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How much do you need to retire? In a nut shell, probably more than you think. According to the 2012 Retirement Confidence Survey from the Employee Benefit Research Institute, only 14% of Americans are “very confident” that they’ll have enough cash to live comfortably in retirement. And no wonder: 60% of workers have less than $25,000 saved for old age (not counting home equity).¹Hard to believe, but true!

Having advised hundreds of clients about their retirement goals I can offer a few thoughts on the subject. First and foremost, you must come up with your estimated retirement budget. One rule of thumb long sited is that most of us will need 70% to 80% of our pre-retirement earnings to finance a comfortable retirement. This may be a reasonable assumption to make, however, I see many clients spend 100%, or more, of their pre-retirement income in retirement. This trend seems most common with those who are newly retired and increase their budget for travel, home improvements and health care. Very seldom do I see a client start living on 30% less the day they retire. I can say however, that over time most retirees do eventually spend less as they age, slow down their lifestyle and reduce costly expenditures on things like travel, shopping and entertaining.

Once you determine your budget you can make a few simple calculations to determine how much is needed to support your goals. After years of debate, the general consensus among financial advisors is that retirees should plan on a portfolio withdrawal rate of 4% to 5%. This is the percentage of your total savings that is withdrawn in the first year of retirement. The amount is also assumed to be increased each year for inflation. The 4% to 5% guideline for withdrawals has been statistically proven to have a high probability of making your money last over a 25 to 30 year period. Withdrawals above 5% tend to dramatically lower the probability your money will last your entire lifetime, so controlling your spending and hence your rate of withdrawal is critical! One million dollars in savings may sound like a fortune to many. To make it last, however, you can reasonably expect to have that $1,000,000 support a draw of $40,000 to $50,000 per year plus inflation for a 25 to 30 year retirement period. Factor in your other sources of retirement income (Social Security, pension income, part-time work, etc.) and it is fairly easy to apply the math to your retirement income goal. Being a millionaire is not what it used to be.

The key to all of this is to plan. Putting the numbers on paper can be a very sobering experience for many. The upside is that most people who take the time to estimate how much money they will actually need for retirement end up changing their savings plans and putting away more. Sadly, most of the retirement advice put forth by experts is largely ignored. Better start planning and saving now. A comfortable retirement takes a lot more than most think.

1. Time.com Business & Money, How Much Should You Save for Retirement, 12-5-12

 Damien helps individuals invest and manage risk.  He is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and a principal of Walnut Creek Wealth Management. These are the views of Damien Couture, CFP^® and not intended as investment advice.  Your comments are welcome.  Damien can be reached at 925-280-1800 x101 or Damien@WalnutCreekWealth.com.

This article is a follow up to our previous article which posed the dilemma of peering out over the cliff into the depths of a $1M estate tax credit and a 55% top estate tax rate. Miraculously, Congress was able to take action to avert this potentially disastrous outcome by passing the American Taxpayer Relief Act. The Act preserved many of the key provisions of the laws in effect in 2012. First, and probably most important for many, the estate tax and gift tax credit remains at $5M (adjusted with inflation). Second, the estate tax and gift tax regimes remain unified, meaning that the federal estate tax and gift tax are integrated into one unified tax system. The unified credit allows you to give away $5M during your lifetime without paying a gift tax. However, by using the unified credit during your lifetime you will reduce the amount available to you upon your death (estate tax credit). The top tax rate did take a bump up from 35% to 40% however that is a lot better than the rate of 55% that we would have realized if no action was taken.

The Act did preserve a very significant provision: portability. Portability is a provision applicable to married couples that allows for the surviving spouse to utilize any unused portion of their deceased spouse’s unified credit. This means that if the deceased spouse did not utilize any of their unified credit during their lifetime or at death the surviving spouse will have a full $10M unified credit at their disposal. It is important to remember that there is no transfer tax between spouses. So upon the death of a spouse, all of the property transferring to the surviving spouse did and still does transfer tax free. Prior to the implementation of portability, the deceased spouse’s unified credit would have gone to waste because the transfer of all of the assets to the surviving spouse was not a taxable event. As a result, the deceased spouse did not utilize their credit and the taxable estate of the surviving spouse was increased by the amount that transferred from the deceased spouse. This increase, in some cases, creates an estate tax problem for the surviving spouse who also does not have the benefit of the deceased spouse’s unused credit.

