I’m baaaaack!!!!

I’m baaaack … and I’m completely out of touch. I’ve been two weeks without newspapers, news, or the internet. All I know is that Saddam was executed. It’s going to take me a little while to come up to speed, but I will spend the next few days dribbling out insights from my trip. A few now, before I collapse into bed after 25 hours of solid travel.

Italians are everything the stereotypes claim they are: handsome (men), beautiful (women), friendly, and helpful. Parisians also live up to their stereotype, and I’ll just stop there.

Germany is a very beautiful country, clean and well-managed. The people are invariably friendly and helpful (although sometimes a bit pedantic). It made me realize that we continue to remember the Holocaust, not to punish the Germans, but as a universal reminder that for all of us, civilization is a very thin layer indeed, and needs to be cultivated constantly. If the charming, neat, kind Germans can go bestial, so can all of us!

UPDATE: