The Spreewald

The rain was with us the next day so there was no doubt in my mind that I would return to the Kristallbad. It would be another day of lounging, swimming, sweating, eating and drinking. The clerks at the desk recognized me and greeted me with nice smiles and I only made one mistake which Mr. Nasty corrected. I didn't have my feet on the towel.

When the taxi picked me up later that day, the driver said to me, "Something very bad happened in America. Thousands of people were killed on a plane."

If I spoke German like I do in my fantasies than I would have known what he was talking about. It wasn't possible to have thousands of people on an airplane in the first place.

When I got back to room I turned on the television. Usually when the picture comes on I find myself watching something like Monty Python's Flying Circus dubbed into German. On this afternoon, however, I soon realized what had happened in America that morning. Every single channel carried broadcasts about the terrorist attack. I watched in horror as I saw replays of the passenger jets exploding into the World Trade Center. I sat disbelieving as I watched the desperate, frightened people jumping from the windows, and then seeing the footage of the towers collapsing down like dominoes.

I was moved to see local footage of German people weeping, and part of me wished I was back home. However, I couldn't have flown back even if I wanted to with the flight ban.

I went to Berlin the next day. While riding on the train, the passengers were asked to sit in a minute of silence for America's sake. This mood continued in the city. Upon the Brandenburg Gate was a banner that said "Wir Trauern," We Sorrow. People of all ages stood in long lines to sign the condolence books, and Berliners laid down overwhelming clusters of flowers, votive candles, and notes of sympathy. I was glad to see the expressions of kindness.