Well kids, Berlin is the hippest city in the world. I may be an old hippie but I am still a great judge of where the edge cuts precisely and direct. First the food. We had currywurst and pommes (only in Berlin food item) at a food imbisse (kiosk) in an underground train station. Dinner at a ultra fabulous restaurant in the gritty beyond hip East Berlin. Lunch at a Vietnamese Restaurant, small menu but rivals and surpasses the Slanted Door in San Francisco. Tonight we are going back to Berlin Mitte (East Berlin Art Area). We are having a totally divine time. We feel so very lucky. Love to all. Jimmy Ray is a groovin’ and a movin’….Lots of ideas!!! By the way, the food last night rivals any restaurant we have ever visited…but the prices were absolutely cheap in comparison to quality. Very cool.

Today we went to a lovely museum on an idyllic lake outside of Munich names the Buchheim Museum.
It houses a very very very interesting, whimsical, psychedelic,expressionist, and very German collection. All of this amazi9ng stuff once belonged to Lothar-Gunther Buchheim…this man wrote Das Boot. The architecture is somewhat nautical….Richard and I both enjoyed ourselves…later we went to a small village and had a late round of Bavarian food and a couple of Dark Beers. Tomorrow we head for Berlin. This time in Munich with Niharika has been quite divine. Her persuit of Silence is remarkable. I often wonder these past few days if I have strayed from that Silence…I am where I am at that is what is…no place else to be but right here….Berlin tomorrow. Enclosed are some photos from to day and from Linz…that bearded fellow with me at the museum just may be my future self….actually he is a Chemist from Brussels that we met at the Buchheim…Love to all!!

Vienna was extra-special. It was a long 5 hour drive…sometimes at 100mph in a Mercedes sedan…in a driving rainstorm that whitened my knuckles clinging to the leather seats….but oh…Vienna. A truely beautiful city in the meeting of the Old and New. Seeing KundstHause Wien and Hundertwasser House were absolutely like “Going to the Chapel”….the whole time Jimmy Ray stayed to himself as Richard, Niharika, Hans, and myself marvelled in the joyous architecture that this man left behind. It was raining during our whole stay there, but quite frankly it did not matter and we ate and ate and ate. We were only there for a little over 24 hours, but my heart will always remember this lovely city….even the late night beers with the Russian pencil sales people in the hotel bar was….mah-velous..Love to all!! Before I forget; The Pope was there….the closest we got was a subway poster. Bulletin: Lolita gets a free facial next time in San Miguel for revisiting this blog. Does anyone know Patrice’s address in Mexico City? Also Carol gets the loyalty award because Patzky and Slidell can’t read…

We went to the Lenbachhaus Museum today in Munich. It has an extensive collection of paintings from the Blue Rider group. The Blue Rider was a group of artists (Wassily Kandinsky, the most famous) who gathered to gether in Munich way way back around 1910. They approached art as a spiritual practice of sorts. This art really resonates with Richard and I. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit there and just hanging out in downtown Munich. Tomorrow we head for Vienna….it has been relatively cold and rainy….very neither this nor that in terms of weather. It would be difficult living here…Viva Mexico!! Here are some photos of Richard and I today at the museum.

Despite the rain that has fallen for most of our visit here in Munich, we are enjoying ourselves. Staying with Niharika and Hans is very gentle and uncomplicated. Being with Niharika is like being with family…we go back so very far. I feel very loving towards her. Yesterday we visited a few of King Ludwig’s castles in the countryside. I, of course, have forgotten the names…but they are quite famous. Tomorrow we head for Vienna to see Hundertwasser’s work. Travelling with Hans and Niharika will be great because they are both architects. If anyone sees Lolita…tell her to read my blog and she gets a free facial. If anyone sees Sudheer…tell him we are having fun. Love to all!!!!

A confirmed sighting of the Earth Elf known as Anado in a public square in Munich has the internet abuzz….could jimmy Ray be far behind? Well don’t ask me because my head is spinning with all this German being spoken. We are having a delightful time in this most peculiarly amazing country. It is quite modern and sophisticated here and at the same time the people seem so simple and yes: odd. Today we are going to visit some of King Ludwig’s castles….wow. Another factor here is that it is fall weather. After having been in lively Barcelona, we find ourselves on windy crisp streets where everyone seems polite and understated. Barcelona wins the human celebration award hands down. Life is full of contradictions!!!!