In order to address this issue, many revocable living trusts were set up to establish a bypass trust. A bypass trust facilitates utilizing the deceased spouse’s unified credit and at the same time helps to prevent increasing the surviving spouse’s taxable estate. However, the inclusion of portability in the Act potentially removes the necessity of having a bypass trust for most couples. A bypass trust can have several drawbacks so the possibility of removing it from your estate plan might be very beneficial.

The most significant provision of the Act is that it makes the law permanent — well, as permanent as we are going to get. There are no automatic sunset dates that created uncertainty and injected some (educated) guesswork into planning like in previous estate tax laws. This permanency will greatly help with providing couples and individuals with some continuity and confidence that their estate plans will no longer be subject to ever changing laws. However, you should always review your estate plan with your attorney periodically. Given this new law, now would be the perfect time.

Thirty years ago I attended daycare at the Danville Bowl where the bar is now, and the feel and smell of the building is the exact same. Not the same as in, “please clean this place,” but the same as in nostalgic and oddly comforting. Sure the bar has invaded the space where there used to be a giant slide and a heavy woman named Dodo (hand to god) would serve us cinnamon graham crackers every Wednesday night while our parents did what mid-week bowler parents do, but other than that everything else has remained the same. Until now.

The often forgotten area that I reluctantly referred to as a “restaurant” in the past, has finally been handed over to somebody that can actually do something about it. This is very exciting news for us in Danville.

Justin Walsh, aka Norm of Norm’s Place in downtown Danville, has sunk his teeth into his first expansion project with the know-how of successful dining in our tiny town. Rocky’s place, named after the recent family blessing of an awesome little spit fire, extends the reach and similar racing motif that we have all grown familiar with at the parent restaurant, with a unique flair for the bowler.

As an ode to understanding his audience, Norm has crafted his menu with the “I’m using my hands but I’m hungry” bowler in mind and a liberal use of appetite-guttering finger foods and sandwiches built to enjoy while you concentrate on picking up that spare. For me, the salads at his original location set a precedence that has yet to me matched locally, so why try to re-invent the bowling ball? He has brought over three of his most famous creations to fit the bill. As a tip of the hat to our competitive eating society, Norm offers “The Home Wrecker,” a 20” all beef Angus hotdog drown in chili, cheese and onions alongside a mountain of fries served on a platter. This will comfortably serve four bowlers (not known for the smallest appetites) but is offered as an eating challenge to beat. (Norm’s own recorded time? Inquire within.)

Two things strike (pun intended) me about Rocky’s: The construction and the catering. Finally this forgotten appendage to the thriving bar has gotten a facelift that it desperately needed. The wall with the two-way door that felt more like the entrance to a strip mall beauty salon is gone. Norm has opened up the space to become part of the ambiance that is The Bowl. At the same time, he has splashed colors of life and his calling card of corrugated metal to bring the space into the “now” while sharing the intoxicating smells from the grille with the lanes. But the coup de grâce is the catering menu. Separated into regional flavors, Rocky’s offers Country, Italiano, Pub Grub, Mexicali, Southern Comfort, Santa Maria and Touch of Class catering menus to draw in birthday parties, corporate events, or whatever your “eat-in-bulk” needs are. Norm’s wife, Cindy, heads up the catering charge and can be contacted for on or off-site needs.

I am a huge proponent of Norm and his business savvy. Always have been. He has paved the way for other grilles in Danville to emulate in the hopes that they may get a crumb of the success he has achieved, and I for one am elated that this Danville Icon chose the Danville Bowl, a place of equal importance to so many of our pasts, to work in his restaurant talent. You don’t have to be a bowler to want to hang out at a place where everybody knows your name, but if you know you’re headed there anyway, for crying out loud, don’t eat first! Rocky’s will take care of you once you’re there!

Rocky’s Place
200 Boone Court, Danville
Catering – Cindy Walsh
rockysplaceevents@gmail.com
925-872-4473

Sports fans have a tendency to look back at the period when they were eight years old and believe that their games were never better and their heroes were never more heroic.

Well, don’t look now Bay Area sports fans. It could be that we are, right now, living through what may eventually be looked upon as the Golden Age of Bay Area Sports.

The Giants are going to Spring Training this month as defending World Series Champions…for the second time in three years. The A’s defied all prognosticators by overcoming a five game deficit with ten games to play to overtake the Texas Rangers and win the American League West. Fourteen walk-off wins had fans rattling the Coliseum’s decrepit bones.

