My Halifax friend LT. tells me I’m too caught up in Israel’s war on Gaza that I should have a good time here in Berlin. Well, here’s a little photo essay for LT and you.

I’m staying in a ground floor flat in the former East Berlin — of course Berlin has been reunified so neither east nor west really exist. My son tells me one difference is that most 5 storey apartment buildings in East Berlin (sic) never had elevators and still do not.

This a dog city. Amazingly, about half the dogs are well trained to obediently walk (not lunge) on their leashes. The other half trot patiently beside their owners, and never NEVER, bolt over to strangers or run after them. The dog training here seems perfect. Apparently the city charges a nominal sum to dog owners to buy pink tags for their pets’ collars — the tags indicate that the dog is trained well enough to walk off leash on city streets. There’s no doggy do on the streets at all.

And here we are at Shakespeare & Sons with our new friend, V, from Australia. She is another Jew against Israel’s murderous war on Palestinians.

At shops, and thru windows… graffiti is everywhere. Left, through the window of Einstein’s cafe (a chain in Berlin) where there is no internet, and no laptops are allowed. Einstein’s coffee is not great either. Centre is the Fluffy Shop with the Japaneses ‘hello’ cats, and a bar near me.

Below: skateboarding sign for seniors; street art from before Oct. 7; and Larry at the Philharmonie to hear an Icelandic pianist play the Goldberg Variations. He says it was wonderful.

Image at the top: World’s People by Shimal Gimayev, 1990. On West Side of Berlin Wall, via Thierry Noir.