didn’t have a guide but we could walk all over the beehive that it is. Over subsequent days we toured Gundewald Park with its Teufelsberg Tower (an old spy setup for the Americans looking in on the East Germans). The site is now a home for artists with ever changing graffiti and art installations. We walked along Bernauerstrasse where they have a Berlin Wall Memorial. This brought back memories for me as I visited the area and the Wall back in 1982 prior to medical school. On that visit I went into East Germany at Checkpoint Charlie which is now a very touristy area with no resemblance to what it was. The neighborhood Zac and Maria live in was East Germany and at that time very bland and depressed. Now it is a trendy sought after neighborhood to live in. We visited the Wall Memorial which had some footage of the period when the wall opened up. Brought a tear to my eye as I remembered the prison the people lived in and the expression of joy as they crossed the border wall into West Berlin. Very sad that now the right wing party of Germany particularly in East Germany, is gaining strength with the desire to go back to the way it was in East Germany. We had a glorious dinner at a German Tapas restaurant. Wonderful small plates. Maria led us on a night tour of the Festival of Lights, a weeklong celebration of light art. We strolled some local street fairs picking up a variety of cheeses, meats, and olives. These sufficed as dinner one night supplemented with wine and some funny Berlin peppermint liqueur while we played Eucher together. A very fun though late night requiring soft voices and motrin in the morning. We managed lunch or dinners of Doner Kabap, Pig Knuckles, and Cheesecake. missed the Curry Wurst but honestly its a hot dog with curry on it. Katie and I walked probably 6-8 miles a day throughout the city along with Metro and train rides when too tired. We took away a few impressions. Everybody bikes and they are aggressive. You must get out of their way. Katie at 5’10” and me at 6’ were short. Many, many men and women were taller if not much taller. I have never felt so short in my life. Why isn’t basketball just a huge thing here. Germans follow the rules. If the walk sign is red do not cross. I don’t care if there is no car or bike in sight. Don’t cross. Berlin is a very progressive city, very open to different lifestyles, dress, and cultures. However, shop owners are often surley not afraid to laugh at you, wave their arms or roll their eyes if you have some trouble ordering something. Finally, i was impressed with their public transportation. Trains,trams, and metros run frequently and get to most corners of the city. I can’t say they are efficient or timely though. When needed to be on time we found trains were running off schedule and connections couldn’t be made. Luftansa the national airline was never on time. Getting through German security took forever, even when we were in the priority line as we were flying business class. We wondered why the line was so slow but everyone removes almost everything from their bag to get it on the conveyor belt through the xray machine. Oh this partially empty toothpaste tube needs to be in a 1 liter bag. Let’s scan it again. Oh well, the plane did not blow up. After more than 10 or 15 airport transfers on this round the world trip, Germany was the most thorough but very slow. We are now in Paris. There is a strike going on, What! Very nice dinner, conversation, and walks with Erin, Michael, Emma, and Hannah. Tonight a special duck dinner cooked by Erin then on to Avignon in the am by train
