Berlin...no wall

arrived berlin monday am via overnight train from heidelberg. couchette...basically a seat that reclines 2 1-2 inches...michelle said sunday that she didnt know a man who couldnt sleep in a chair...true...me included...but mercy

invested a chunk of time with the bahn -train- people determining trains for this week to avoid couchettes and get beds

being monday, lots of museums closed...started berlin tour, walking, at the brandenberg gate, then a leisurely stroll down unter den linden, main street, if you will

2,711 gravestones in the memorial to murdered jews of europe...stirring memorial, invites quiet, reflection...reminded me in a sense of arlington...basically concrete, gray rectangles, 'graves'...same dimensions width x length, but different height depending on the lay of the land...some 2 ft, some 12 ft+...gray, simple, sturdy concrete...number there is simply how many fit the property...no representation by the 2,711

train stopped at potsdam plaza...bustling place pre ww2, basically a no-mans land after as on the border of east-west berling. now with the wall down, sony and others have corporate towers there

attop the brandenburg gate, chairot and horses statue taken by napoleon when he defeated the prussians in 1806, brought back after prussians defeated him 7 years later...how in the heck did they get that thing up and down...imagine the jubilation here in 1989 when the wall came down

portions of the wall remain...estimated 12 feet high only 4-6 inches thick...rebar enforced

as i type this country music playing...first ive heard...in music store next door...now in train station in copenhagen...reminds me a bit of ellis island...lots of brick, wood and steel beams...back to music...garth brooks, if tomorrow never comes...sung by someone else, i guess a dane

us embassy doesnt give tours, i asked

hitlers bunker is under a parking garage 200 meters from memorial to the jews

walked past french and russian embassies too

visied the catholic st hedwigs church, aka upside down teacup...got its name because frederick the great turned a teacup upside down to show the architect what he wanted

visited german history museum...primarily a chronology of german history from charlemagne to the present...if i had my notes from warren county high western civ with charlie holmes, i think i could have followed it

speaking of history, our museum, the nc museum of history, is preparing for the george washington exhibit, the only museum in the southeast to have it, beginning in september...make plans to go...and to do your christmas shopping in the shop...lynn and the ladies there wrap...awesome...and i have been in at least 2 dozen museum shops...havent seen one yet to top ours...truly....

berlin cathedral...visited both days attending 6 pm services both...great service, in at 6, out at 630...incredible organ pre and postludes...unbelievable...the organist on Tuesdazy had it 'gagged wide open' as katherine paige harris young would say...could feel my brain shaking inside my skull...expected the stained glass in the dome to shatter and come crashing down around us at any moment...back to the service...brief homily, prayer, Lord's prayer, hymn and out the door, give offering as you depart

spent an hour monday laying on the grass in front of the cathedral...street musicians...beautiful day...big fountain...just looking at the clouds...as howard lee stultz, music teacher in high school used to say when he wanted us to be still...just contemplating my navel

dinner was great...tiny place on the street, rigatoni with the coldest beer, polish, i have had, about 7 euro

Tuesday, took george to the station and put him in the locker for the day

long walk through the tiergarden, basically a huge park, toured musical instruments museum...trying to make up for the exhibit missed in florence...great audio guide, with options to hear selections being played on various instruments

wurlitzer theatre organ in the center...demonstration ongoing upon arrival...interesting to hear and listen to german being translated to mandarin for the chinese group there

visited the kennedy museum...good for a little does of us history...molly harty would love this one...jfk and jbk had a tremendous reception during their time in berlin by the people here

also had a photography exhibit there of obama's people...3-4 length shots of various folks in administration from valerie jarret to reggie love to hilary...actually very good

relaxing lunch, 3 courses, special, 10 euro...awesome tomato soup...followed by boiled beef with potatoes and carrots...truly mommas in the crock pot is better...then a berry ice cream...surprise of the day was the strawberry served with the ice cream...looked like a 'hot house' berry...but tasted fresh plucked from the strawberry patch...the first taste of spring...we used to go, ma, gan and i, to dickersons strawberry farm in vicksboro...just past shocco church and pick buckets and buckets and more buckets...i ate a bunch too. i also remember going with howell steed there once...cant remember if mimi went too or not.

checkpoint charlie museum...was just too much...too much info in a small space with hordes of people...no line to get in, but i think everybody who came since easter was still in that unairconditioned space...stayed 10 minutes and escaped. checkpoint is still there...also a large section of the wall near by

bought nelson demille's gate house to read on the train this week...on sale, less than 5 euro...paperback...but printed in the hardback format...not a 'slender' version

planned to tour riechstag at days end...but line literally had about 400 people in it...no way

then on overnight train to copehagen...train cars put aboard ferry overnight...as i did not completly grasp the german language, i understood it to be that we would get off the train, board ferry at some point during the night...2 am...i set my alarm for 145...woke up...train still rolling...thought id stay awake...next thing i knew, 315...thought i had missed the boat...literally

no conductor in sight...looked like we were either on board a ship or in a warehouse...turns out on ship...never saw the dang water

went to bathroom at 630...grabbed key to my cabin...only to learn that it was the key to the shower...had locked myself out. luckily conductor returned at 7 and let me in

nice german lady and son in next cabin...she spoke excellent english...gave her my 'true blue' by david baldacci...they were heading to sweden for 2 weeks, cabin in the woods...meeting husband there...son had appendix removed last week, so they took the train

thought i would miss ice, dont

do miss splenda...havent seen a packet anywhere

love expresso...drink with lots of sugar...need that damned splenda...no cream-milk...wonder if i will be able to drink coffee at home now without cream...

staley gentry is right...attitude is everything

twins spotted...kevin pack of raleigh on a bike...also on a bike...the late cassie jones of warrenton, including hat with feather, 2 separate sightings, different people, liz fentress of raleigh, leslie white of greenville, david windell, friend from grad school of raleigh, ransi somerante, also unc bud, of raleigh, dawn coleman of rabbit bottom and mark goldhaber of raleigh down to the position of glasses on his nose and the way he holds a cell phone

this morning while crossing a large body of water...by bridge...saw huge windmill farm in the water

frank ballard...im working on being more positive

best meals in berlin...dinner last night, lunch monday, bratwurst with mustard and ketchup, bought from same guy...i am a creature of habit...1.2 euro...awesome...guy actually had a grill strapped around his waist...dont want to do that

lesson from vivian...check pockets prior to doing laundry...missed one and spiral bound notebook didnt survive...was able to capture data on 2 pages of notes from francois for paris...others...disaster

lesson learned from macey...lifting toilet seat with foot...comes in great daddy on the train...not always a clean area

when you have an opportunity to wash your hands with hot water and soap, do it

photos taken, 899

the berlin train station is huge...2 grocery stores in it...passed a shoe store monday...little beach music action going on there...sugar pie, honey bunch, you know that i love you, can't help myself, i want you and nobody else...i was the only guy shaggin' on the concourse