As this was written about a month ago, the Warriors were off to their best start since their championship season of 1974-1975 and have become nearly unbeatable on the road. It could be that they will make the playoffs and the hated Los Angeles Lakers will not. The 49ers have won consecutive NFC West titles and as you read this could be celebrating the franchise’s sixth Super Bowl Championship won one week ago.

Stanford football won the Pac 12 championship and beat Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. Women’s basketball there continues as a perennial championship contender, and the men’s team is expected to challenge for conference honors if it can improve its shooting. The Cardinal baseball team seems to reach the post season every year.

And while Cal football must rebuild, it did just open a wonderfully renovated Memorial Stadium with new facilities certain to enhance recruiting. Both men’s and women’s basketball are strong, and the Bears baseball squad is just two seasons removed from an appearance in the College World Series.

Even St. Mary’s College and San Jose State are in on the fun. The Gaels won the West Coast Conference regular season and tournament championships last year in men’s basketball and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 three years ago. The Spartans football team, meanwhile, just tied the school record for wins in a season and beat Bowling Green in the 2012 Military Bowl.

By now you know if the NHL was able to figure out its labor issues in time to have a 2013 season. If the puck is finally dropped, the Sharks will be looking to makes their ninth straight appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. San Jose had the NHL’s best regular season record in 2009 and played in the Western Conference Finals in 2010 and 2011. The team’s captain, Joe Thornton, is likely a future Hall of Fame inductee.

Only the Raiders are down, and with a younger more forward thinking regime could make up ground quickly in a division won in 2012 season by a team with a geriatric quarterback.

So remember, whether you are eight, 88, or somewhere in between, you are living through a period of excellence across all sports not often experienced by fans in any region. Enjoy it, Bay Area, because you never know when a few poor decisions and a little bad luck will bring us thudding back to earth.

If your closet is messy and difficult to maneuver, you can enlist the help of a professional (like me!) or you can dig in yourself with the help of useful products and strategies for managing your wardrobe:

*Keep like items together. Categorize your pieces and group them accordingly—tops, slacks, skirts, jackets, etc. should stay together, and one step further, by color. That way, when you’re looking for a black skirt, you’ll know exactly where to find it, and you won’t waste time searching through the chaos.

*Use space saver bags (photo 1) for bulky and out-of-season clothing. They come in all shapes and sizes, and can also be used for travel, and extra bedding. Store under your bed or on a high shelf to keep those items out of sight/out of mind until the season is right. Available at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

*Velvet hangers (photo 2) are not only thin and lightweight, but they keep clothes from slipping off, unlike plastic or wire hangers. Take it one step further and color-code them for each category of clothing; pink hangers for tops, black for jackets, etc. Available at Marshall’s, Target, and Costco.

*Relocate extra clutter to a better place in the home. Luggage can be kept in the garage or under the bed; your prom dress can go in a “memory box” or something that I’m a big fan of…the costume box. When that 80’s party invitation arrives in the mail, you’ll be ready to go! This way, you’ll be free of distractions when getting dressed in the morning.

*Shelf dividers (photo 3) keep t-shirts and sweaters from toppling over, causing mess and frustration. Piles that are too high may indicate that you have too many, and perhaps a little purging is in order. Lose the t-shirts that are stained under the arms or the sweaters you haven’t worn in two years, and you may find that your stacks aren’t so stacked. Available at thestoragestore.com.

*Host a clothing swap! Share your cast-offs with friends who have been wishing they had what you’ve got. Everyone brings gently worn pieces from their closets—don’t forget shoes, bags and outerwear, too. Throw in a little wine, and POOF, it’s a party! Remember: It may not be “new”, but it’s new to you!

Share your closet organizing ideas with Carolyn at C2style.com/blog.

Did the long winter leave you yearning for energizing, vivid color? Introducing Spring 2013 with fresh eye-popping palettes borrowed from the bolder side of nature. Inspired by wild and vivid yet natural color, this springs beauty colors will invigorate the senses with a splash of fun and saturated hues that coax you out of your sweater and into the sun.

What’s Hot Now
Bold and bright lips are on the beauty radar this season. Put a little skip in your step by wearing a fresh new color of an enchanting pink to spice up those spring days ahead. Bolder is better when it comes to lips, and bright pink glosses are here to brighten your days. I encourage you to switch gears from the winter tones of burgundies and reds to an effortlessly radiant fuchsia, voluptuous cranberry or a vibrant peach tone lip.

