Still in the throes of post-election despair? So are we. We are trying our best to distract ourselves here in-between reading news updates on the crumbling of American democracy. But wasn’t this the reason we got our German passports to begin with? The whole process was triggered by the results of the 2016 election and wanting to have an exit strategy if needed. And here we are in Berlin. In the last two days leading up to the election, I met two Americans here who had essentially given up on ever returning to the US. Both have dual citizenship. One is in her 70s and one is in her 30s. Each had their specific reasons, but both essentially echoed the sentiment that the country isn’t what it used to be, and that US politics were just too out of sync with their values. Now can one really escape right-wing politics and conservative backlash in Germany? Of course not. Is anti-immigrant sentiment simultaneously percolating up across the EU, UK and US? Clearly it is. Is denying the climate crisis a way to curb waves of refugees fleeing to nations of opportunity? Obviously not. Does living in the EU make us feel safer than we would in California? Not particularly. We are awfully close to Ukraine. It’s all just too much to stew in without twisting our heads into pulsating knots. So we are following all of the maddening news developments, and… continuing on with our adventures here, cooking up more fun memories in our year of grown-up study abroad while the opportunities present themselves, and hoping for the best for the US, the EU and humanity all over the globe. But am I glad we have our second passports? Undoubtedly yes. Does that mean we will hunker down here for the next four years? I can’t imagine it will really get that bad. I hope I’m right about that.

In the meantime, we are still having fabulous adventures here that are a very lucky distraction from election malaise. Last week, we had the great fortune of enjoying a jam-packed and delicious trip to what remains in our minds Europe’s most stunningly beautiful city: Paris! We logged over 20K steps a day seeing all the sights (and in one day, climbed 72 flights of stairs!).

The trip was perfect in so many ways: 1) the food was exquisite; 2) we stayed at the loveliest apartment of my dear colleague for many years, who generously shared her delightful second home with us; 3) the weather was incredibly cooperative, allowing us to squeeze in continuous sightseeing with no rain drops; 4) the boys stayed for two days, and I stayed for five… I need not say more, but clearly there was ample time for me to explore museums, neighborhoods, shops and cafes on my own, which was unbelievably awesome.

On our first day, we climbed up to the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower, stuffed ourselves with delicious patisserie treats, visited the glorious Sainte Chapelle and then enjoyed a decadent two-hour lunch that included foie gras, an oxtail tart and duck confit. A vegetarian meal it was not!

After we were stuffed to the gills, we strolled around the sculptures in the fountain adjacent to the Pompidou Museum and perused the vintage shops before climbing to the top of the Arc du Triumph, hopping onto a beautiful night cruise on the Seine, and feasting on more divine desserts afterwards (mine was a perfect lemon tart with an incredible layer of meringue on top).

On our 2nd day, we enjoyed a morning at the Museé d’Orsay diving into the immense impressionist collection on the 5th floor and the fabulous modern sculptures on the ground level. I actually remembered a lot of the impressionists from my 7th grade fine arts class, where we were each assigned an impressionist artist to research, and then painted copies of famous paintings on the walls of our middle school campus. Clearly that class made a long-lasting impression… 😉 That afternoon, I took a stroll in Montparnasse, enjoying the Sunday art market, some Target-like shopping at Monoprix, and soaking up the atmosphere from my cozy outdoor table at Cafe Bohéme. I now realize there are probably a dozen cafes by that name around Paris, but it was still perfect. My feet were a bit achy, and the Sunday cafe scene was totally delightful.

My 3rd day involved exploring the picturesque and charming Montmartre, including climbing up the hill to Sacré-Coeur, another choice cafe spot for lunch where I enjoyed a vegetable tart and the company of a fellow Marimekko fan from Helsinki, and my first Espresso Martini, which will definitely be the first of many– why had I never tried this fabulous drink before? Several of the shops were owned by the artists who were selling their own work, some of whom had been there for 30+ years. It was incredible to get to chat with the artists about their jewelry creations, and I found some beautiful costume pieces that are unusual, colorful and make me smile. I also encountered a few groups of “Instagram girls” who were staging photo shoots on the picturesque streets. They offered to take a few photos of me too, and clearly they knew what they were doing!

I wandered the streets of the Latin Quarter & Marais on the 4th day, and found an awesome global food market for lunch where I was super happy to find a Moroccan station. I ordered a wonderful bowl of couscous with vegetables and lamb merguez, and enjoyed every bite. Chatting with the waiter with random Moroccan Arabic phrases I remembered from my actual study abroad was great fun too. I also stopped by a local pharmacy for some fab advice on French facial products and picked up a few to try out. After all the walking, I had to stop at a cafe for two espressos and a tall glass of water to keep me going! For the end of my last full day, I squeezed in a quick visit to the Galleries Lafayette to see the glamorous dome and rooftop views.

