Berlin has been on my mind. I just finished reading Scottish writer, Philip Kerr’s Berlin Noir Trilogy: an addictive, hard boiled historical fiction series about private eye Bernie Günter, as he descends into the dark underworld of Berlin in the 1920s and ‘30s. The trilogy reminded me about my own past journeys to Berlin.

How often do we wander new territory, or even revisit places we’ve trod before, wishing we had a better sense of place we’re walking through, of its interesting backstories? After Groupon parted company with its co-founder Andrew Mason, Mason decided to liven up walking explorations throughout many of the world’s great cities with downloadable audio tours.

airberlin, Germany’s second largest airline strives to provide an extensive global route network for its flight guests in addition to convenience and flexibility by increasing efficiency in all areas of its operations. Berlin and Dusseldorf serve as the focal point of this route expansion and this year it strengthens its presence in the U.S. by offering additional service to Berlin from Chicago and New York.

Increasingly, an American abroad is an American ashamed. Recently I visited Berlin and Warsaw – the former an established European capital, the latter lesser-known but equally sophisticated.  It was an opportunity to relax, speak grammatically incorrect German, devour pierogies by the dozen. But more than anything, it was a welcome respite from the nonstop circus American politics has become.  I …