Hello, Berlin!

I am quickly falling in Love with the city of Berlin, where past and present co-mingle and are expressed at every turn; on each rock; in the layout of the city; the graffiti`d buildings, and in the diverse population of creatives who flock to this city, because it bleeds inspiration.

I think it`s getting serious...

This dog is helping his human sell newspapers by doing tricks on the subway.

Yesterday I took a bike in a huge loop around the city. I saw ponds and fountains, churches and

statues, and the East-Side Gallery. The Gallery is a 1.3 km strip of the old wall, that has been repurposed by 106 artists from around the world. I walked along it with my bike, stopping to take pictures on occasion.

Visitors can leave their own art or message at the end of the gallery.

But! this is not the ONLY place one would see art. I mean, its an outdoor wall for goodness sake! and as i rode, I would see people and places everwhere. It is, as my Swedish dorm-mate said, "decorated"

I found a coffeeshop littered with families and couples and singular folks. Babies bathing naked in the fountains, accompanied by parents. couples kissing sweetly...and some a little more passionately. Amidst this there was a building that looked like an old train stn or something...It was completely covered in street graffiti, from, you could see, millions of different people.

This is Görlitzer Park, in the South Eastern part of Kreuzberg neighborhood.

people rested on relic chunks of old wall pieces, enjoying the hottest insofar Spring day of

April.

I stopped, too, to enjoy a sandwich and sketch in my notebook. I practiced drawing shadows by drawing this brigde. the Oberlunde...or something like that. When i find the name i will correct...

Bikers stopped in the park to read a book or enjoy a packed lunch. Turkish-Muslim-Berliners in barbequing and causing an entire park to waft with the smells of spiced meats and charcoal.

It´s just oh-so-present, and vibrant. Prague, in contrast is a city of history. I walked out there one morning and said, "Oh...my...I am sooooo in Europe."

Berlin, of course is very European, but moreover it is just ALIVE.

see you never, America. I want to just stay here.