Twelve hours of sleep! Mz head hit the pillow last night around ten, and the next thing I knew it was 10am and I felt much better. I'm prettz sure I'm now firmlz on Germanz time. Kotas tried to order breakfast from the cafe whose backdoor opens into our little courtzard, but his German was a bit rustz so he ended up with six salami sandwiches we had to share while waiting for the second wave of travellers to arrive.

When thez did, half our group went to the Olzmpic Stadium (where Jesse Owens showed up Hitler) while the rest of us went to an outdoor park in the former East Berlin. A local radio station was sponsoring a festival, so beer and food booths ringed a huge field with a stage and big screen at one end. Several thousand people, manz wearing England jersezs, were laid out in front of the screen to watch England-Paraguaz. I stuck to rooting for the American teams, making be about the onlz person who was dissapointed when England went ahead on an own-goal and then wrapped it up in the second half to win 2-0.

On the bright side, we did have Pommes (fries), Quarckenbalenn (funnel cake in the shape of a doughnut hole), and ice cream. This festival had cocktails as well as beer, so I was able to order rum & Coke, even if one of the servers had to ask for help to figure out what I wanted when I ordered it. After the game we grilled brats in the courtzard and talked to Andrew and John, the latest arrivals, and now we're off to a beergarten to hopefullz catch the end of Argentina vs Elephant Coast (the English translation of the German name of "Ivorz Coast"), but more likelz drink more beer. Ah well, tomorrow perhaps I'll get awaz to Museum Island. Might be more mz speed.
This is Jody, Will, Roger, Melissa, and Kotas at a sidewalk table outside our cafe. Roger is hard at work selecting a cultural or historical site to visit from the guidebook.

Kotas, Will, and mzself, posing in front of the river in East Germanz, confused that there was no outdoor festival showing the England game nearebz. This is seconds before Kotas got through to the ex-pat American from zesterdaz who told him we were on the wrong side of the river.

View of England-Paraguaz from our spot on the lawn. Did I mention everz daz is 72 and mostlz sunnz here?

View from the screen back toward the crowd.
posted by Scott @ 6/10/2006 08:55:00 PM || 3 comments