Charlotteburg palace

The Minx had a couple of Teams calls this morning, so I went out for a walk on my own, determined to practise some German.

I lurked outside a chemist's until there were no other customers in there, and then went into but some Ibuprofen. I was, of course, fully rehearsed as far as my opening line went, but went to pieces when the pharmacist asked "Zwanzig oder viertig?".

Next up, I tried a coffee shop, with greater success. I successfully, across two or three exchanges with the barrista, ordered an Americano with oat milk and some sugar. And then I sat down and waited for my nerves to settle before tackling my coffee.

At lunchtime, the Minx and I walked across to the Westfälisches Viertel and a bakery recommended to me by my German teacher. I have to say that I did pretty well here, ordering us sandwiches and boulette, as well as drinks and dessert.

And in the evening we went across to Charlotteburg Palace for another Christmas market. This one was a bit more spacious and perhaps a little more affluent, but we had lovely time wandering 'round. Obviously we have only carried out a limited sample of two fairs, but there's a really nice social vibe to them; it's not just about the shopping.