The roommate of unknown origin is Spanish. He is in Berlin to run the marathon this weekend. He claims to have run one in 2:35. I guess there is always someone faster.
This train, for instance, is faster than any I’ve been on. It makes the 300km journey from Berlin to Hamburg in 90 minutes. You can see the turbulence. Leaves are blown away by it. I feel a little nauseous from the leaning in curves (or is it from looking at scenery go by) but I wish I could go this fast when commuting between cities in Canada.