You are leaving the American sector...

So, I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Berlin (trying to write on a German keyboard, mind you, which is not really a piece of cake when one is used to touch-typing) and since April is next to me writing a long, probably beautifully-written blog entry, I thought I might do the same. At least, write an entry...no promises on length or beauty. Rest assured, that there will be a long and picture-filled post when I get back to the States in a little over a week; this is just a mini-update.

We're leaving Berlin today--after a three-day dash through the city--and heading to my grandmother's house in a little village about an hour away from Cologne. Somehow, in about an hour, we're going to have to squeeze four large suitcases and four medium-sized people into a tiny rental car! Berlin is my favorite city (Vienna being a close second, but not on the itinerary for this trip) and I'm sad to leave, although I have to say that the saddest departure so far was leaving sunny La Palma, where we spent the first week of our journey eating and drinking non-stop (not our fault--my aunt, who lives there with her two incredible Spanish hunting dogs and her husband--seemed intent on plying us with as much Spanish champagne as humanly possible). We also, of course, sat on the beach and baked (my girlfriend was so worried about the sun, rightly so with her fair complexion, that she used SPF 50 sunblock!); went on a truly incredible hike through the mountains, a hike which included 13 tunnels that had to be carefully navigated lest you hit your head on the sharp rocks above (which we all did at least once, except my uncle); and just generally enjoyed the tropical islands breezes and sunlight (the island is very temperate, not too hot, and was apparently the inspiration for Madonna's "La Isla Bonita").

I promise there will be a more thorough explication in about a week, but I'm worried I might run out of time soon, so I better go. I miss you all and hope everyone is fairing well in my absence.