I’m back in Germany and readjusting to life in the ‘bus! …life in Cottbus, that is. Last week had multiple days of glorious spring sunshine, making me very hopeful for when park picnics and grilling can be regular activities….soon, oh so soon.

Last weekend, I headed into Berlin to meet a couple people for brunch, my not-just-for-hipsters-in-Portland meal of choice. Berlin has a strong brunch culture, featuring many (and I mean many) food options. This weekend’s destination was a Mediterranean spread of hummus, breads, cereals, veggies, meats, cheeses, fruits, and yogurt, plus — of all things — french fries and mini hotdogs. Yes, what brunch is complete without french fries and dog, I ask you.

Post brunch, I joined some friends at Templehofer Feld. I’ve written about the field before — it’s a converted airstrip that now is a huge open community space. I’d visited in winter, but hadn’t seen the field when the sun was out. So when I was informed that the field would be crowded, I didn’t take the warning too seriously. Crowded? Ha! I know how to walk around looking for people I know. I laughed to myself…

Expecting maaaximum a few hundred people, I was flabbergasted to arrived at Templehof and discover at least five THOUSAND people, all gathered to bbq in one small quadrant of the park. I saw hipsters carting mini portable grills. I saw punks balancing kebabs on bricks over charcoal. I saw huge families gathered with what looked like professional grilling equipment, creating elaborate feasts. I did not see anybody I recognized.

A few quick calls and directions over the phone later, I eventually found my group and was delighted to join the festive atmosphere. Did I have a lovely time catching up with friends and enjoying the spring sunshine? Of course. Did I remember to bring my camera along to document this wonderful day? Of course not.

In lieu of pics from Berlin, here are a few of the best photos I took during my layover in Iceland. It was the last leg of an exhausting journey back from California to Berlin, so please excuse the slapdash quality of pics. Let me just say that Iceland was much more gloriously beautiful in person than these pics will ever represent. Seriously, these mountains…

The capital of Reykjavík is charming and super walkable — no more than 40 minutes from one end to another, and that’s going slow to take in all the sights. My kinda city.

I bet this place was hopping (yer welcome) on St Patty’s Day.

Looking out past Harpa, a concert hall and conference center on the water.

Patterns from inside Harpa.

The Sun Voyager sculpture. One pic of many, the only to not feature many tourists getting their photos taken with the sculpture.