Berlin
June 12
We have been in Berlin for the last few days and it is everything we’d been told to expect. This is a city I could see myself living in! It has a very hip feel to it, filled with parents pushing baby strollers while chatting on their cell phones, or cycling along with toddlers in tow to one of the hundreds of parks to choose from. Being a parent in Berlin seems to be something of a fashion statement. There are cafes on every street corner, with dozens of restaurants in between. Our timing for visiting couldn’t have been better - we are here for the first week of the Soccer World Cup. We gathered last night to watch the Uruguay-France match in an outdoor pub with a large sand filled area for the kids to play (these Berliners are always set up for kids, it’s great). The game wasn’t terribly exciting, but the experience was an enjoyable one. Our friend Philippe set us up with great accommodations a short distance from his own flat, making it convenient for his daughter and ours to quickly get together for their regular play sessions. For this reason alone, Sienna seems very happy here and could probably stay a while. We’ve toured the city the best way possible - on rent-a-bikes! We will never visit another large city any other way. We’ve managed to stay relatively active as a result, meaning there is no guilt when consuming copious amounts of beer and wine. Phil has been an exceptional host, and we aren’t wanting for anything. We hope to gather for the first Germany game at a pub tomorrow, which I’m told should be a lively experience. We’ll keep you posted.
