Sunday morning, and time to leave Prague - for me, without any regrets. I was looking forward to finally being able to spend some time discovering more of Berlin. But first we had to get out of Prague. After breakfast, and packing, I still had time to go workout at the gym next door. That gym has been a godsend. I'd been feeling like I was getting out of shape, after barely working out at all since leaving the cruise; but four days in a row in Prague has set me to rights.

We checked out of the hotel at one, leaving our bags, and had one last drink at the only place which we unequivocally liked in Prague, the gay Down Town Cafe. And it says something about Prague that the only place we liked was not at all a friendly place. But the decor, and location is great, as is the outside seating; and the food isn't bad either. So we had coffee and ice-cream before walking back to our hotel, and catching a cab to the train station.

Last time in Down Town Cafe just before leaving for the station

The main train-station is an impressive, if dirty and neglected edifice, at least from the outside. Like so many public and private buildings in Prague, it has a host of statues on the roof. Inside, however, is another matter: "hideous" would be the kindest word. Low-ceilinged, 1950s Communist chic, and a random collection of money-changing offices, newspaper kiosks, and shouting advertising. Penn Station in New York, in comparison, is an oasis of light, and order.

We were there for half an hour, either changing money, getting some food for the train journey, or trying to use the bathrooms, before we realized that our train didn't even stop at the main station. Fortunately, we had plenty of time, so we took the subway to the secondary train station, which was much calmer and easier on the eyes. Still not many escalators though, so much dragging of heavy luggage up and down.

In the train station

As I write, we not long ago stopped at Dresden. The sun has gone down, and the former East Germany is fading into dusk. Occasionally the rural landscape is interrupted by either bland, staring Communist-era blocks of flats, or more inspiring older villages with their quaint, decorated houses. I've occupied my time mostly by minutely planning my next two days in Berlin: so much to do in such a short time. I've planned a detailed itinerary which should keep me busy all day tomorrow, and well into the late afternoon of the following day, the day we fly back to Paris.

When I wasn't planning for Berlin, I was trying to psychoanalyze myself. There's been something weighing on my mind this last day and a half as a result of an email discussion with Ben, and I've been trying to figure out why it bothers me so much, as well as trying to reshape my thinking so that it doesn't weigh on me so much. I think I got to the root of it, surprisingly. I say "surprisingly" because I've never been a big believer in cognitive therapy, particularly when administered by an untrained person (i.e. myself). We'll see for how much longer my piece of mind lasts.

In less than two hours we arrive back in Berlin, and I think we'll go to one of the gay neighborhoods we haven't yet visited - probably Prenzlauer Berg, and catch a bite to eat, and a drink. There's a big gay party at Cafe Moscow late tonight: we'll see if we have the energy for it. Our evening out last night was so disappointing, I'd like to at least have one fun night out with Jean-Marc on this part of our trip. Then tomorrow morning the serious tourizing begins, starting with the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag, Unter den Linden, and Checkpoint Charlie.