Ich bin ein Berliner

10 September

After an early hot yoga class in the neighbourhood to free up my stiff old joints,  it's farewell to Amsterdam and on the 1101 to Berlin, a journey of over 6 hours and quite frighteningly punctual. Sunshine and pretty scenery all the way until I get to Berlin Hauptbahnhof when I notice the rain streaming down the glass domed roof, and it hasn't let up by the time the suburban train has taken me to Zoologische Gardens near to Rick's place and my rendezvous at Cafe Eckstein with David and Steve. Hang the expense, it was going to take a good 20 minutes to walk with Nellie so I decide to take a cab, and fortunately the other people in the queue decide to abandon the quest because we're all getting completely soaked as the rain sweeps in, the cabs appear to have forsaken the station and the dark patches on my jeans expand upwards from the ankles.

Success eventually and the cab drops me off on the wrong side of the roadworks outside the bar, but Nellie and I negotiate our way through to the cosiness of this lovely neighbourhood hostelry where the staff were welcoming and helpful. David and Steve arrived after 2 beers, and having dried out nicely I then moved on to the Aperol spritzes, setting the pattern for the rest of the night. Oh dear….


We had dinner (it wasn't nouvelle cuisine but it tasted pretty good) and then went round to Rick's to drop off Nellie and then head to the Old Timers bar for another Aperol Spritz, followed by the Red & Gold, where Rick eventually joined us having flown in late. I am a little concerned that Aperol Spritz may turn out to be like Sunny Delight from the 90s and that eventually I will turn orange.

The Red & Gold was friendly and quiet but the best bit is that the owner has a massive collection of old singles and he operates a manual jukebox - you get to choose 3 singles for every drink you buy. Some are cheesy, some are classics and we have fun grooving and singing to old favourites until we suddenly realise it's gone 2am (Steve has already called it a day at this point) and we stagger home - asleep as soon as head hits the pillow. Good times.