The event in Berlin at the downtown Sony Centre was really fun, although no media showed up. Instead they were covering the announcement of a new German political party. The Left is made up of members of the ex-Communist party and the Work and Social Justice party. Still, we had lots of spectators.

The Centre was built in an area where the East/West wall once ran through. It is quite an amazing place. Before going there we were able to explore a bit more of Berlin by car including a look at what's left of the wall and the memorial to those lost in the Holocaust.

We had good weather today, sunny and warm, and lots of neat encounters with German locals. I went through a long interpretative discussion with some teenage girls on the sidewalk about the runner coming through, Simon. Told them he was a cute single guy and told them about the run and our cause. All of this in German. Told them to cheer for Simon when he came through. As I walked back to the car, in English one of them yells to me, is he sexy?

Laura and I did click-it photos at the Centre and met lots of people from many countries. Brynn Harrington and I took the stage about 20 minutes before Heiko was due to run in for the exchange. We entertained the crowd and told them what we are doing, while building up the drama for Heiko's entrance. My German is getting better. I can pretty much understand everything now and I can get out the message, albeit in funny grammar and pronunciation.

We are now in Halle, Germany for the night after another long drive and it is storming. Passed lots of windmills again with dark clouds and lightning marking the sky. It was beautiful. I feel sorry for the night runners this round. They have had rain each night.

So far, we've had wonderful meals out and yummy German breakfasts in our hotels. We grocery shop for snacks and lunch food, stopping here and there for coffee and fresh items. Today's haul included radishes, cherries, strawberries and watermelon at a deli owned by Marathon Man Mike. He is training to run the New York marathon. Later we met the yellow team and snacked at an Italian restaurant in Falconsee owned by three Lebanese men. They treated some of us to our drinks and talked Heiko into giving them one of his shirts which we all autographed and a pair of his BPR shorts. They didn't care that they had been run in. It made the clothes even more official. They planned to hang them on the wall in the restaurant and to spread the word about the run and the cause.