Back in Berlin

As of about 4 hours ago, I'm back in Berlin for the Christmas break. Excellent! I'll be here with Ms. Bear (and her family) for 2 whole weeks this time. What luxury! It'll be the longest that I've had the pleasure of her company in over three months. I've got lots of work to do over the 'break', so it's not going to be a matter of just kicking back having a holiday for two weeks straight, but that's not the point. Despite the work that's on the agenda, it's going to be great to have the chance to move a bit slower and recharge the batteries after what has been a hectic second half of the year.

In particular, I'm looking forward to heading out into the Berlin fray and readjusting to the hustle and bustle of a metropolis once more. It'll be the first thing I do tomorrow. Call me a masochist, but I'm heading straight to Friedrichstrasse to see the Christmas lights I've heard so much about and to immerse myself in the last-minute shopping panic of others, safe in the knowledge that all of my own Christmas shopping is long since done. Who knows, maybe I'll see a Berliner smile, though I'm not holding my breath.

Perhaps I'll take my camera and see if I can capture some of the final pre-Christmas madness for you. It's been ages since I did a photo-post. I'll see what I can rustle up.

Berlin