Well, where to start this narrative? In the PhotoWorks Laboratory on 23rd Street in Chelsea in Manhattan in 1986? Or in Karla’s flat in Prenzlauerburg in 2013? I leave there earlier than I probably need to in order to get to the Hauptbahnhof in good time for my ICE connection to Köln, and it turns out to be a good choice. I first go to the wrong tram stop, then when I get on the right one, there is a total traffic tie-up as we approach the old wall. This is because of the presence of the (US) Presidential bubble and his cortege which results in a total ban on traffic entering the entire central government sector — much of Berlin-Mitte. There had been hints of looming presence for at least a week before — Blackhawks on drill overhead, warnings about route changes posted on public transport, and so on. As traffic is totally blocked by the time the tram gets to Mauerpark, shiite! I get off and get to the U-Bahn pretty quickly, and make it to the Hbf in good time — enough to make some audio recordings (Gleis 6), have a snack and look out south towards the government sector that is completely cordoned off, musing on that impenetrable bubble that surrounds the Imperial man and his entourage.

I get on the ICE train to Köln, car 32, seat 81 or so, looking forward to a relaxed and comfortable ride with an easy transfer in Köln to the Aachen train. It looks pretty empty. A petite woman comes to my row and takes the window seat. So I say to her “I’ll move up one row since the train looks pretty empty, that way we’ll both have more room” (am I being rude?). I move up one row, but shortly another woman comes along and I am in her seat to I move back to my original seat. I settle back in and turn to my seat mate and ask her if she is from Berlin, “No, I live in New York.” Oh really, what are you doing there? “I’m a photographer.” And as I am looking at her, I am stunned, “Dora, Dora Händel?” My lord, booking the seat next to me is my old colleague from (Kathy Kennedy‘s) PhotoWorks on 23rd Street in Chelsea from 1986. PhotoWorks was one of the top two commercial custom printing labs in the photo district back in those analog days. Dora took care of all contact printing (ferro-typed Kodak Azo, thank you!). We spent many an hour in the darkroom listening to Nina Haugen among other incendiary sonic background effects.

We hadn’t seen each other in probably 20 years or so. How effing bizarre. The immediate question becomes: What to make of this synchronicity, coincidence, sign, event, etc, etc. Too incredibly random to comprehend from any statistical level.

Fortunately we have a couple hours to catch up before she gets off in Münster (or so?). I go on to Hamm where the train is shunted (the German rail network is still suffering from major delays resulting from the heavy flooding on the Elbe River). It’s the hottest day in an already hot German summer, and after one aborted attempt to get a connection onward, and some time on the stifling platform, passengers are finally (and, to be honest, pretty efficiently) re-routed to their different destinations. When I arrive in Aachen, I pick up a form at the DB travel office in the Hbf for applying for a partial refund based on the two-hour delay I experienced. The lady at the desk helps me fill it out.