Andy's first day in Berlin

Well we made it! Hard to believe we're in Berlin. Sonja, we had a Issin(sp) last night, they were great! Its like a spiced sausage with curry powder on top. The first thing I noticed about Berlin is that people do not cut their grass past their sidewalks. It just seems so unkept, the grass is about 3-4 feet long next to the street. I just want to grab a weed wacker and go to work. Lots of people on bikes and lots and lots of small shops at street level and then two to four levels of apartments above. People in their cars really zip around fast so you have to be very careful crossing streets. I almost saw a car take out a bicyclist yesterday, crazy!! Space seems to be at a premium and everyone parks in those grassy areas. Hum! maybe a connection there!!! Katie mentioned that there is a big graffite problem in the city, even on the top floors of buildings. Today, after we meet Emily's friend, we will set out to do some sight seeing. I want to see the historic buildings. I havn't talked to anyone yet other than hallos(hellos) in German, I'm still a bit nervous about how I will look. Rick Steeves says to throw caution to the wind and don't worry about 'making a fool of yourself.' So I'll keep that in mind. I can here the nearby church bells ringing, very loud. They ring for several minutes. So long for now, I'm a little homesick but enjoying!! Andy