Berlin

Last night my hostel was full up, so I thought what the hell? I`ll go to Berlin. Frankfurt was getting boring.

Marty once said that if he had to sum up the spirit of Germany in a single sentence once, it would be, "The trains are always on time." What sort of omen was it that on my first train trip in Germany, the train to Berlin was 7 minutes late? We managed to make up the time on the trip to Berlin though, and arrived exactly on time. So I guess I can`t complain.

I am awed and intensely jealous of the train system here. It is no more difficult to board a train between Frankfurt and Berlin than it is to board the MAX between Portland and Gresham.

On the trip up to Olympia, my Amtrak train had major technical problems and had to wait for other trains: a not uncommon occurance on Amtrak. So it took about 4 hours to go 115 miles. One the Inter-City Express (ICE) train from Frankfurt to Berlin, it took 4 hours and 15 minutes to go about 343 miles. Only three times more efficient!

A big chunk of the stimulus money is supposed to go to building a train system like this in the US. Not across the whole thing of course, but along certain distinct corridors: Vancouver, BC to Eugene; San Diego to Sacramento; New York to DC; etc. I can`t wait.

When I arrived in Berlin, I immediately liked it. So cheap, so laidback. The hostel I am staying at was recommended by a friend of a friend (Marty). It is awesome. I am thinking of staying a week. Nice showers (plenty of hot water, strong flow), free coffee, and free internet access on two computers in the common room. I am partaking of the latter two now, and plan to partake of the first very soon.

Price for a döner in Frankfurt: 4 € ($5.60)
Price for a döner in Berlin: 2.5 € ($3.50)

And that cheap döner was equal to the best one I had in Frankfurt. On the first time out the gate! I have high hopes of finding a new best döner soon.

Price for half a liter of beer (16.5 ounces) in Frankfurt: 3.5 €.
Price for half a liter of beer in Berlin: 1.0 €

That`s right. $1.40 for a pint, bought individually! And the beer was relatively good (berliner pilsner).

P.S. The hostel room I stayed in last night had four English girls, one French girl, and one French-Canadian girl. ("Not Canadian. Québécois. It`s different.")

First impression of English girls: they complain all the time. It really is astounding the inventiveness with which they find things to complain about.

I went on a lovely walk with the Québécois last night. We explored the streets of Berlin, casually sipping from beers as we walked. (Oh what I would give to be able to do that in the States. So pleasant.) She is studying at the Sorbonne, which quite impressed me when I first heard it. But then she explained that there are now four different Sorbonne campuses, and it takes a great many students every year. And we talked about the difference between North Americans and Europeans. They are so different.