Berlin Again

We got a sendoff from a couple of KGB agents. They were very lively, and I'm tellin' ya, these guys know everything about everything. Actually there were  lots of street shows just like this in Dresden and Berlin. People capitalizing on the communist past. Ironic isn't it?

It's Spargelzeit in Europe in Spring, and that seems to be a very big deal. Asparagus is everywhere, in every restaurant, and in every street market. Most asparagus is eaten white in Germany & Austria, it's way more tender and less bitter than we are used to, in fact they call it "edible ivory". It has to be kept in the dark to remain white, so it's a time-consuming job to keep it covered.





We had some time to visit one or two more out of the way places. Spandau is a suburb of Berlin where there are a couple of churches and a citadel that date from the 16th century. These guys used a lot of bricks.   

These statues used to be on a main thoroughfare, the Siegesallee, but after a long and winding road, including being buried for a time, they ended up here, in Spandau Citadel. 

We had an hour or so in the morning to shop for goodies that we have a real hard time acquiring in the US, things which are abundant in the smallest grocery market in Germany. Salad dressing, candy and snack items that we like but just can't get back home without spending an arm and a leg. Funny thing though, the cheapo grocery outlet in Germany, Aldi Markt, is intimately related to Trader Joe's. One man's generic house brand is another man's exotic delicacy. It's all about location.


Well the time has come to think about closing the door on this particular chapter. We are heading home tomorrow which means about thirty six hours of travel, most of which will involve sitting in a small compartment for an extended period of time. At least there's a view. Anyway we hop on a plane to Munich about noon, then a few hours later we fly to San Francisco. We'll leave for Bend by car a few hours after that. I'll try to update this blog when I have time and try to elaborate and embellish previous posts as I can. Thanks for your attention. Talk to you all soon. Feel free to email me or send comments. I'll address what I can.