The coming two weekends will be busy as we will be having dear guests. Our friend Michael will come to visit us in our dream flat for the first time and we intend to stroll through our “kiez” a bit. Of course hopefully also some nightlife, hopefully because this time of the year is not the best for me. As I do not want to take morphine, I have to lie down a bit more, but Axel is a strong help as he realises at once when I am taking on too much and he helps me where he can.

Today we have a starling day again. These birds like to sit on our roof on their way to Africa and bring lots of excitement for Smokie with their chitchat and for me lots of fun, they are true little goblins. Currently they appear in such numbers to remeind me of Hitchcock. I am to stupid to use the camera but possibly I will even learn that at some time.

Monday morning is not a good time for cheerulness anyway. I leave the flat for the week, our cat protests behind the door that I am leaving again. Fortunately people on the Monday morning train are still sleepy, so that one may rest a bit. Not so this time!

Behind me two elderly couples on a short trip to Hamburg. Obviously one of the women is absolutely proud of being able to read and reads out any speed indicator, each station name. Spandau, 139, Falkensee, 170 Nauen, 204, 228, could not read that and so on. Topping it of in Hamburg with announcing every station of the local S-Bahn every couple of hundred meters.

Some people should book a course in “Being silent with grace”.