My evening cafe of choice near my friend’s apartment (with a spectacular view of the Eiffel Tower from across the street, pictured above) had beautiful salads that I accompanied with a glass of house rosé. What bliss. My final morning there was spent at the Louvre paying a visit to the Mona Lisa and the Ancient Middle Eastern relics. Paris is truly magical.

On my way back to Orly Airport, my Somalian Uber driver had some poignant thoughts to offer about democracy and the state of the world. He was very clear that not every country is ready for democracy or even wants to have this Western form of government. What the world really needs is more respect for all cultures, and for leaders to resist the urge to think they know what is best for everyone, or that their way of thinking is superior to others. Of course this line of logic can apply to most time periods, including the current one. I didn’t mention that I used to work in the field of democracy promotion for the US government. What did I know? I was in my early 20s. Given the global backsliding of democracy we are now experiencing, his point was well-taken.

Back in Berlin, I’ve spent time with some delightful people and have found several memorable spots that will definitely merit return visits. A most enjoyable Friday began with an hour’s journey on a bus and a train to meet my lovely new Kiwi friend, who is sadly moving back to New Zealand later this month. But she spent the better part of the day introducing me to her favorite Berlin spots, which was incredible! We began with a cup of hot tea at a super hip bar/restaurant with plush velvet upholstered chairs and a beautifully restored wooden interior. It turns out that the building was the former home of a Jewish School for Girls, and was literally emptied out by the Nazis, its founder and all of the students sent to concentration camps, with no survivors. The historic building (designed by Alexander Beer in 1927) was reclaimed by the Jewish community in the last decade, but it was decided that the building could best be restored and brought back to life not as a school, but a mixed use space for art galleries and dining. The new restaurant, called the House of Small Wonder, opened its doors in August 2021, and is an incredible hole in the wall, just around the corner from the historic Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue. From there, we went to a fabulous bakery for morning buns, and then popped into several small art gallery spaces and cool independent shops, including one that had a stunning collection of up-cycled military jackets embroidered with peace doves and colorful letters with the words PEACE and LOVE. We ended up at the Fotosgrafia Museum where we enjoyed a beautiful lunch of California-style salads and veggie focaccia that hit the spot. Now I know where to take friends when they come to visit (note: do come & visit us next year!) – there are so many cafes, galleries and restaurants nestled right into the downtown in unmarked corridors and courtyards. I am so grateful to benefit from my friend’s knowledge of where these gems are hidden!

Over the weekend, Jonathan and I had a fun daytime date into the city, where we strolled around beautiful Prenzlauer Berg, grabbed brunch at a lovely cafe, and happened upon a fabulous local market where we bought some produce, loaves of fresh bread and soft Turkish nougat. The other highlight of our weekend was my outing with a new friend from bookclub who lives just five minutes away, and had offered to pick me up for a local tour of Kreuzberg and Friedrichshain, sponsored by the American Women’s Club of Berlin. Our tour included tons of street art, and walking over a charming Disneyland-like bridge that was off-limits during the Cold War as it stood as a barrier between East and West Berlin.

I had forgotten when I signed up for the tour that in the guide’s bio, she described herself as a “wandering Jewess” and I was so excited to meet her, and hear about her experience as a Jew in Berlin. She shared a bit of her story on the tour and we’ve got a date for lunch to talk in more depth about the idiosyncrasies of Jewish life in this city.

And then yesterday, I had an afternoon outing to Schöneberg in search of locally roasted coffee beans and happened upon a most delightful Aleppo Berlin Market with fabulous cardamom and delicious roasted nut mixes, where a woman from Aleppo poured me a delicious cup of coffee to sip while I browsed the various Syrian knick-knacks and sweets she had in her shop.

And since it was nearby, I hopped over to IKEA too. They are the only place I’ve found here to get decent ziploc bags, hand towels and glass spice jars. I am still laughing over the enormous IKEA boxes and potted plants that people were lugging back to the subway to bring home. Today, the weather turned freezing and wet, and our bike ride to Julian’s school for a parent meeting was rather frigid. Fortunately, we head south to Rome on Thursday for Jonathan to speak at a conference– I’m tagging along, since Julian will be at a school soccer tournament in Cologne. Last night, we finally caught up on the last two episodes of Emily in Paris, and loved seeing all the cinematic views of Rome– what a perfect time for us to watch it! We can’t wait to marvel at the Colosseum and all the relics of the Roman Empire there, with a tad less of a glitzy, starry-eyed view than the staff of Agencé Gateau.