Europe Day 56 of 59, Berlin to London

With the last minute replacement of Slovenia with Berlin, we ended up spending a full 12 nights in Germany. This means that we spent one-fifth of our trip in Germany, and I'm almost sorry to leave it. I could have definitely spent more time in Berlin, and there are many other parts of the country we did not see at all.

I snapped a pic of our bags while we were checking out of the Hotel De Rome. Yes, I am still trying to show off that we spent 59 days away from home, in hot and cold climates, with nothing more than these six small bags. And we really could have travelled with less.

Barbie being let into the cab by the driver with Babelplatz in the background. Turns out our cab driver was born in Krakow, Poland, then moved to East Berlin in 1987, and then lived though The Wall coming down and he now lives in the part of town that was once West Berlin. How is that for a fascinating life? Perhaps it was mistake to not get his email to do a documentary on him.

A groovy "from the Taxi" pic. Made groovier by rotation of unknown origin.

When we got to this part of town, the driver made a point of telling us that this is how most neighborhoods in West Berlin looked and that the East was the opposite. I now regret not traveling further East to see the neighborhoods which have not changed much since reunification. Remember, the city was severely damaged by the Battle of Berlin, with three major armies fighting their way into the capital. After 1945, the British and American backed Germans rebuilt one way, while the Soviet controlled Berlin was rebuilt another way. It brings up a never ending series of questions which cannot be answered. There almost was an answer, until Putin came along to make it look like the Russians do not mind having a dictator.

Tegel Airport, Berlin.

I wanted to get this pic for the last few days. All over town, there are billboards about the Hooters that is opening soon. Makes me want to shout the Team America theme, "America! F%&# Yeah!"

Weirdest airport ever. The arrival and departure areas are mixed, so that as you're handing over your luggage people a few feet away are coming off the plane and hugging their loved ones. Just weird.

I am not ashamed to admit that before taking this picture I had no idea that Mongolian Airlines existed.

The last view of Berlin.

The first view of London.

This is the 24th city and 9th country we have visited in the last 55 days. Honestly, time has lost its meaning. Every day or two feels like a week, every week feels like a month, and every month feels like a year.

Another picture that I probably shouldn't have taken, as the security of the free world is in danger if bad people know what a customs area looks like. London is super-paranoid about the swine flu, or, as the pork industry calls it, the hybrid flu. There were lots of people wearing surgical masks in this line. It was... uncomfortable. When you see one person wearing a surgical mask, you think, "Freak." When you see twenty, you think, "I need a surgical mask."

We got to the hotel and we were starving, so without even looking at the room we immediately went across the street to The King's Head pub. You should be able to identify which beverage above belonged to which traveller. You might recall we spotted a King's Head pub in Galway, Ireland. It's obviously a common name, as we have one in Santa Monica, California. And, I wonder, if this is a seafaring pun. Because on the seas, the King's Head is a royal toilet, no?

I got the BBQ Chicken with bacon and cheddar, peas and potatoes.

Mushroom pie for Barbie. Pub food is just generally good. And inexpensive.

Our hotel is the building on the left with the flags in front. All hotels have flags. It seems silly, until you've walked a few blocks from the tube and you are looking for your hotel as the bags get heavier and heavier. Then you realize that the flags are a very good thing.

Yours truly getting a tan from standing in the English rain. It was raining. I took the picture specifically to reference Lennon-McCartney, although I did find it nifty that you can see me in the window and the mirror inside the shop.

Welcome to our room at The Browns Hotel, London. Just inside is the closet with the motion activated light. It's on, which means that I just moved.

The bedroom area, which comes with a handy dandy wife.

Beyond the bedroom area is the desk area, which has a Winston Churchill theme. Seriously, that is a picture of him on the desk and on the bookshelf most of the books are about him. I am reading a book of his quotes when I visit the commoner's head. I also think that Ian, our English friend whom we met on the cruise, should be Prime Minister. Just for the quotes.

A fairly nice room, especially by London standards. I know it looks like there is sunlight out there, but we didn't make it back out the door. We had room service and got involved watching a documentary on Hunter S. Thompson.

As we've already done London, we are looking forward to a few relaxing days of casual sightseeing. Kind of like Rome. It's always nice to visit somewhere you have already travelled and enjoyed, so that there is no pressure to see it all. And I am quite excited to see an old friend from my college days who lives here. And, really, we're here to adjust back to hearing the English language after 55 days of FrenchItalianSpanishDutchDanishGerman.

By the way, I am devastated. I secretly planned to visit Hammersmith Palais, which was open when I last visited London, just to take a picture in front of it with the note, "White Man In Hammersmith Palais." For those who do not know, Hammersmith Palais is a very famous London music venue that opened in 1919. And, "White Man in Hammersmith Palais," is the best song on the first album by The Clash. Damn it all to hell. I just read on Wikipedia that Hammersmith Palais was condemned and demolished in 2007. This is a lesson in doing things before it is too late. This is the first time I am truly tempted to curse on the blog.