Berlin in 4 photos

Sitting in the Finnair lounge at Helsinki Vaanta Airport with about 30 minutes before I need to leave for the gate to catch FinnAir to London.

Arrived around 9pm at Starwood Luxury Collection Hotel Kamp last night. I used a SPG suite upgrade and my reservation was listed as an executive room. I felt more like I was in a historic royal room. The room makes my top five for best hotel stays. More on that in a separate post.

Fortunately I had all day in Helsinki. I walked around taking photos for two hours last night. It was pretty cold and being from coastal California I do not have any hats or caps for cold winter weather. I usually just wear a parka when it gets really cold.

I walked around Helsinki snapping photos. I was not wearing my glasses. The camera generally does most of the work. Then I realized during the daylight today that my camera was not auto focusing. Turns out the switch was on manual and 190 of the 200 photos of Hotel Kamp and Helsinki at night were out of focus.

I walked around reshooting as many of the same scenes today during daylight. Fortunately Hotel Kamp is right in the main historical section of Helsinki.

So here are 12 photos of Berlin, Oslo and Helsinki or however many I can post before my flight.

#1 Berlin in Snow 

#2 Germany War Memorial

Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Victims of War and Tyranny.

I have had some strange, violent dreams this week. Quite unusual for my regularly peaceful, chilled mind. Too much studying the history of WWII atrocities.

There were some lighter, carefree moments in Berlin. I read an article on the Air Berlin flight to Oslo how David Bowie is all the rage again after his latest musical release. I did not know he had lived with Iggy Pop in Berlin.

One of my Iggy Pop stories is being at a concert where Iggy opened for the Pretenders. Great show. A couple days later I heard a radio DJ say Chrissie Hynde went on stage and told the audience “I am proud to be here on the same stage Iggy Pop spit on.” She actually had said “stood on”.

I do not write fast enough so this post is now four photos from Berlin.

Here is #4 from Berlin.

Relax. You will get there or not. You will make it or not. You will find someone or not.

Good things do not always happen to good people. Bad things do not always happen to bad people.

Go with the flow, but resist when the flow is hurting you. Swim in the direction you want to go.

London Calling.