Berlin, Seductress

Berlin was simply beautiful, doing its best to lure me back with hot days and warm nights and not a drop of rain (particularly wonderful given the weeks of terrible weather in Madrid). It was perfect for summer dresses and bike rides. Mr. Performance Artist was really sweet to lend me his good bike and I happily cycled around to my old haunts. I got to go to most of my favorite restaurants, and managed to do Bangkok Treffpunkt (the best green curry in town) and Safran twice. I also did some new things I never made time for when I was living there -- it's great to be a tourist in a city where one used to live. I went to the super hokey DDR museum where I climbed into the Trabi for a test ride through simulated rows of Plattenbauen. Another thing I had never done while living there, was make it out to swim in one of the lakes surrounding Berlin (Mügglesee).

My plane landed Wednesday night, in time for an obligatory cheap-night visit to Tresor, accompanied by Mr. PA and the beautiful N. When it's not raining (and there was not a drop of rain the whole week), Berlin is so much fun in June and July. I love the decadent feeling of arriving home just as the sky is lightening for the next day. I spent lots of time sitting in sidewalk cafés and even allowed myself to be dragged to watch a Eurocup soccer game, the best part of which was sharing a Spanish rosé in the warm evening air. Just as my last day in Berlin turned cold, I came back to a Madrid that was grudgingly talking itself into finally entering summer. You'll hear no more weather peeves from me. Winter and darkness are just a distant memory. Happy June!