Color-Blocking Eye Shadow Kits< Chill street-side in subtle, spring eye shadow shades that suit an outdoor weekend with friends or family. Easy and eye-catching eye kits are designed to make life a whole lot easier. Choose a brown kit for that oh-so-natural daytime look. Eye kits that have a pop of color will give the eyes an edgy uptown finish. Customize your eye kits and blend several colors together for a multi-dimensional, memorable look. Naturally pretty make-up pairs well with a bold bright lip. Modernist

“I want a smooth, even complexion that looks natural, not like I was wearing a ton of make-up.” Keeping it real with a beautiful BB Cream will look like your skin is ultra natural and smooth. Your complexion will be kept safe from the harmful rays of the sun with a strong SPF 30. Included in this amazing BB Cream is titanium dioxide, a primer and smoothing peptides that will make your skin flawless and healthy. Adding a hint of light pink shimmer blush will give your skin a timeless and youthful glow.

Spring Make-up Updates
Spring is just around the corner and now we are offering seasonal make-up updates starting February 10th. Let us help you discover and choose the right spring look just for you, from our new spring collection from Fleur Visage.

Most of us have undergone a detox (of sorts) since January 1. But between the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day and The Year of the Snake and every other holiday-centric excuse we find for feasting, our food choices expand right along with our waistlines. Though February is nothing like the sugar-fest of December, most have us have now settled into a more realistic approach to healthy living. A few carbs here; a few fats there—all manage to keep us sated and sassy.

Through thick and thin, the farmers’ market remains the portal to healthy living. Along with juicy citrus fruits, apples, pears and other sweet reminders of winter, this month — with early crops like sugar snap peas and strawberries — offers a sneak-peak of what’s in store. And as we wait for spring to get into full swing, it’s the perfect opportunity to explore less common vegetables at the market.

Unless you grew up in an Italian household, chances are your mom never served fennel. And if you still haven’t tried it as an adult, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do. If you’ve been scared off by descriptions that compare its taste to licorice, read on.

Florence fennel — also called finocchioor bulb fennel — has a delicate, sweet flavor vaguely reminiscent of anise. (In fact, supermarkets often mislabel it as such—though anise has a far more pronounced licorice flavor.) Fennel is sweet and mild in its natural state; and even more so when cooked. If you’ve been on the fence, now is the time to take the plunge: its prime growing season in California is October through April, when we are likely to find the most tender “baby fennel.”

In addition to its delicate flavor, there are a couple more selling points: Fennel’s texture is crisp when raw, yet meltingly tender when cooked. And these odd-looking veggies are completely edible: the bulb itself, the celery-like stalks that rise from the bulb, and the feathery green fronds on top.

Asiago-Fennel Gratin

• 2 medium-size fennel bulbs, rinsed and trimmed
• 1/2 cup chicken stock or reduced-sodium broth
• 2 1/2 tablespoons California extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Refrigerate or freeze the fennel stalks for another use, and reserve a few fennel fronds for garnish. Cut each fennel bulb in half lengthwise; then cut each half into 2 or 3 wedges. Arrange the wedges, cut-side up, in a 9-inch-square or other shallow 2-quart baking dish.
2. Gently pour the stock over the fennel wedges; then drizzle with the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Continue baking, uncovered, until cheese is lightly browned and the fennel is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm, or let cool to room temperature. Just before serving, finely chop the reserved fennel fronds and scatter over the top. Serves 4.

 

Getting Familiar with Fennel

• The seeds used to flavor Italian sausage — as well as many other foods — come from a very different, bulb-less variety known simply as Common fennel.
• Look for firm, pale bulbs of Florence fennel with a pearly sheen and no blemishes. The dill-like green fronds on top should appear bright and fresh.
• Refrigerate whole, unwashed fennel in a plastic bag. Stalks and fronds are best used within a couple of days. (Or freeze the stalks to add Mediterranean flair to future soups and stews.) Fennel bulbs remain fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• To prepare fennel, rinse with cold water and pat dry. Cut off the green fronds and use as you would any fresh herb — as a garnish or flavor enhancer. Cut off the celery-like stalks, peel with a vegetable peeler, and add to dishes as you would celery. Using a small, sharp knife, trim the base of the bulb, removing any browned or tough spots. To slice, use a chef’s knife to cut the bulb in half lengthwise; then crosswise into strips. (Use a mandoline or V-slicer for paper-thin strips.) Alternatively, cut the bulb halves lengthwise into halves or quarters.
• If fennel becomes limp, refresh it in ice water for about 30 minutes.
• Add thin slices of raw fennel to salads; or include small wedges on a crudité platter.
• 1 cup of raw sliced fennel is less than 30 calories. It is a significant source of vitamin C, with 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of carbohydrate.

