Berlin

Vacation? What vacation?

I have a foggy memory of overeating and too hot weather and a whole lotta cats.

Continuing on the theme of 2010, which seems to be 'Busy on Steroids', I hit the ground running when we returned and haven't had a chance to catch my breath since.

It's not all the details of the trip that are really so interesting to write (or read) about but it was a lovely trip and a walk down memory lane with Mr. Kilt by my side. A friend commented on my facebook photos that they made him feel very patriotic (he also is an American expat living in Munich). I didn't have that as a conscious goal but I noticed that when I photograph places I travel to, I end up taking photos that not only show how a place looks but also help me to recreate how I feel about a place. I was showing Mr. Kilt my favorite parts of America and, maybe, just maybe, I was a bit proud of the place.



We flew back on Sunday night, September 12th, and landed on Monday September 13th. Mr. Kilt is not so keen on flying and was having no part of returning on September 11th. His parents arrived for a 5 day stay that afternoon. And I started German class (4 days a week, 2 hours a night) that very same evening.

I had a frantic weekend at home trying to get a few more home projects crossed off the list (my office space is really shaping up now and I have a guest bedroom that is ready for B&B duty) before the influx of Wiesn visitors this weekend.

This past weekend we made a hectic and disorganized dash to Berlin so Mr. Kilt could run the Berlin Marathon (his first and, he says, last marathon). His training was nowhere near what it could or should have been with all the other things going on but I am really proud of him. He ran the whole thing and had a time of 4:26. We managed to find each other in the rain and I dashed through the crowd to give him a big hug and something to lean on. In the next couple of hours I doctored him up and saw him off on the train and for whatever reason felt full and content.

Berlin is oh so amazing. We were limited in what we could see and do as the focus was on the marathon and the weather was terrible all weekend but I must get back there soon with some more time to explore and photograph. I am not sure I could live there as the place put me in a strange mood. There is some kind of emotional current running through the place and it felt raw, alive, sad, hopeful, defiant, new and rundown. WEBMU 2011? Yes, please.



I can barely keep my eyes open so better roll over and get to sleep. First Wiesn visitor arrives tomorrow and 7 more on their way for Friday. My Wiesn, League of Nations style.

Good night.
Posted from Munich