The Shifting Sands

Well it is different, that is for sure. We have been here for eleven weeks and in that time Chris has been away at least for five, almost six weeks, mostly in the States. Living in Potsdam, which is old East Germany, means different things on different days. If I am shopping it shows to me just how little German I have learnt in my two and a bit months here and highlights why I must start lessons this week! Potsdamers speak German and Russion and the Berliners who have come here for the quieter life speak some English, as does anyone under 30 years of age - needless to say I have a few favorite shops now and when in supermarkets make a beeline for the younger checkout girls and guys. I have started my cultural immersion program - each week I go to a palace, art gallery, museum or exhibition. So far I have been on an english speaking tour of Schloss (Palace) Chalottenburg, seen the most depressing and probably enlightening exhibition of Kathe Kollwitz art work and on Wedn

I think I will let the pictures do the talking for this trip....................... We had fun!

Our Lake, Holy Lake, is fast becoming the centre of our recreation. The girls now have Ice Skates and have had a few opportunities to skate around one of several rinks that locals come and shovel for their own and everyone else’s pleasure. Lucy had eight girl friends sleep over for her twelfth birthday on the 6th of February. Many of them skated too. It is absolutely wonderful that within six weeks of landing in Berlin and only four weeks of school Lucy can have eight girls to sleep over! And now we are on our next adventure. Having driven via Baden Baden only yesterday (some 600km) with a further 500plus km’s today we head for a weeks skiing in Allevard, near Grenoble then up to Disneyland in Paris for the weekend. WE are all very excited, but for different reasons! Post script - Chris wants me to mention that yesterday my tolerance level was for 140km per hour max on the German Auto Bahns but that today he got to 170km per hour and I didn’t flinch!