Road Trip - Berlin

This is the former Communist Party Headquarters in Berlin. (I didn't take this picture, I swiped it from the Internet.) It's one of my most distinct memories of my day in Berlin five years ago. Our host, Peter, said, "Take a picture of it now. It probably won't be here when you come back." Well, I'm not sure if it's still there, but we'll be going back on Thursday.

Yes, Fred and I will be joining four friends (Anke, Peter, Mariane and Andre) for a road trip to Berlin leaving Thursday and coming back on Sunday. It should be fun. It's going to be a long time in the car and I've got a pair of socks to work on. (This feels like repetition, so I'll move on.)

My first trip to Berlin, was with my good friend, Greeley. We were there during my first trip to Europe and were staying with friends of a friend of his. (Truth be told, it was the "slave" of his old friend, Poul, and the slaves lover. alex with a small a and Peter.) Well, Peter was a train enthusiast. Long story, but he loved trains and had a small room in the basement filled with toy trains. So he booked us on the fast train from where we were staying (Hanover) to Berlin. We had to get up at the crack of dawn and set out.

When we arrived in Berlin, Peter drug us around the city for about three hours stopping, pointing, reading from a book and then dragging us on to the next site. My other very clear memory was when he posed Greeley and me at the top of the Reichstag building to take our picture. He was so bossy. And we were smiling and posing and Greeley mumbled, "I guess I don't seem so bad after all, huh?" True. Peter was very well meaning, but he sort of put Greeley's..."very focused nature" is perspective.

As I've mentioned before, none of my co-travelers have been to Berlin before. All of them native Europeans and the only one in the bunch that's been to Berlin is me. They've been tons of other places. I'm just sayin'...

All of my other photos are the non-digital variety. That was such a fun trip. Completely changed my life. I should buy a scanner so I can have those on hand and not be forced to swipe things from the Internet. Oh well. I also kept copious notes and wrote in my journal (actual pen on paper) every day for hours. I always encourage people to keep journals.

You'll want to remember those things. You think you will, but you won't. So write it down.