Berlin looks incredibly spacey, friendly and sunny. I suspect that Berliners had been informed of my visit and tried to make an impression, because it was perfect. We were running around the places where history walked and occasionally made for other countries to beat crap out of them.

And because panache makes one philosophical, one evening my friend pointed out:

“It is so weird. We have great culture, philosophy and stuff and still this nation could get totally insane… And some people are still saying that Hitler wasn´t that bad, because he had roads built. Yeah, nice one.“

Me: “And that Germany didn´t lose the WWI.”

Her: “Of course not! We got the dagger in the back!”

Me: “And then you didn´t start the WWII!”

Her: “Right, Poland attacked us! We had to defend ourselves by attacking France!”

Me: “And Czechoslovakia had to be pacified, we were even planning a counter-attack back in 1938!”

Her: “And now look. Some sixty years without war, so how all this gore came to be?”

Me: “Well, you know, shit happens…”

(Pause so pregnant it might have twins.)

Me: “But the thing is it happened twice in a twenty years span…”

Her: “Yeah… More panache…” More deep thinking.    

Random Berlin features included:

- name “Berlin” maybe comes from Western Slavic “berl” for “bog” or “swamp” and here I thougt it had something to do with the bear that is the symbol of the city

- bathing on the Spree + changing into swimsuit on the public, Germans, you Bohemians! I would normally hide on the WC and change there, but there I thought “oh, sod this!” and threw my maiden honour away

- nice, big marihuana in a flower pot in the middle of the sidewalk

- walking into an Ancient Greek gate and emerging out through the in the Pergamon Museum

- blocked off by mysterious railings which made us wonder, wander and get lost in the park – facepalm moment: when I came home I realized that the Athletic World Championship is taking place there

- the Berlin Wall – gone for 20 years, yet omnipresent – there were so many amazing exhibitions commemorating the fall of the Berlin Wall as well as Polish Solidarność that got cool posters

- starting to think about learning some German and definitely more about German history

- being taken for local, much to my instant panic whenever people asked for help

- in some pubs they ask you if you prefer Czech or German beer – Krušovice beer is all over the place - and so are Škoda cars – I am astonished.

- – I didn´t visit, but I stared and laughed

- at Checkpoint Charlie I got almost knocked down by a “Soviet soldier” who was packing away American flag

I loved all of the six days I spent in Germany, but it is kind of obvious, right? All the better to have a fellow explorer with whom I can shared bouts of nerdiness.

Vienna, you are next! On Friday.