Groove is in the Heart

Saturday, June 11, 2005

Safe Landing und Blogger ins Deutsch

I hope this posts in English, the rest of the Blogger interface I'm using has switched to German for some reason... :)

After a ferocious three days of preparation, my departure from the country was relatively smooth and easy. The flight from SFO to LHR was easy as pie, I was so exhausted I slept most of the way, watched part of one film and just read the rest of the time. I purposely scheduled a long layover in London so I could go meet up with friends and buy cheese at Harrod's. Well, the cheese part worked out. I didn't give my friends in London enough notice and both people I really wanted to see were not in the city yesterday.

No matter, I cruised around Knightsbridge, checking out places from childhood memory not seen in many, many years. Wandering Basil street, remarking differences and similarities. They’ve remodeled the restaurant and bar at The Capital hotel into a 40’s style establishment; it rocks. I had a glass of wine at the bar, shooting the shit with the bartender and catching up on who used to work there but doesn’t anymore, how the food is and so on.

Harrod's is both very different than I remember, and not at all changed. Upon reflection, of course the crowds I saw yesterday have always been there, but childhood memory has edited that out. They roam around the store, not really buying much; they treat it a bit like an interactive museum of British stuff. People everywhere. Security is tighter than I remember, they wouldn't let me wear my little day pack, I had to carry it around by hand. Oh but it is just as wonderful a place as I remember. Of course the bulk of my time was spent in the food halls.

They have all these little mini-restaurants built into the place now. A sushi bar, a pizzeria, a rotisserie. There are little tasting tables all over the place. I found it really difficult not to switch to a British accent. It was a physical effort not to answer every question in my best London dialect. Among other goodies, I bought the cheese I remember, Farmhouse white Cheddar from Keen. Ohman, so yummy. I took the spoils of my shopping excursion around the way to a little park I remembered and had a nice lunch with my book. Then it was time to head back to Heathrow to catch the flight to Berlin.

I was out before we ever pushed back from the gate and didn’t stir until the woman in my row tapped my shoulder, letting me know we had landed already. Katja was waiting with her brother, Christian, and it was a happy reunion.

Driving through the streets of Berlin it was as though I had been there yesterday. We crossed town to Kudamm and had a beer together, dodging the smoky bar in favor of the outside patio. It was raining as we sat beneath the huge umbrellas, catching up.

I’ve missed this place. Her parents were nearly hopping up and down with excitement when we walked in the door. I wish I had adequate words to describe all they’ve done here. They have spent the last few months building out virtually an entire apartment here for Katja. It is lovely. I will try to take some photos and post them.

We just finished breakfast in the little Wintergarten, what we would call a solarium, her glass enclosed kitchen and breakfast nook that looks out onto the garden, which is in FULL bloom. I’ve got disc II of Chillout Sessions playing as I write this, and later, when the rain abates, we’ll take the bicycles into Neuruppin and meet some friends.

In many ways, it is very good to be home.

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