The Bike

Shirly loaned me a bike. It is about 50 years old. At first, this was a huge plus, as a guy who was biking beside me down Unter den Linden called out "What a cool bike! Where did you find it?" and then we had a whole conversation about the cool bike at a stoplight. The bike is pretty awesome looking. It even has a leather saddle, probably circa 1954. Check out the new bell I installed.

But, the bike is pretty slow. I get passed all the time on the bike path. A woman rang her bell at me yesterday to tell me to move to the right so that she could pass (I think that's what she wanted; as discussed, she may have merely wanted to say "hallo," which is what she said as she cruised past me, though I think it was more of a "hallo??!")

And here is me and the bike in front of the Brandenburg Gate. Maybe it seems like the Brandenburg Gate is ubiquitous in Berlin and that every time one takes a picture no matter where one is, the Brandenburg Gate is in the background. But actually this is not the case. I got this picture because I was walking the bike through the gate (due to heavy police presence around the World Cup stage and hoopla in the area of the Gate--it's illegal to bike on the sidewalk) some tourists in town for the soccer asked me to take their picture in front of the giant soccer ball that's right behind the gate. They agreed to take my picture in return, but seemed surprised that I wanted a picture of myself and bike in front of the Brandenburg Gate, not in front of the giant soccer ball. Friggin soccer fans, no respect for German history.

Here, just for your information, is the ugly, giant soccer ball.