After luring Hanna into the Eastern part of Berlin, her connections to old acquaintances from Wilmersdorf practically have been cut. For many obviously a visit in East Berlin psychologically still is brought into connection with border controls and compulsory currency exchange.

The only ones which have visited Hanna several times (like yesterday) are Frank and Uwe, the owners of Hanna’s former local pub, the Spinnrad. Unfortunately they are free only on Wednesdays, so that they rarely have the opportunity to see us both. Therefore it was a special occasion to have me with them for BBQ and talking on the terrace.

The flea market on Boxhagener Platz has acquired a good reputation. It is still very original and offers several non-professional dealers offering a variety of things especially from the former East Germany. It is visited even by dealers from Munich supposedly to buy their supplies.

This summer there will be a reguIar market for arts and related as well, also on Sundays. It is called the Kunstrevale (arts in Revaler Straße, also in our area). At least it sounds interesting, I think we will visit it some time and see if a visit is worth while.

Today Hanna detected a huge cloud of smoke, maybe 200 to 300 metres from our flat: She said that she should call 112 (the German equivalent of 999), I said with that huge cloud that they would know for some time. Hanna did call anyway and hat a short talk with the emergency call centre. She was caller number eighty.

But principally she is right. Better a call too much than a missing one.

They played such a good season and then loose the direct Champions League qualification on the last day.

But the season nevertheless was better than expected.

Hanna keeps saying: “My God, these are holidays!”

But the weather is playing along marvellously, the terrace is inviting to sit outside. The only thing missing from the cancelled holidays in Spain is the sea. But even without it we are having a wonderful time!

On 28 May it will finally happen: the new Berlin Central Station will be opened with a big light show. This comes along with changes in the train schedules. This is important for me, as the trains to Hamburg will no longer pass Berlin Ostbahnhof unfortunately, but will use a new North-South-Tunnel under the city. This will mean seven instead of two stops on the S-Bahn to reach the train. In addition I have the choice to leave our flat at 6:30 on Mondays instead of 7 am. Or an hour later, which is probably what I will do.

What will not change is the departure from Ostkreuz. And this is a real contrast: on the one hand the flashy glass palace, the central station, on the other Ostkreuz, probably one of the most uncomfortable and run-down stations in Berlin. Well, as I already wrote elsewhere, this is planned to be changed. The local transport station with the highest number of passengers in Berlin will get a face lift. Building however will go on for years. If I keep my job, I wonder what will be first: the station finished or I becoming a pensioner…

Even if I am interested in soccer, the FIFA World Cup starts to annoy me. The last game from the ninteenhundred-something world cup is being retransmitted, her there is a soccer show, there another, ads with soccer, oversized soccer boots in town and other soccer-related stuff, advertisements in public transport telling you the days to the start of the world cup, reports on preparations here and there. And I am also slightly afraid of the reporting of the games themselves: 3 hours pre- and 3 hours after game reports or similar.

It was easier in the good old times: a game was transmitted, you just went to a pub or settled in front of your own TV with a bottle of beer. Now I probably will be nearly overfed, if it will start one day.

Elisabeth is in Berlin with a group of women from her institute and of course had to come by at our place for a couple of hours. And of course we had a BBQ again, even if she already had eaten with the group at the 12 Apostels.

We had steaks of lamb from the leg, tsatsiki, young potatoes and for desert an ice cream bomb.

Participants: three women, a tired, a not yet quite recovered and an unknown man… (in our home it is hardly possible to have one guest only)

It is very sad if you have to cancel a vacation which you were really looking forward to.

But getting well again has top priority.