WHERE TO MEAT CHEAPLY, cont'd

Breakfast is also important, as you well know. A lot of cafes have a standard entry for less than €4 -- breads, cheeses, assorted fruit with yogurt, some ham and salad. Check the menu out front before you saunter in. Sunday is brunch day. It's a buyer's market, so it'll probably be good -- this is also discernable from outside, as food will be lined up all over the place. If you pay more than €20 total for two people, you got punk't.

If you eat in Mitte or someplace in the city center, you're going to pay more. You'll probably also pay to go to the bathroom. If either of these are an ongoing problem, I simply cannot help you.

CULTURE

Woo-hoo. It's definitely here in Berlin. Technically. I've found theater to be especially specious: Germans just acquired the courage to write good, provocative plays, and a lot of the productions are still translated British and American plays, especially light comedies. Sure, some of the NWOGHT (New Wave Of German Heavy Theater) are good, but what are your chances? Meanwhile, the Museuminsel is four museums catty-corner and the best place to start, especially the Pergamon. Fan out from here.

Finding unofficial culture in Berlin is a little too easy. Beautiful architecture and artistic sectors are everywhere, in every district. It's summer, and you shouldn't be spending too much time indoors anyway -- get your hands on a bike and you'll be riding through culture faster than you can digest it.

Being that we're in Germany, though, you'll probably want to hear some classical music or see modern dance or something like that. Having a student card really helps here -- show up right before the show to cut the best deal, because they'll want to get rid of the seats. Other than that, you can find listings in Zitty, Tip and most Bahnhofs; you should be cultured enough to know what you like.