[biguc]

Berlin is getting there. There are still storefront scars around but the popular areas have recovered. We're enjoying some kind of freakish early spring, which helps. Parks are filling up. There's music in the streets. Australians are crawling out of whatever caves they spend their winters in. Tourists are coming back--my wife claims she even saw a selfie stick. Ubahns are starting to get crowded again. Maybe most importantly--symbolically if anything--clubs have reopened. Checked out a party last week and people were out of their minds. There's been a lot of pent up energy, which in February meant people rolling in pubs and trying to make out with everyone; now they have their outlet back. It looks like it'll be a good summer.