Berlin and Paris, 2014

Headed to Berlin and Paris for a couple of weeks. Do I know anyone there?

Somehow managed to forget the German toilet design, complete with a shelf for turd inspection. asecular.com/~scott/misc/toilet.htm

At the Helmut Newton collection in Berlin. Completely unappealing: dated, sexist, boring fashion snap technique.

Mapplethorpe and Terry Richardson are both more interesting to me than Newton. Of course, they come after him...

Ken with currywurst and beer at KaDeWe.

The view from my hotel is grim, but reminders are essential.

Finest dining in Berlin, room has man with no socks, man with hired companion drinking coffee with venison, woman in tshirt and headphones.

The man with no socks was American, loudly told the staff he was a travel blogger.

Dining photos are tacky, but this assortment of pebbles with our venison last night was beautiful.

Proposed: an EU law requiring all restaurant websites to have a small banner on top of every page with the hours, phone number, and address.

On our way to the Mauerpark flea market, apparently famous for its karaoke.

At the Hackisher Markt in Berlin, listening to two Turkish(?) kids play the hell out of some New Orleans jazz.

How stupid San Francisco doesn't have a single outdoor pedestrian square with cafés.

"a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason"

Good visit to the Berlin technical museum, which contains a replica of the Z1, a 1938 programmable en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_Zuse

Imagine US memorials to Native American genocide and African slavery the way Germany has holocaust memorials. Instead we have $20 bills.

If it's Wednesday, it must be Paris.

At L'Ecluse, fine wine bar. Tonight at the Ambassade d'Auvergne, old favorite. Feeling smug for knowing bits of Paris

Just had a mostly-good experience with @Uber_Paris. Having a single car booking app worldwide is really a great idea.

Musee des Arts & Metiers in Paris. Amazing, sometimes overwhelming collection of 16-19th century scientific instruments.

Very happy with @LaFourchetteMmm, an OpenTable-like restaurant booking service for Paris. So far so good! thefork.com/city/paris/415144

Another Paris ritual: steak/frites at Relais de l'Entrecote. France does vulgar dining excess too and it is marvelous

And a lovely dinner at Taillevent. Not the trendiest or most demanding cuisine, but delicious, elegant, and comfortable.

Can't go home again, Paris. Caveau du Palais no longer good, Fous d'en Face gone, Au Bourguignon du Marais newly hectic, but still good.

The 20 minutes it takes to pay the bill in a Paris restaurant.

Happy, content lunch at the Bistrot Vivienne, in the Passage Vivienne near the Palais Royal.

Street art tour of Belleville in Paris today, a bit discouraging all that's gone. somebits.com/weblog/culture/travel/paris-street-art-2014.html

"Cassoulet" is French for carnitas burrito. Robust dinner at Auberge Pyrénées-Cévennes, must sleep now.

The Musée Carnavalet is one of my favorites in Paris. A bit irregular, full of odd bits and interesting surprises.

Back in America: already wearing sweatpants and anticipating my shitty Roundtable delivery pizza