Some Final Notes

Berlin is in some ways the same as the rest of Europe but in other ways different. A few notes: The underground. The underground looks antique but it is cleaner and more efficient than its respective and betterknown counterparts in Paris and London. Although we were riding a main line at rush hour, the crush we are used to in London was nowhere to be seen. Salt. Everything in this country has a lot of salt in it. And there is more salt on the table (as if you would need it.) The worst part about Germany (if there was a bad part) was that we were chronically thirsty, and the more we ate, the more thirsty we were! Languages. Berlin is a crossroads of Europe, and you feel it. At dinner on our last night, we were ordering in German, English and Italian, sometimes all at the same time. Our waiter--an Albanian from Kosovo--switched easily among the three. The girls were thoroughly confused as to what language they were supposed to use but tried valiantly to keep up. Fortunately, everyone was indulgent when a gratcie was substituted for a danke, and we were all amused when Meredith with a big smile sweetly turned to someone holding the door for her and offered up, "Donkey" by way of thanks.