Friday, February 23, 2007

I've Never Been To Manhattan...

...but this weekend, we take Berlin!

For all you Leonard Cohen fans out there...oh, never mind!


I have to come clean -

I'm not the biggest fan of Germany. Ok...I said it!

Mrs. TBF and I met our friend Dave in Munich in October, 2001, and we had a really fun weekend. Then, we went to Hannover for a wedding a couple of years later, and had a good time at the wedding (even though I had a bad cold), but found Hannover to be...well...a bit on the dull side (sorry!). So, other than a handful of trips just over the border into Lörrach, or to make a flight connection in Frankfurt, Hamburg, or Munich, we haven't really ventured into Germany at all over the past few years.

And here's the best part: I speak passable German, AND the German border is only fifteen minutes away from where we live.

Ok...OK...take it easy! I have nothing against Germany. Nope...nothing at all that I can think of. I...just...don't make a reason to go there. It's kind of like when I lived in Chicago; there was absolutely NO reason to venture into Indiana or Wisconsin unless you really had some specific reason to go there (...going just to laugh at the Hoosiers and Cheeseheads doesn't count!).

It's the same for me with Germany.

So, why did we decide to go to Berlin this coming weekend? Well, I guess it's because the Basler Fasnacht begins this coming Monday, and the thought of being around Basel during the weekend prior to, and Monday of, Fasnacht (and having to endure that grating fife and drum music) is even less appealing to me than going to Germany for a long weekend.

Yes...I'm a real party-pooper when it comes to the Basler Fasnacht. Hell...I didn't even buy a Fasnacht badge! Mwah-ha-HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

So, it's with mixed emotions (indifference, lack of excitement, opting for the lesser of two evils...) and a general malaise (at least where I'm concerned) that we will make our way to Berlin tomorrow morning. I haven't made any restaurant reservations, I haven't really read our "Top 10 Berlin" book, and I...

Well, we'll see...

6 comments:

Gretchen said...

I really appreciate that you like to make anti-Wisconsin comments from time to time. Sometimes I think you do this just to check and see if I'm reading your blog!

In case you forgot, I love Brett Favre and I love cheese!

Global Librarian said...

You are missing out by so easily discounting both Germany.

And you cannot blame the whole state of Wisconsin just because you hated cutting down your own Christmas tree every year. There are many great and wonderful things in that state.

Not to mention -- The House on the Rock! The kitschiest museum I have ever seen in my life.

The Big Finn said...

Gretchen - ...just for you!

ET - Thanks to the Expatters' many fine suggestions (which I'll be reading on the plane tomorrow morning), I'm sure we'll have a good time.

GL - I don't blame the whole state of Wisconsin just because I hated cutting down our Christmas tree every year. I dislike the state of Wisconsin for a multitude of reasons.

christina said...

See? It comforts me to know that I'm not the only one who thinks Hannover (I live very close to there, did you know that??) is "a bit on the dull side", as you so diplomatically put it. Berlin is cool though, and anything would be better than Fasnacht, right?

The General Malaise seems to be is spreading like wildfire. I've got a pretty bad case of it myself.

The Sour Kraut said...

I will keep your feeling about Germany between you and me. If my mother only knew how you felt, she would shun you.

Bobby The C said...

I will not be moderated. I do not care for moderation. Although, in my personal life I prefer moderation in all things except my posts.