I should have wished for a yacht

Last night, I met up with the group of expats that tries out a different cafe in the Bornheim neighborhood each Monday evening. (Though I don't know if expats is really the right term, because there are a lot of Germans that show up as well. Basically it is an international mix of people eager for an excuse to do something besides sit at home watching documentaries about things like the history of bricks because that's all they could find in English...oh wait, that's what I am doing tonight! Nothing wrong with that at all.)

Anyway, my point is, they are wonderfully nice people. (And I'm not just saying that because one of them has discovered this blog.) I already knew that, but it was tangible last night, as I got into a conversation with a German guy about transportation in the city. I said the subway system was great, but I wished I had a bike.

"Do you want a bike? I have a spare one," he responded, and a few hours later, I was pedaling my way home! It is old-fashioned and a bit magical looking, I think, although fortunately most potential thieves would just see it as old. I particularly like the sound of its little bell clanging gleefully whenever we encounter cobblestones, as if it is agreeing with me that the streets look better that way.