I love Berlin. Always have. I went to the Love Parade, danced with 1.3 million people in the streets there a few years ago and was pretty sure life didn’t get much better..

But Berlin in the middle of Winter, -6 degrees, covered in snow, when you’re there because you missed a flight is not even going to get a footnote in my “Fond Memories Of 2010” list. It wasn’t pretty and I wasn’t sad to go. A German guy told me that 40% of Berliners are on welfare and looking around, I wondered how anyone could get by there without plenty of cash to blow on gas bills or electric underpants.

It wasn’t all bad, mind you. It was my birthday on Sunday and Daz and I went on a pub crawl on Saturday night. We had a pretty good time too and Darren’s efforts as Cultural Liaisons Officer were really quite stellar! We went to a number of seedy Berlin bars and ended up at a club called the Matrix. Now, I reckon that’s where they take all the tourists, because I’ve been to Berlin 4 times and I’ve been in that same club 3 out of those. Please someone take me to another club next time.

I’ve always said that “Zie Germans love zie dancing!” and this occasion was no different.  There was booty shaking akimbo and Daz gave everyone free tennis lessons all over the floor too. They loved it. They really do love zie dancing!

I was pretty sedate, still recovering from my Aussie cough and a little tired from New Years. Managed to get myself home a little while after midnight having met some lovely new friends who wished me Happy Birthday till my ears hurt. Thanks guys!

The good news is, we made it to Israel! It’s warm here and super interesting too! Although, on the bus to the hostel, I left my really awesome team jacket… Booooooooooo… (Schweffy, you guys have any more in stock I can buy?? I wanna feel like less of an idiot!)

We’re staying in a really nice hostel called the Old Jaffa Hostel. It’s near the beach and only a couple of hours from the marathon in Tiberias. 36 hours till the next run… It’s going to be a good week!