Yesterday

Now I am typing from cafe where the keyboard is not set to English standard but so far that just seems to mean that the "y" and the "z" are switched and also, I just learned, that the quotations are in different places. This cafe is supposed to be open until 10, but they have already turned the chairs up on top of the tables. For some reason they are letting me use the computer anyway.

I don't want to spend a whole lot of time bc the keyboard is so annoying and bc they are closing, but I will try to give a brief rundown of yesterday.

I met Markus for breakfast, and Marta and Serge were there too. The 4 of us decided to walk to the Transport Museum (which, it turned out, is really far). We walked thru various pedestrianized areas, filled with tourist restaurants trying to lure us in. We also visited the synagogue, which is apparently the largest in Europe (??). They many works of art commemorating people murdered by the nazis including a metal weeping willow with a different name on each leaf and placks down on its base.

We continued our walk. Marta and Serge pealed off after a bit bc they had an appointment at 3. Markus and I stopped for a coffee in the park next to what looked like some kind of market (we never found out). The Transport Museum was cool, I would say even better than the one in London. I particularly liked the old bicycles and trains (big surprise there). Also included were old cars and a lesson on pavement materials, boats and horse-drawn carriages. The postcards weren't any good.

Afterwards, we had a beverage under a real weeping willow next to a pond where people road boats around. We took the oldest subway system in the word back. It's small and not very far below the surface, just like one small flight of stairs.

For dinner we ate at this vegetarian place which was really good. However, Jason (of Berlin) got the best thing with sweet pickled cabbage and a deep-fried rice patty. In the spirit of traveling, we all finished each others' plates (tho it wasn't family style). In fact, these travelers are hilarious about finishing whatever is left, be it by a friend or stranger. I guess that's what happens when you don't have any money for a long period of time.

Afterwards we went to that squat that I told you about in the previous blog with the multicolored lights in the broken windows. Had a few beers and walked back to the hostel.