The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 1-800-949-FARM or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com.This market is made possible through the generous support of the Town of Danville. Please show your appreciation by patronizing the many fine shops and restaurants located in downtown Danville. Buy fresh. Buy local. Live well.

 

 

Whether you enjoy the warm extravagance of a traditional style bath and dressing room or the more modern, clean look of a contemporary style, luxury is always attainable. Decorative stone flooring with a beautifully designed tile pattern can distinguish the vanity area from the bath area. Radiant heated tile floors, the heat lamp/vent in the shower, and a heated towel rack are accessories that cannot be overlooked.

Multiple showerheads help make cleaning a snap and give a nice variety. A hand-held shower head is a must for tough to reach corners, and a rain shower head will give the effect of standing under a waterfall in Hawaii! A tile niche for soaps and shower accessories provide a decorative ledge and keep these items off of the floor.

Framing the windows with decorative curtains hides the hardware and opaque or semi-opaque shades behind that provide much needed privacy. Bulky head rails can be neatly tucked away under valances and the remote controlled shades come down with ease when needed and can be hidden to maximize the beautiful view.
Custom vanities can be designed with your needs in mind and finished off with decorative feet at the bottom or a base built to the floor. Countertop options are never ending, to name a few: marble or quartz can give a clean, contemporary feel, or pick granite for the warm, traditional effect. A lower built-in vanity for make-up with a small, comfortable bench will make getting ready in the mornings much more enjoyable.

A lovely chandelier over the Whirlpool tub will make the space feel romantic and well lit. Just the right amount of light over the vanities using decorative wall sconces, bath bars with three downward shining lights, or pendants will complete the room and make it shine! Tying all of the elements together in coordinating colors and sheen options will make the room come to life.

If you have Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you know the feeling even though you may not know the name. It may start with indigestion, bloating and gas and then progress to heartburn, reflux, GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease), abdominal pain and cramping, diarrhea, constipation or both, abnormal frequency or urgency, vomiting, hemorrhoids or any other gut symptom that you experience and causes you dismay.

You’ve probably traveled the disheartening journey from over-the-counter medications like Tagamet, Pepcid or Tums to your primary doctor for Prilosec, Nexium or possibly Propulsid and then to the gastroenderologist for colonoscopy, barium enemas, MRI’s and CT scans. Along the way, you have probably realized that some foods increase your symptoms and so now you may be afraid to eat. In the end, you continue to suffer and are now considering antidepressants.

The most effective approach is much simpler than you think, but it does require a plan. The first thing to consider is that the cause of gut problems is probably not a recent event. It is likely that this has been developing for quite some time and so it may be difficult to precisely put your finger on the exact cause, but the only way to expect a lasting solution is to get at what is the CAUSE of your problem. IBS is a problem of three fundamental conditions: bacteria, chemistry and inflammation. Each slowly leads to the next until the symptoms are out of control. This may take years to fully develop but you won’t realize it because the digestive tract has no pain receptors to let you know that troubles are on the way.

Drugs (with their predictable consequences and side effects) may temporarily decrease your pain or nausea but your system is not improved in any way and may actually result in decreased absorption of nutrients allowing your underlying condition to worsen. I’m sure you know that something is wrong but you don’t have to live with it.

GOOD BACTERIA

A healthy environment in the digestive tract is maintained by bacteria balance and dominance of good bacteria over the bad. The good bacteria set up an environment that properly digests food, maintains proper acid/base relationships, and produces and absorbs vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately, this balance is quite easily destroyed by antibiotics. Any dose will kill bacteria, and each time they are used it becomes more difficult to get the proper bacteria to come up to the right levels. This balance can also be destroyed by poor diet, alcohol, micronutrient deficiency, decreased digestive enzymes, prescription and self-medications (Advil, Motrin, etc.) or an autoimmune condition like thyroid disease.

Without the proper balance of good to bad bacteria the chemistry of the gut begins to change. Digestive enzymes decrease in the stomach and small intestine, which then prevents proper digestion of protein and fat, leading to malnutrition and severe inflammation that spreads through the entire body causing joint pain, skin problems and brain fog.

