A coworker of German extraction tells me that “Ein Bier, bitte” is all I need to know for the next week. My father and I are headed over to the land of serious beer to visit my brother. He’s been living there since December, and has planned an intersting tourist itinerary for us, from a boat trip on the Rhine to Bavarian castles. And, of course, bier. I’m really tempted to ask for a Bud Light in a German pub, just for the satisfaction of being told they don’t have it. The Nikon and the PowerBook are travelling with me, so there should be some photographs to document any memory lapses. I’m not sure what kind of Internet connectivity I’ll find, so it’s possible that there may not be any reports here until my return.