German Fun!

Let me first of all give MAJOR props, and thanks, to my amazing German host/tour guide/restauranteur, Steph Johnson! I have had an incredibly enjoyable and educational week in Berlin while getting to spend time with one of my dearest friends...what a blessing! John and I arrived back in Villefranche tonight to regroup and recover from the past week of being apart
:( We enjoyed a fabulous seafood dinner on our terrace while catching up and relaxing in the chilly night air as the beautiful sailboats and yachts glided across out horizon. John has been on the road all over Europe this past week traveling to and from meetings with 2 of his MediaExcel coworkers. He has some great pictures of the Eiffel Tower and an ancient pub (been serving beer there since 1300!) that I hope to post soon. While John was traveling for work, I shot up to Berlin to visit Stephanie and have my first experience of German life. And the conclusion is...I LOVE Germany! Although largely enriched by the company and conversation of Stephanie, I thoroughly enjoyed the rich culture of Berlin. We spent nearly 3 full days power-walking Berlin in the perfectly chilly, sun-soaked weather as I tried to absorb all the German history and knowledge I could throughout the city...the historic vibe of the city is so fresh with war-torn buildings around every corner and remembrances of people groups and past leaders strewn throughout. Not to mention the amazing food and energetic Germans fluttering about Berlin as the city seemed to be full of energy and life at all times. My culturally challenging moments (aside from the language barrier which Stephanie gracefully remediated) came mostly in the form of the 'bike lane." Apparently, throughout Berlin, there is one section of the sidewalk reserved solely for bikers. This rule is NOT to be loosely interpreted despite the fact that it is not posted via sign anywhere... Pedestrians are the lowest on the heirarchy of street travel. Observance of the "bike lane"is not just a social suggestion in Berlin, such as eye contact during a toast, but more of an issue of common law enforceable by all citizens. A single mindless momentary meander into the bike lane can land a poor, unsuspecting American girl (such as I) in the hospital...or, more likely, in long-term counseling resulting from trauma caused by elderly German women shouting profanities and/or bike bells ringing incessantly in your sleep. Thus are the said consequencs of intrusion into the bike lane which Steph graciously prevented me from incurring on multiple occasions by shoving me into the street even to spare my life from the bikers. What would I have done without her? I have posted pictures of my Germany trip as well as some additional photos of John and I at our Villa/village on Shutterfly. Click on: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AYtmzVy2atGL-Q to view them. We love and miss you all!