"Berlin Schmerlin"

Sunday evening greetings from Berlin!

Becky and I arrived in Berlin late thursday evening after a not soooo bad flight on Air India. We had a few concerns going in to that little adventure but, all in all, it wasn't bad if you consider I had three seats to myself to lay across offsetting this aircrafts immediate need of refurbishing combined with the fact that it was not just a passenger 747 but half cargo as well; meaning, what would normally be a section of the passenger cabin (rows 40 & beyond) on any other 747, on this particular aircraft, were cargo.

We did have an hour delay leaving LAX due to an impromptu FAA inspection. The pilot assured us this sort of thing always happened I, however, have done a whole lotta flyin' and this was news to me! Will have to check with my flight attendant friend, Randy, to verify. Ultimately, I'm gonna go with my original thought with that being just mayyyyyyybeeeee Air India has had some...er...trouble in the past, and the FAA is keeping an eye on them.

FAA or no FAA we arrived in Frankfurt during a major rain storm; made our way across the several terminals to Air Berlin where we then waited on hour on the tarmac, due to weather, before taking off to Berlin.

Before I go on, we rented an apartment in Berlin for the 5 nights we're here by way of the Internet. The owner was to have mailed be a key; however, he was held up on a trip to Paris so the plan was to have the housekeeper, Dennis, meet us at the apartment when we arrived in Berlin.

I, having a Nokia international ready cell phone, was told i could swap my US sims card for a European pay as you go one and that these cards could be purchased pretty much anywhere. My hope was that I could purchase one at the Frankfurt airport so I could call Dennis with info as to our arrival; ultimatlely, however, there was no need as Becky's friend, Audrey, loaned her a German cell phone. It was a total Woo Woo! moment when we were able to figure out how to use to call Dennis to let him know we were just an hour or so away in Frankfurt with him agreeing to meet us at the Zoo UBahn station and then walk with us to the apartment. It, however, was not a woo woo moment when we were sitting on the tarmac having learned of the one hour delay unable to call Dennis, because the cell phone's battery was now dead!

I, being the shy type, immediately hit up the man sitting next to Becky for the use of his cell phone. In addition to the use of his phone, he spoke to Dennis in German explaining our situation as well as informing us Dennis would leave the key to the apartment under the second rock to the left of the front door.

We fly to Berlin, catch a bus, ya da ya da ya da, walk three blocks in the rain to the door of the apartment but no rock, well, no rock on the porch; the second rock was actually part of the centuries old cobblestone sidewalk we had to dig-up, in the rain, to find the key.

After alllllll that, we open the door to the apartment, and it's wonderfully charming...very European...very IKEA with all the amenities of home including a large balcony overlooking the street just blocks off the Kurfurstendamm about a ten minute walk to the main train station as well as supermarket.

On Friday, we slept-in and then did a quick walking tour of the area, bought some groceries and popped into the local bar for a beer to hang out with the locals as well as the dog that hangs out in this particular pub.

In the evening, we went to the home of my friends Karin & Barnard; their two sons Leo and Friedriche, and their pet mouse Becky named Schnitzel.

Almost outta time...gotta go..until next time.....