Octopodial Chrome

My brother & I found German food very agreeable. It’s quite hearty and savoury, with a great emphasis on meat & potatoes—but rather more flavour than one might expect from those ingredients. E.g. there are boiled potatoes—called salzkartoffeln—which I believe must be boiled in broth; they are rather more delicious than just simple boiled potatoes. Or possibly it’s just the use of heavily salted water, as the name suggests. However they’re cooked, they are wonderful.

The sausages, of course, were quite tasty. Even the cheap hot-dog class wursts (such as the famous Berliner currywursts) were a cut above what one might expect. And the good ones were simply superb.

We also had the German versions of Thai, Spanish and Italian food, and were never disappointed therewith. In fact, the Thai and Italian meals were particularly memorable during our stay.

Then there was the Kaufhaus des Westens, an immense department store with two floors devoted to food & drink…

All in all, I can heartily recommend Berlin to anyone with an appetite.

Americans tend to think of Germany as the home of excellent beer; I’m sorry to report that I can’t concur. It’s good, no doubt, and far better than American beer, but it’s just not all that interesting. English beer is far superior: much more complex. German beers are a study in cleanliness of flavour, while I prefer something busier. Still, it was good to have and drink.

An interesting fact is that beer, wine & liquor can be bought nearly anywhere in Germany: bars; restaurants; grocery stores; juice stores; sandwich stalls—anywhere. Apparently they haven’t the licensing laws which we’ve inflicted upon ourselves. The drinking age is 16 for beer and 18 for liquor, but doesn’t really seem to be enforced; it appears that one can drink in a restaurant with a meal with one’s parents. One can even drink beer openly on the street: my brother and I shared a lunch of bread, cheese, sausage, juice and beer directly in front of a police station. The bars can stay open as late as they like, and yet nearly every one is closed by midnight or one. You see, despite their lax drinking laws (or perhaps because of them?) Germans just don’t seem to drink all that much. I don’t believe that I saw anyone drunk while in Germany, to tell the truth.

No doubt Berliners get drunk, but they seem to do it far less than Denverites.

My brother and I both noticed that the girls in Berlin are for the most part much prettier than those over here—more attractive even than Texas girls. They’re not quite as attractive as London girls, but aren’t nearly as stylish. Their features are finer than ours, more distinguished and rather more interesting. I think that gals over there are so good looking because the German gals are German and the English, English. Over here we’re all mutts (I more than many), and IMHO it hurts our looks.

Well, my previously reported Berlin trip is now officially over: after a long set of delayed flights my brother Stephen & I have returned to the good ol’ US of A. It was a wonderful trip, and I'll be certain to give a full accounting over the next several days. For now, I’m gonna hit the sack.