B for Berlin

Here in Germany, you can tell where a car comes from - either the specific town or the general area - simply by reading the first letter or letter on the vehicle registration plate (or 'number plate' as the British would say).

D = Düsseldorf, E = Essen, F = Frankfurt, K = Cologne, MTK = Main-Taunus-Kreis (district), and ME = the town and district of Mettmann.

B, therefore, stands for big, beautiful, buoyant, breezy, bustling Berlin.

With 3.3 million people in Berlin, it's definitely big. However, it's not so big now that I know I can walk from my aunt's flat in the leafy south district of Steglitz to Bahnhof Zoo in one hour. Incredible. When you're on the underground - whose yellow carriages I love ...you hurtle through the tunnels and it seems that there are many kilometres between each station. 

Beautiful - oh, the lovely old apartment buildings. The German town where I live has some old Jugendstil buildings. Jugendstil is Art Nouveau/Art Deco. However, since 70% of this town was flattened in World War II, there aren't that many of them left over. Shame. But in Berlin....if you offered me an Altbauwohnung (a flat in one of these old buildings), I might be tempted. If only the surrounding countryside was as interesting as it is where I live.

Buoyant - the people here are definitely upbeat there. Very helpful. Very pleasant. 

Breezy - when my German aunts from Berlin visit North Wales, even in the summer, they complain about how windy it is and walk around with cotton wool sticking out of their ears. Well, it would be wind there, wouldn't it? It's right next to the sea. You should always expect breezes and strong winds when you live next to so much open water. Well, Berlin was just as bad. My lips dried out - and I often wore a face mask in the street just to protect my face.

Bustling - lots of people out and about. Even tourists. As someone pointed out to me, it's a global city, one of the best in the world. Thanks to the very wide streets, though, people were able to keep their distance - something that is so important in this pandemic.

Berlin is definitely worth a visit.