We bought snorkelling fins yesterday for our trip to Italy. There was much excitement and wearing of fins in the apartment.

On Saturday we had a little get-together in honor of Chance's birthday. Nadja and Ollie and their little Winnie were honored guests (especially since they brought an AMAZING chocolate cake) and afterwards we got to help walk Winnie. She hasn't gotten any less cute, in case you're wondering.

I look tired in this picture but it's just a food coma. We went to brunch on Sunday. It was so amazing. Those of you still coming to visit: prepare to be stuffed.

We go here way more than we mean to. It's Potsdamer Platz, the brand new and horridly Times-Squarey tourist-magnety part of Berlin. But they have the English-language movie theater, the best ice cream in town, and the museum where I have to go for one of my classes. So we end up here a lot. And the other day, we noticed that from the inside of the movie theater you look up through half of a pool of water. And we thought that was actually kind of neat. Still hate it there, though.

In other news, Someone bought the next-to-last display copy of the new Harry Potter and Someone was very excited about reading it right away (on the S-Bahn home) while at the same time forbidding Someone Else to read it until she has finished her 5 papers for school. I don't think that's fair, do you?

Hello! On Friday we got to meet our friend Petra's new daughter, Karlotta. She is only 3 weeks old, still so tiny! (Petra owns our beautiful apartment and lives not too far away in another fabulous apartment in Friedrichshain with Karlotta's dad, Stephan.)

It was also Chance's birthday on Friday. I surprised him with an "U-Bahn Cabriofahrt" - a trip in an open train through the U-Bahn tunnels. It lasted about 2 1/2 hours and it was really cool!

Unfortunately, when you're on a moving train most of your pictures come out blurry.

The blue lights signal the emergency exits. There are a lot of them, which is comforting. However, even the deepest, remotest parts of the tunnels are covered in graffiti ... so maybe it's not so comforting after all.

It was amazing to see the tunnels we go through every day on our way to school. Quite a different perspective!

Today I had a visitor - this butterfly flew in our window.

Alas, like him, we too are flying away - we just bought our tickets home. We will see all you Seattle-ites on August 31st. But first, we spread our wings southward to Italy! We leave in two weeks for a few days of Tuscan food and sandy Mediterranean beaches ...

Time for more puppy pictures! Last week we got to go to puppy playtime with Winnie and her mommy, our friend Nadja. Afterwards she took a well-deserved nap on Chance's lap. :)

Such tiny little paws ...

According to her parents, Winnie is progressing very well with her obedience lessons. Good girl, Winnie!