26th May - To Berlin

The Uber arrives - a female driver - she recognizes a language problem and makes no attempt at conversation - she is timely - efficient - polite and accommodating.

50 minutes and we are at the airport named after Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino

 We approach security with our usual dread - a sign! - Pacemaker? - Then don't come here - go to priority screening on floor one! - it was great advice - quick simple - uncrowded! - through in a flash. 

We breakfast and then find a seat and wait to farewell Palermo. 

Palermo? - it was not what I expected - it looks ready to unshackle itself from it's recent history and to reclaim it's former pride and glory.

I will remember its stylish buildings slowly returning to their former glory - I will remember the Mafia memorial - I will remember Alex and Tony and their friendly trattoria - I will remember the street food restaurant down the lane from our accommodations - I will remember the catacombs with its now lifeless artefacts of their heavenly creator - I will remember my stroll down Via Vittoria Emanuele to the crossroads - I will remember the crossroads itself - I will remember its food and I will remember that little horse that commanded the streets of the city on our carriage excursion.

I will try to forget the drivers - I will try to forget the scooter riders that live in the back lanes of the old city - I will try to forget the impossible stairs up to our apartment and I will try to forget the carriage driver's ability to extract funds from my wallet.

We board the plane - suddenly the stylish Italian men have gone and taken their pretty partners with them - we see tired looking European tourists - we see efficient German hostesses and attendants - the hand gestures are gone and the volume of the interpersonal communications is now discreet. We are just a little sad to be leaving Siscily behind!

We arrive in Frankfurt - of course we did!!! - and we enjoyed them! 

A half-full plane gets us to Berlin - soon we are in the train with no idea if it is going to take us in the right direction or to the right place - our ticket is unverified - we no idea where we are going and we have unverified tickets to nowhere - clearly we have everything under control! - 

The young tourist has the interests of the young tourist at heart - he has no interest whatsoever in the welfare of an aging Australian with a walking stick - he makes no effort to move his bag away from the opposite seats so that the seats may become available for someone to sit upon - "he will get his comeuppance" thinks I. 

We stack our bags in the bike area. Soon a big fat tired electric bike is placed against them - they are going nowhere!

The train is about to leave - a young mother with pusher and more children that anyone should have to control on a train trip after a long flight boards - she sees the young tourist and his reserve of unoccupied seats - not only is she successful in getting him to move his bags she convinces him he should also move his personage - he moves up the carriage with his tail between his legs.

Where is this train going? - we fire up Google maps - we are a little reassured - it seems to be heading towards Friedrichstabe and Hotel Melia.

Soon the train announces it is to stop Friedrichstabe - "how amazing a navigator am l" thinks I - I caution myself - I remember the numbers times when the outcome of my navigational efforts have not been as successful!

100m and we are at Hotel Melia.

We are not going anywhere except to the bar - multiple gin and tonics and a tapas selection for two - if Berlin keeps up this standard of culinary performance then our stay is going to be a delight.