Danke

Sinking into life in Berlin has been nothing but pleasant. The only thing that would have made it better for me would have been if I had known more German when I arrived. I planned to try and cram a couple quick weeks of German lessons (on my Mac perhaps), but alas... there has really been no need. Many Germans speak English. But shame on me anyway.

My friends Crisi and Sarah, both of whom I met in Thailand, have been great hosts and guides, especially Sarah who has put me up in her place the past week or so. Her flatmate, Timo, has been quite hospitable as well.

Sarah and Timo live in Kreuzberg, a geographically large neighborhood south of downtown with a large Turkish immigrant population. There are many Turkish bakeries, restaurants grocery stores, and other businesses in the area.

The past weeks here in Germany (and Europe for that matter) have seen daily UEFA soccer playoffs. I knew football was a big deal in Europe, but I did not expect to see the utter preoccupation with the daily games. In the U.S. we have sports fans, and sports bars where they tend to go to watch their big games. During this playoff time, however, every game is a big game to everyone. And if it is your country playing today, it's really really big. Face painting, dressing in national colors, etc. Each evening after work on any block in any neighborhood, there are tables, chairs, and big screens set out on the sidewalks, for neighbors to gather together and watch the games and enjoy the mild summer weather over a beer or two.

So besides the German game days carrying a special excitement, the Turkish game days do as well, especially in Kreuzberg. Also exciting is that both teams have done nothing but win. When the Turks advanced to the next round last week, thousands of Turkish immigrants flooded the streets of Berlin and partied all night.... and this isn't even the quarter finals.

The German locals have been equally delighted about their team's success, but have been somewhat less raucous in the aftermath.

I have noticed examples here and there of Berliners' extra civilized behavior. For example, at a beer garden showing the Germany vs. Poland game, enough fans had turned out so that all of the benches set out in the yard to watch the big screen were filled. So the bar denied entry to other folks so that the bench sitters could see the screen. I don't think I have ever seen that before.

Also, riding my borrowed bike around town has been a relatively low stress affair, considering this is a bustling major metropolis. Drivers and pedestrians alike show a tremendous amount of courtesy and consideration out on the road. The extensive presence of bike lanes is helpful as well.

As always, it is so difficult to see everything there is to see here. I am trying not to stress about it. I am alternating tourist days with relaxation and recreation time. If I don't see all of the must sees here, it's OK.

The next couple of months of travel has begun to take shape as well. I bought tickets to visit Barcelona, Spain next week and Ghent, Belgium near Brussels to visit friends there the week after. From Ghent I will likely hop up to Amsterdam for a few days before visiting friends again in Prague, Czech Republic. In early August I will attend The Big Chill festival in England, which was recommended by a good friend in London whose tastes I hold in high esteem. It's pricey, but you only live once, right?

I am feeling especially lucky to have these friends in such great places. I did not expect so much company and support when I originally planned my trip to Europe. But after a relatively solitary time in Argentina, I have a new appreciation for time spent, not only someplace new, but someplace with good friends.

Danke amigos.