Volume 18 - Day 114/251, 2026 - Friday

This day started out just fine, but kind of took a nose-dive once I got to Berlin. It's really only first world problems, but it has made me a little bit crazy. I got up this morning, packed my carry-on (and I was right, I had room), and then went across the street for coffee and two muffins. I left the hotel at about 10:20 and walked to the train station. About a 20 minute walk. I had walked it yesterday, just so I would know where I was going, so I even took a couple different streets than the directions, and got there just fine. I boarded the train just about 20 minutes before departure, and it was a nice ride (about five hours) from Munich to Berlin. Once I got in the cab to the hotel, it all went south. I asked the cab driver (before I got in) if he accepted credit cards, and he said yes. I showed him where I was going (an airport hotel), and he acted like he knew where he was going, but I don't think he really did. When we got to the hotel, he could not confirm that his credit card machine was working or not, so he asked my name, and said if the charge had not gone through properly, he would come back tomorrow. I told him I would be leaving at 7AM. I was in the room for about 15 minutes, when the phone rang. The front desk said the cab driver was in the lobby and told them my credit card had been declined. UGH! So, we tried using a different credit card, and he still could not get his machine to work, so I paid cash. SO...I expect I will have three credit card charges for the cab ride, AND I paid him in cash, AND the front desk thinks I'm a fraud. First world problems. BUT, now I have had a nice dinner, and I am ready to call it a night. I should be home late afternoon tomorrow, see you all soon.