Other Causes of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

1. H. pylori infection. A bacteria that causes almost all stomach ulcers.
2. Stress which decreases stomach acid production, which then leads to decreased digestive enzymes.
3. Slow transit time (low thyroid conditions
4. Alcohol consumption.
5. The Western diet – highly processed, refined and cooked foods contain no enzymes.
6. Intestinal inflammation and auto-immune response (Gut associated lymphoid tissue)
7. Age – Evidence suggests that increased age is accompanied with decreased digestive enzyme production.

There is good news.

We can easily establish the bacterial balance and normal chemistry by supplying the nutrients and bacteria that have been destroyed. This can really been done! Gut testing can direct our approach so we don’t have to waist time hunting for the right combination of targeted supplementation, diet change, and lifestyle modification.

Digestion can also be improved by adding digestive enzymes to adjust the proper acid/base relationships to control indigestion, bloating and gas, again improving the chemistry where the bacteria live. Slowly, the environment begins to improve and the inflammation in the walls of the gut begins to decrease leading to an improved immune picture.

Dr. Don Davis, D.C., DACNB is a BOARD CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST in Walnut Creek. He has been serving individuals with chronic pain for 30 years. For information about how you can get a free consultation with Dr. Davis, call (925) 279-4324 (HEAL). Visit us at WalnutCreekThyroidInstitute.com

A little history reminder before I get into my story. After World War II, Germany was divided into two countries. For simplicity, they were generally referred to as East and West Germany. The West prospered under Allied control, while the East floundered under Soviet rule.

Migration from east to west reached two and a half million people and to stop this flow, a wall was built between the two countries, being completed in August 1961. The wall stood until November, 1989 when it was finally torn down.

A gate existed in this wall through which foot and vehicle traffic could pass under supervision of United States troops in the West, and German guards known as VOLPO in the East. At this site in October 1961 United States tanks lined up on the west side and Soviet tanks lined up on the east. The notoriety of this gate excited the imagination of generations in spy novels, as well as in reality. Its name conjured up intrigue, mystery, and suspense.

We first visited Checkpoint Charlie in early 1990. The wall was being demolished, kids were jumping over the huge blocks which were tumbling down, and tourists from all around the world were chipping pieces off the fallen wall for souvenirs. I must admit I joined the chippers.

Generally, the houses on the east side were quite close to the wall, but a patch – I would estimate it to be about fifty meters in width – lay to the west. Signs were posted by the East Germans that anyone traversing this field would be shot. The area was called “the killing field” for apparently if a person did manage to scale the wall, he/she was shot before reaching the other side.

We walked peacefully along the avenue known as Unter den Linden, through the famous Brandenburg Gate, and around the Reichstag. We were very fortunate as one of the days of our visit included the last “changing of the guard” of the Soviet troops in East Berlin.

At Checkpoint Charlie, I spoke in my childish German to a VOPO soldier. He told me that he would soon be relieved of his duties. As a hat collector I bought one of his fore-and-aft caps for five US dollars. It was his hope that he would be employed as a police officer in the United German Republic, but he was skeptical. He pointed out a number of spray-painted signs on and near the wall which read “Keine Stasi amnesty” which basically lobbied against amnesty for those soldiers who tried to stop migration into the west.

It is now twenty-two years later and once again we visited Berlin and found ourselves drawn to that intersection where Checkpoint Charlie existed. My, my – what a change!

In the center of the Friedrichstadt neighborhood a rough copy of the little hut used by the United States troops was located. On either side of the hut stood several “actors” in military uniforms waving the flags of the various countries they supposedly represented. All around it stood small kiosks offering fake military outfits, hunks of stones, various badges, and other miscellaneous souvenirs for sale. There were crowds snapping photos, buying junk, and doing what tourists are expected to do. It was a far cry from our previous visit.

To my mind, the major difference was the vast amount of buildings that had been erected. The “killing field” was now fully covered by brick multi-story buildings, going up some ten to twelve stories. The old Café Adler – which had been the place where agents, double agents, and triple agents waited and watched – was now a large restaurant serving beer and sausage at outdoor tables.

We enjoyed our visit to the new Berlin. We visited the standard historic places and added the recently-built ones, which included the eerie, claustrophobic, narrow walkways of the Holocaust Memorial. We marveled at the sections of the wall which have been left standing and into which has been incorporated an excellent history of this period.

But, I wish we had not seen Checkpoint Charlie. All the romance and intrigue that John Le Carré and other novelists had built is now gone. I much prefer my memory.