Fewer than 76 trombones, but ...

Everyone loves a parade. Especially Berliners.

Sunday we went to the annual Carnival of the Cultures parade, a multicultural event featuring 100 or so floats inching down the street over a sevenish-hour span. Gives the Germans more time to drink beer (this they readily admit). I had a Berliner (I mean the beer). OK, but it was no Midori.

The parade was entertaining, as many African and Pacific communities in Berlin put together floats that included music, dancing and performing. Then there were the somewhat local cities (one native was explaining to me that one float was from a not-so-nice city ... but it -- featuring an astronaut/alien rave of sorts with a few white guys rapping -- might have been my favorite just for the sheer irreverence).

Then came some friendly Germany-US debating. After some good political and cultural discussions, I proclaimed that at least Bill Clinton tried to get Obama. Bush didn't. They looked confused, especially considering how passionate I seemed.

"I said 'Obama,' didn't I?," I laughed. "I meant Osama!"

They cracked up.

Oye. Germans 1, Americans 0.

Today brought me out to Checkpoint Charlie -- or at least a realistic recreation of ... except now there are more tourists. The checkpoint and wall history fascinates me; I try to imagine what it would have been like if, say, folks from Storrs/Mansfield weren't allowed to go to Willimantic or Ashford.

Actually, we wouldn't have cared. (yeah, that was too easy.)

FUN FACT: Germans truly are efficient. For instance, some girl on the train I'm on right now just yelped, fell out of her seat and broke her cell phone all in the span of less than a second. That's Borg-like efficiency. Resistance is futile.

After Checkpoint Charlie I wandered over to the Topography of Terrors. It's a bit of an outdoor museum at the site of the old government and SS headquarters. The remains there mostly are old pieces of basement or old rooms and walls, but there also are many signs, pictures and audio presentations detailing the history of this place.

Most notably, it was where many/most of the nazi strategies were concocted by Hitler, Himmler and Co., including the relocation and extermination of Jews.

Reading these recounts was simultaneously fascinating and sickening. Checkpoint Charlie has little bit of a fun factor. This place clearly does not. Terror is an appropriate, if understated, choice of name.

Next to these grounds stands a relatively long and intact portion of the wall. It's mostly barricaded off to keep it intact, but I may have to drop by tomorrow with a chisel.

On a more fun note, about to hit the zoo. There's a polar bear here that has been all the rage, though some baby bears down near Munich apparently has been stealing Knut's thunder. But Knut was here first, and I'm not going all the way to Munich to see a bear. San Diego will suffice ...